Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 13, 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.

Yes, I'm finally at staycation! This week I do have a lot of things I want to get done. I have to choose photos to enter in the photo contest. I have work I want to do on a few old computers to get the information (and photos!) off of the hard drives. I have to consult a lawyer over some issues (not criminal, mind you). I need to watch all of the TV shows I've recorded. I want to organize stuff here at home and get rid of unused items and clothes that will never fit me again. I'd like to go into the city, perhaps tomorrow, to photo stomp the Feast of San Genaro and parts of Chinatown. The last time I went was on a weekend and it was packed. Monday might be better! I also want one or two mornings at the park now that kids have returned to school. Oh, and so much more planned for the week!

But I will indeed take time to rest and relax, too.

This past week at work was work although severely shortened in the number of days. Labor Day is a paid holiday for me and I took a paid vacation day for yesterday. So, technically, I had a three day work week. However, things change. I ended up going in for about three hours on Monday at an exorbitant rate of pay. Hey, they wanted me. I certainly didn't ASK to work!

The week was record-breaking heat (and humidity) at its start, then rain and a return to more seasonable temperatures. Once we get by iffy weather today, it looks like clear sailing and more seasonable.

In home life, things have been back to their normal quiet since last week's excitement. About the most disruptive thing is that I've decided the guy upstairs needs a new vacuum cleaner. He has wall-to-wall carpet and vacuums rarely or when I'm not at home. He vacuumed yesterday and I swear it sounded like a helicopter trying to land and moving around his apartment! Here I have hardwood floors throughout and Swiffer does the trick. My handheld vacuum can deal with the few small area rugs I have. I do have a good working real vacuum, but I'll hang onto it. I don't want to have to buy another one if the day comes that I'll need it. I doubt I'll live here forever.

Enough ... onto this week's photos! Clicking on a photo will bring up a larger version.

Vincent

He's looking all sweet and innocent. But, give him some catnip and all heck can break loose! Oh, wait. He's not sweet and innocent ... he's checking out the bird in the photo below!

A mourning dove

Perhaps in mourning; I didn't see its mate. I swear this one has been zooming out of the underbrush so quickly every day that I wasn't sure what it was. But, I caught it zooming then sitting one day. Like a pigeon, but not.

Cool old Thunderbird

I saw this car on East 4th Street in Plainfield, fantastic condition. Its windows were down and I didn't see an owner around. If it were MY car, I wouldn't take those risks. But, I'd bet a lot of today's car thieves wouldn't know how to drive it anyway!

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

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Into Sunday - September 13

Let's not tell them

Sheesh, even when her conversations go on and on, I should hold off posting until they finish. Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Ten Days to Go:

• Okay, by the time Johnny Mac and Vanessa stopped talking, the target changed to Steve.
• Why is that?
• After telling him a gazillion different scenarios and possible outcomes, Vanessa asked, "Which way are you leaning?"
• "To evict? Steve, for now anyway."
• Gah! They're still too dumb to break up the obvious couple!
• Going into the final four with a couple is just too risky, methinks.
• One wise thing they did is decide not to tell them ahead of time.
• "Heh-heh, why do people always tell? It's against the rules and everything, heh-heh," according to Johnny Mac.
• They still don't know, although they're guessing, that the schedule will switch up or speed up to get everything in by the finale date.
• Steve mentioned to Johnny Mac that no star ever got their start in BB.
• JM brought up Frankie. Steve told him that BB might have helped, but was not the root of his fame.
• Meanwhile, both Liz and Austin have visions of sugarplums and open doors throughout the land waiting for them when they get out.
• Ha. Only BB fans will know them and both have been unpopular with the online fans.
• That's all for now. Things could change again. We won't know until we know, I guess!

I'm leaning towards evicting Steve

If we were BB2, we'd be out by now

Could I be going this week?

Bug Brother 17: Live Feeds into Saturday Night - September 13

Okay, need to regroup again

Johnny Mac's win of the veto sure put a monkey wrench into Vanessa's latest plans. Now she'll have to renom either Liz or Austin. Whatever will she do? Why, she could switch sides again. Yeah, that's the ticket! Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Skittles Strategies:

• Scratch my LFT statement on this morning's update. Austin, Liz and Vanessa aren't the Likely Final Three.
• Not since Johnny Mac lives on another few days (at least).
• As usual, Vanessa held long revolving talks with each of her fellow hamsters.
• Liz was rather quick and adamant the Austin should go on the block instead of her. She's still angry about Austin's behavior and quasi-reliving her anger with him over the veto last week.
• While Johnny Mac was Vanessa's target (until now), she's worked to make him think he wasn't and that she'll remain loyal to him.
• She told Steve that she wants him to remain in the game.
• Johnny Mac went crazy trying to get everyone to tell him the name of the Scamper Squad.
• Vanessa finally told him, in front of all.
• Steve is actually very good about being on the block even before the veto. He's been betrayed by Vanessa but he never went into a groveling mess of humanity as did Austin some weeks back.
• This time, when Vanessa spoke to Austin about maybe/probably having to put him on the block, he was better about it.
• But, then again, he thinks Vanessa has his back. He also probably thinks he can get Johnny Mac to vote to keep him and/or Vanessa would break the tie in his favor if he can't get Johnny's vote.
• Johnny Mac told Steve he'd vote to keep him.
• But who knows with Johnny Mac?
• It's looking like Austin will be the renom.
• And, it looks like Austin is who Vanessa wants out this time.
• But, ya never know how these things will work out.

The Skittles strategics

Thinking hard. I expect steam from the ears.

This talk needs shades, no hat

I won the veto. Heh heh heh.

Austin needs to go on the block.

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Saturday, Power of Veto Winner - September 12

A house is not a home ...

Since pretty much all that has happened today was the Power of Veto comp which blocked the feeds for hours, this is just a brief update.

• Johnny Mac won the Power of Veto.
• You heard me.
• It sounds like it was between Johnny Mac and Steve.
• Liz is so not happy. Either she or Austin will go on the block against Steve.
• All will probably hinge on the tiebreaker vote from Vanessa.
• Heh.
• Vanessa will have to decide something.

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Into Saturday, Nominations - September 12

The likely Final Three talk

Well, instead of being down until merely the middle of the night here on the East Coast, the live feeds were down until almost dawn! Okay, about 5am ET they came up. Geez. Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Scampering Scamperers:

• Vanessa chose a side despite her unwillingness to finally make up her mind.
• Steve and Johnny Mac are on the block.
• The big trip out of the house for Liz was a trip to an Ariana Grande show and hanging out with Frankie.
• Ick. Certainly not my cuppa! 
• Liz chose Vanessa as her guest, not Austin. They apparently had to wear disguises because they're just that darn almost famous.
• Austin was jealous. Oh, not about Vanessa. He was just worried that other guys might have flirted with Liz.
• @@
• Not too controlling and creepy, right?
• Johnny Mac is the likely target this week because of more than a few reasons -- he was already evicted and came back, no one can really figure out what he'd do in different scenarios AND ... he went and told Liztin that he'd throw the veto to Austin if he would blow Vanessa's deal. Um. This isn't the time to be doing that stuff! Of course, Liz and Austin went running to Vanessa with that news!
• Meanwhile, Steve has his own downfalls in their eyes. (By "their" I mean the most likely Final Three -- Austin, Liz and Vanessa.) He has been sneaky at times, he gets nervous and tries to cover stuff up and they think he's too popular with the jury.
• Just a side note -- Austin needs to stop shoveling food so quickly into his mouth. It gets all over his bottom lip. Thankfully his facial hair doesn't grow that close to the lip. It's really poor manners and quite disgusting.
• A lot will hinge on the Power of Veto later today.

On the block again

Dead man walking?

Ew, bottom lip grossness