Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - January 4, 2015

Yep, it's another Sunday. Nope, haven't been watching too much television. I have a few reasons for that. First, if I concentrate on the screen or try to follow a story too long, I get a whopper headache. Or, at the very least, I tend to lose focus. Unfortunately, that goes for reading books and computer use, as well.

That said, I was happy to see a new episode of Blue Bloods this past Friday. I think it might be the first new episode of any show I watch since the beginning of December! That might be a good thing due to my health. But I really need to work on building up my tolerance for such things. I go to the doctor on Thursday -- high temperature of 19 predicted as opposed to a high of 57 expected today. I'll see what he says. I really wish they could do something or give me something! I feel like I'm in Limbo.

Wednesday night was New Year's Eve. I spent my time loosely following the Twilight Zone marathon on SyFy. I was a bit surprised that some of the episodes were ones I don't remember. I'm not sure if that was because of the post concussion syndrome or I just don't remember them. As it went for midnight, I turned to the ball drop and then headed to bed. I lead such an exciting life, don't I?

On New Year's Day evening, there was a homicide just outside my own neighborhood.  That's not the best way to start the year in Plainfield. Not to worry about me, though. As an older woman, I'm really not the demographic of crime victims in town. Plus, I don't wander around in sketchy neighborhoods at night. Where the murder happened, though only a five minute or so walk away, is not anywhere I'd be after dark.

Once again, I didn't really go anywhere this week. So, once again, the photos offered up this week are suffering. You can always check out my other blog -- I Shoot Stuff I See -- for updated photo fodder daily. They're not new photos, mind you. They're just ones from my computer files over the years. Anyway ... onto the sights from this week.

I see hamburgers

I noticed these on Berckman Street as I walked to the bodega around the corner. Hamburgers and cheeseburgers. On the road. No buns, no traces of buns. I have no clue. They didn't look like they were edible, even in their prime. But they were gone the next time I walked through there a few days later. Maybe the fox my neighbor sighted last week found them.

A touch of snow

Before it turned to slush, then vanished in the rain yesterday, we had a touch of white in the Jersey 'hood. I was hoping to see the fox, but I did not. I will keep watching for it!

The gnarly tree

Its branches were covered with snow until late afternoon. Now all is just wet out there. (Still no fox.)

My other injury

The day after Christmas, I heated some mashed potatoes covered with Saran wrap in the microwave. Stupid me (I blame the concussion, it can't be my own stupidity!), even though the Saran had puffed up like a Jiffy Pop pan from the olden days, I grabbed a corner and got a steam burn. It hurt at the time and turned a section of one finger a pretty pink. But I didn't think it was too bad. While it only hurt a day or two, it now LOOKS bad. But it doesn't hurt.

Think OUTSIDE the box, Vincent!

I keep telling him that if he wants to be successful, he needs to think outside the box. There are too many internet kitty stars out there. He needs to be unique in his talents. Alas, he thinks he should just retreat to the box and let me support him in his luxury cat ways. I'm actually surprised this box has lasted this long. Maybe that's due to the scratchy thing being more tempting to chew apart and spit all over the floor.

Happy New Year!

 

Wishing all of my friends here on the blog the happiest of New Year wishes! Thank you all so much for hanging out here year 'round!

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - December 28, 2014

Yep, it's yet another Sunday. While I've been on a bit of a holiday season mixed with health issues hiatus from television posting, this is another rather abbreviated photo post of the week gone by.

Um. Oh, wait ... it was Christmas, wasn't it? I hope you all, all who celebrate Christmas that is, had a great holiday.

Me? As per my usual, I had a quiet holiday at home with a certain cat. The holidays aren't a great time of year for many people, including me. With my parents gone for decades and no relatives close by, Christmas tends to be just another day in my life. Oh, I did make it a bit special meal-wise. I had bought a small butterflied boneless leg of lamb and had that with mashed potatoes, cauliflower and a fancy-schmancy chocolate pie for dessert.

I feel a bit better with my post concussion syndrome, but still have some dizziness problems and headaches if I watch TV or am on the computer too long. Every now and then I forget stuff, but I'm thinking that might just be me. I don't know.

Before I forget to mention it -- my new blog, I Shoot Stuff I See, is updated every day with photos I've taken in the past ten or so years. And, you really should check it out from the first post on. I hope you enjoy it!

I really didn't get out much this week, just a few walks to the bodega around the corner. I even walked with peanuts in my pocket hoping to get some squirrel shots and saw NO squirrels! Gah! Thus, my photo pickings were a bit slip again this week.

I hope everybody has a good week!

New era fuzzy dice

It used to be fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror in cars. I guess fuzzy soccer balls are now the in thing. I found these abandoned near the sidewalk on East Second Street in Plainfield. I would imagine whether dice or soccer balls, they're probably all illegal as they block the driver's view. There used to be a time when folks wouldn't get stopped for that. But, back then, seatbelts in cars were a rare thing.

Going downhill fast

This was taken early in the week. Today the "new" scratch pad is looking downright downtrodden. Yet, as I type this us, Vincent is catnapping in what's left of it.

I was so tempted

Yes, it's a VCR. I had recently been thinking what will happen if/when my VCR dies. While I have a collection of movies and TV shows on DVD, I have a lot of movies on VHS. I'm not sure how long VCRs will remain on the market. I recall buying one of the last 8-track tape players when I knew they were going down. But that technology sucked while VCRs were actually very good. My personal guess on this one by the sidewalk on Berckman Street in Plainfield is that it probably works and was just put out there due to its upgrading of technology. I passed it up, then it was gone when I walked back by.

In the long run, it doesn't matter. Amongst some other things my neighbor gave me due to his upcoming move was a VCR/DVD combo.

In a catnip daze

Vincent bids all adieu until next week!

Merry Christmas and an Announcement!

 

Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends, near and far.

(I haven't been able to get Vincent to wear his Santa suit for years now, so this is far from a new photo of him!)

The announcement? Well, I've been working on a separate photo blog since summer and I'm releasing it today! Nothing will change on this blog -- it will still be TV and the weekly photo review posts on Sundays. However, the new blog -- I Shoot What I See -- will be updated daily with one or two photo posts. Some might be new photos; most are ones I've taken over the last ten or eleven years. 

At the moment, there's a lot of content on there. But the posts are short -- few words, one or two photos per post. If you click on the month on the right side column of that blog, you can quickly go through them by the month. When you first check it out (IF you do and please and thank you!), click on the link to the welcome/about post I have linked in the sentences written across the top. (Please and thank you!)

I hope you enjoy it!

Merry Christmas!

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - December 21, 2014

Oh my gosh ... Christmas is just about here! Welcome to my weekly off television topic (kind of) photo post. I say "kind of" because, once again, I don't have all that much in the way of photos taken this week. I've certainly found out that post concussion syndrome really messes with you. Since I didn't have any doctor appointments, I really didn't go out or do much this past week. I even had a Peapod grocery delivery, so I didn't have to go out for food.

On a television note, I was pleased with the winners of both Survivor and The Amazing Race. Both shows look like they're going to have good seasons starting up in February.

I did take trash out to the Dumpster at my apartment building and spotted this --

Huh? Whazzat?

Why, it's a kitty cat!

I hate to see cats out loose on these streets in town. Yes, there are a lot of feral cats who seem to be wise in the ways of traffic and such. But this little one is too clean to be feral. And, we haven't had a regular population of feral cats in the immediate neighborhood in about a decade. This one is probably someone's pet and, unfortunately, its life expectancy is cut way down because they let her out. (Yes, it's a "her" -- it's a calico and they're always female.)

On the other hand, there's a certain Vincent cat who got a new scratching pad handed over to him this week. He had killed his last one and I have a few that I bought a while ago and tucked away in the closet. Yes, he does scratch on it. But he also sits in it, sleeps in it and bites chunks out of it (and spits them all over my floor, thank goodness for hardwood instead of carpet). Silly Vincent!




Oh! And I took the next shot of a bit of color remaining from the fall (happy winter, y'all!):

Hanging in there, as am I

I should have a post up later this week for the holiday, so stop on back! Heck, I might even try for a television post!