Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 30, 2015

Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection of the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way; This post is a year 'round "feature" on the blog. If you're looking for Big Brother posts, they can all be found at this link right here. If you're not interested in this particular post, please feel free to skip on by it. I'll be posting a Big Brother blog party post coinciding with the East Coast airing of the show and, late this evening, another live feeds post. Stay tuned.

Yet another week in the (seemingly never-ending) countdown to Staycation for me. Here's some random notes on the week:

• I woke up very early one morning this past week smelling smoke -- like house-burning smoke -- in my apartment. That was one of the first nights that I had turned off the air conditioning and threw the windows wide open as the heat had lessened.
• It turns out that two homes were destroyed and one damaged in a huge three alarm fire with 80 firefighters responding right on the street in back of my building. The fire was actually across the street from the Mexican Polka live band people. I'm so running on empty these days that I slept through all the hoopla.
• (Side note: The Mexican Polka live band people were at it until nearly midnight last night. Grr.) 
• In the urban jungle news arena: There I was, resting on the ledge by the Plainfield Police Annex waiting for the bus home from the train last night and this creepy drunk non-English speaking dude plopped down practically on top of me. "Ola!" I reacted with exaggerated shoo hand motions and "Go away! Shoo!" I already had plans to knock him to the ground if he didn't go away -- I'm larger and sober, he's drunk. I scared him. He stumbled away. A cop who had been sitting at the traffic light watching called out to me, "Nicely played!"
• I find it very depressing that I'm old enough to join the Plainfield Senior Center which I don't have time in my life to join because I'm not old enough (or financially set) to retire.
• Not that I'd really want to join. I'd probably rather do something like join a whitewater rafting club than do many of the activities they have going on for seniors.
• In more urban jungle news: One early evening on the 59 bus, a guy tried to board with one of those personal shopping carts well overloaded with scrap metal (he probably stole). The bus driver wouldn't let him board and started screaming, "No! No! NO!" -- thus scaring an innocent dude who was paying his fare. I was looking at the scrap metal pieces haphazardly piled atop the cart and thinking it would be dangerous. I was glad the bus driver told him no and drove off forcing the guy to get his foot out of the bus door.
• We're expected another heat wave this week.
• Wah.

That's about it. Onto this week's photos! Clicking on an image will open it in a larger window.

I love the flowers

But I'll love autumn temperatures a lot more! Of course, autumn has its own flowers, plus glorious fall foliage.

Fireworks at the TD Ball Park

On Monday night, just as the 10pm train was coming in, they started the after game fireworks in Bridgewater.

East Second Street fire scene

Despite the local newspapers saying the fire was at 240 East Second Street, it was not. It apparently started in the attic of 640 and spread to 642. Both of those homes seem totally destroyed, with the roofs caving in on them. 644 has its siding all melted, but the building didn't catch on fire. No one was hurt. More of the fire scene photos after the jump ...

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

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds into Sunday - August 30

Read the body language

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

• It sounds like Johnny Mac, Steve and Vanessa just might be really working together again ... until they're not.
• Obviously, nothing is forever in this house of hamsters!
• The Austwins really want Vanessa to put Johnny Mac up to replace James when he saves himself.
• They want that so bad that they tried to convince James and Meg to go throw JM under that horribly driven reality bus.
• When Meg talked to Vanessa, she was given false hope by Vanessa. I know from watching Vanessa all summer, that was just her jury talk -- she'll blame Meg's ouster on others, claim she had no vote and was under the impression Meg was safe.
• Yessirree! That's Vanessa!
• When James talked to Vanessa, he told her what she wanted to hear. He has Vanessa pretty well figured out.
• He was honest (it seems) with her when asked about Johnny Mac.
• He really has no clue who Johnny Mac would target.
• Yup, Johnny Mac, Enigma Man.
• James did his best to throw Austin under that bus, though.
• JM and Steve have agreed to put last week's throwing each other under the bus to try to keep afloat in the past.
• They think that they might even to bring James aboard (despite James's threats about Vanessa).
• They also think no way would James ever work with Vanessa if she wasn't with them (Steve and Johnny Mac).
• Meanwhile, Julia's name keeps getting mentioned as the pawn against Meg.
• Now, she probably would be safe against Meg.
• The two of Austwins who would be true target pawns would be Austin or Liz.
• Both Liz and Austin seem to be on board with Julia going up as a pawn.
• Julia, not so much.
• We have until tomorrow, but it seems most likely that Julia will be up with Meg. 
• While Austwins were pushing for Johnny Mac to go up, Vanessa pretty much shut them down.
• We'll see.

James talks to Vanessa

Wearing her green hat ... again

Don't do it, Steve!

Vanessa no hat, different look

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Saturday, Power of Veto - August 29

Vanessa's smiling? Not for long.

Here are today's happenings from inside that Big Brother House of Lackluster Loonies:

• The feeds were blocked for more of their awake time than they've been running.
• Why?
• First, the veto players pick.
• Besides Vanessa, James and Meg ... they drew Austin, Liz and Julia.
• Oh my. That sounds like it should be good for Vanessa, doesn't it?
• Heh.
• Johnny Mac was the host.
• I guess Steve sat around and did nothing.
• While so many prepared for the Fold or Stay comp, it wasn't that at all.
• Heh.
• It was one where they had to run through the house searching for something ... thus tearing apart the house and making a huge mess.
• I'm surprised they're cleaning up the mess. Sometimes the house looks just about that bad when they're just plain living in it!
• The big news is ... JAMES WON THE POWER OF VETO.
• Did you hear that?
• Liz made a point of bragging that she deliberately took all Meg's stuff and threw it around.
• Mean girl.
• Austwins and Vanessa are very unhappy.
• Too bad, so sad.
• Vanessa thinks they planned a comp that James would win.
• Huh? How can you even predict who would win something like that? Meg with her hurt leg could have won!
• James told Meg he's thinking of trying to make a deal with Austwins that he'd go after Vanessa if they'd vote to keep Meg this week.
• Hmm. I doubt that would fly.
• I'd imagine that Meg's days in the house are up. I've really enjoyed her, but she so sucks at comps and the general cut-throat kind of game BB is.
• She's too nice.
• Vanessa doubts James will use his veto to save Meg.
• I doubt it, too.
• Vanessa wants to put someone on the block that will be a guarantee Meg will be the one voted out.
• Gee, put AUSTIN up! Go for it, Vanessa, he's so loved in the house!
• Heehee.
• Julia suggested Johnny Mac. Vanessa nixed that.
• Of course, if Johnny Mac goes up there would be the chance Meg would stay.
• Ohhh ... Vanessa suggested to Austin that she put up Julia as a pawn.
• Now, that's something she mentioned last night if James got himself off the block.
• Uh-oh. Paranoid-Vanessa is starting to worry that Johnny Mac is spending too much time with Meg and James.
• And that's where we are.
• At the moment.
• Things could change -- we're talking Vanessa. But, she has been talking all along since HoH about getting Meg out. She usually accomplishes her goal.

Johnny Mac sports a new look.

James sports the Power of Veto!

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds into Saturday Morning - August 29

Goody goody gumdrops

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Subdued Seahorse Hamsters:

• I forgot to mention ... half of the house are Have Nots this week. Oy!
• John, Meg, James and Julia are the Have Nots. John volunteered, the rest didn't.
• Vanessa thinks that if James comes off the block, Julia might be the best choice to put up. Neither Meg nor Julia seem to be able to win any comps and Julia would have the votes to stay.
• Austin still has delusions of grandeur and thinks he and Liz are all that.
• Wait until he finds out what all that they are!
• He just can't get past all the cheering he heard when Johnny Mac went out the door on Thursday. He claims there's an applause sign.
• In the evening's rather subdued Hamster House, there was no Potball, no Slingball, no bowling.
• There hasn't been any Chocolate Wars since Meg got hit in the eye.
• About the only moment of tomfoolery is when Steve and Julia tried to scare a sleeping Austin. Julia had foil on her head and a blanket wrapped around her.
• I thought of Audrey.
• Meg thinks she and James were lied about to Vanessa or Vanessa is making petty things blow up for her reasoning in putting them on the block.
• Austwins are sucking up to Meg and James.
• Hey, everyone is thinking of jury votes.
• Because the yard was still open late (usually lockdown Friday evening to prep for the PoV comp), they got all confused and wondered if this weekend is Labor Day weekend.
• Julia thinks there might be 28 days in August.
• Mind you, she supposedly went to Loyola, if memory serves.
• Liz did bring up a perfectly valid point -- Meg shouldn't be allowed to float until the end.
• While she's very personable and often brings a lot of smiles in the house, Meg is basically a more likable Victoria. Those are my words, not Liz's.
  
• Meg talked about Vanessa being paranoid.
• Y'think?
• James advised Meg to pick Julia if she gets the Houseguest's Choice chip -- because Julia can't win.
• After all, if not for Liz and Austin, Julia too is a Victoria.
• Meg thinks that Vanessa wants to work with James.
• I think so, too. At least to a point, that is. She wants someone else strong to take out the Austwins so that she can rule over the non-connected bunch and hopefully win the game.
• But, she doesn't want "the blood of Austwins" on her hands for jury vote reasons.
• If she could work with Steve, Johnny Mac and James ... one of them could get the Out Damn Austwins Spot out of there and she'd be sitting pretty.
• All are nestled in bed with dreams of sugarplums in their heads as I get this posted.

Liz in a blanket

In the dentist chair again

Ladies love cool James?

At least Austin and Liz are out of that bed

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds, Nominations Friday - August 28

Nominations are in

After continuous circular talking throughout the day, the nominations are in.

Vanessa nominated Meg and James, as per her earlier discussions with Johnny Mac and Steve. She also conferred with Austwins about doing it. Austin was reluctant.
But, looking at the situation, it probably is her best game move to work with Steve and Johnny Mac (and possibly whichever is left over from Meg and James) to take down Austwins. She's number four with them and, with Steve and JM, they're not bonded like Austwins and the playing ground will be more of an actual "best man win" situation.

Meg is in tears on and off. James is more calm and quiet. 

Meg is upset

James is more calm