Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - December 13, 2015

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, you know what that means -- it's time for my off television topic weekly reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Remember to drop by Wednesday evening for the big Survivor finale blog party! Be here or be square.

We're still having record setting warmth here in this part of the country. I won't complain at all. Sure, it would be nice to have an inch of snow on Christmas Eve for the kids. But, before that and after that, I welcome NO SNOW NOR ICE on the streets and sidewalks! Who's with me?

My own week on a personal level was rather tedious and boring. I worked too much. I slept too little. Oh, well.

Onto the photos from this week -- clicking on an image will bring up a larger version in a gallery ...

Ready for winter

The planters near my workplace which boasted the hibiscus blooms all summer are now redone for the season. One year these berries fed extremely early returning robins through horrible cold and snow.

Busy, busy

Looking towards the Rialto Theatre at the intersection of Elm and East Broad Streets in Westfield. 

Keyboard Man works the trumpet

The man I've dubbed Keyboard Man at the Plainfield Train Station had a trumpet in addition to his keyboard one evening this week. I'm beginning to think he can't practice his music where he lives due to the noise factor and has found the power outlets and acoustics just fine at the station. He's not asking for money. And, while I'm really irked about all the people who hang out at the station, he's a pleasant addition.

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

The Amazing Race 27 Season Finale Blog Party

Hi, everybody! Are you ready with snacks and beverages? It's the season finale! As the show airs here tonight, I'll be updating this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest news. As always, the real party is in the comments area. Come join in on the fun!

The Marvelous Margo's blog pool update:

Justin and Diana #TheGreenTeam - Chauncey, Cherry Pie, Monty924, Nickelpeed
Kelsey and Joey #TheReporters - beachmom, ChicMc, David, Grandi in MD,
Logan and Chris #ThePaparazzi - Delee, PDX Granny, Rbennie, SueGee

Philiminated
TMZ girls (not in pool)
Adam and Alex #TheCousins -Anonymouse, DKNYNC, Jackie, Kelsey, Sharon C
Ernest and Jin #TheDancers - Glenn, Marlo, Nancerella, Russ
Jazmine and Danielle #TheTrackStars - Joanie, LafayetteLisanne, Margo, Merrilee
Cindy and Rick #ChacAttack - Donna in AL, Donna in FL, Jennasmom, Sharon N
Tanner and Josh #TeamTexas - Buzzmaam, chrob61, meb, ML
Denise and James Earl #TeamAlabama - Becky, Ginniejulie, ORKMommy, Willie J
Tiffany and Krista #TheCheerleaders - Brenda, Brian, Cheryl in NC, Ed in OH, Nana in NW

Ready? Let's GO!

Teams are flying to Long Island, NY. (Or, as the locals call it, Lawn Guyland.) They're heading to Randall's Island, all teams were on the same plane.

Justin quibbled with his cabbie and let the cab go. He and Diana are at the Roadblock first -- a firefighting training exercise. "Who wants to play with fire?" Logan/Chris are on their tails with Joey and Kelsey only a few minutes behind. The other two teams have their cabs waiting. Oops to Justin. Call Uber?

After dong a rescue, they have to put all the capitols of places they visited in order. 

Justin is through first. They have to make their way to the site of the final race of the Triple Crown. Justin knows it's Belmont, so do I. The two waiting cabs won't take them. Now Kelsey and Joey are through, then Chris.

Uh-oh. Logan and Chris fight for Kelsey and Joey's cab. Now they're wandering around -- Logan and Chris, that is. They gave up the cab. 

Both Justin/Diana and Chris/Logan are taking different buses back to Manhattan to snag cabs. 

They will fly to the Hamptons in private helicopters to get the next clue. Joey and Kelsey are in the lead. Chris dumps his fireman pants and boots. Justin/Diana are in last place.

They're taking jetskis to a lobster boat for their next clue. They have to pull up seven lobster cages and put new ones in. Then it's a second memory test -- arranging flags of the countries visited in the proper order.

Joey and Kelsey are in the lead and know their flags order. Logan and Chris are stumped on the flags a bit. There's one extra flag to throw them off. Justin and Diana realize it, Kelsey and Joey figured it out. K/J off to the next clue first, with J/D right behind them. L/C stuck on the flags.

They have to assemble six Adirondack chairs and put them in order. 

Joey and Kelsey WIN THE AMAZING RACE! They didn't take second place for a change!

Justin cries some more with his second place finish -- he knows letting that cab go cost them the million. 

Logan and Chris are still arguing. 

Next season, it's all social media "stars" racing. 

No, Vincent and I weren't invited to partake.

Survivor: Cambodia, Second Chance - December 9 Blog Party

Good evening! As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest! As always, the real party is in the comments area -- come join in on the fun!

Here's the latest blog pool update from the Lovable Lifeguard Laurie:

Abi-Maria Gomes - Nobody is stuck with her!
Jeremy Collins - Brian, meb, Nickelpeed
Keith Nale - Tammy, gaylos, Margo
Kelley Wentworth - monty 924, Grandi, RENOthunder
Kimmi Kappenberg - Glenn, Nana in the NW, Rbennie
Spencer Bledsoe - Ellen vdW, Nancerella, Terry is a Texan
Tasha Fox - Donna in AL, Jennamom, Stephanie in Baltimore

Jury
Kass McQuillen - Donna NY, Marlo, Petals
Andrew Savage - Jennasmom, JoyzJenn, Silk
Kelly Wiglesworth - ML, Sharon N, Indiana Jane
Ciera Eastin - chrob61, Jackie, Russ
Stephen Fishbach - Brenda, Matt, Rochelle
Joe Anglim - Delee, Mother Guru, PDX Granny

Survivor fans ready?

Abi thinks everybody is happy Joe is gone. (I'd be happier if she was gone, but that's how I roll.) The girls do have a point that they now all have a better chance of winning Immunity. Tasha knows Keith voted for her to go and places that ol' target on his back. Spencer and Jeremy are (rightfully) worried about things now. They must make sure they have Tasha and Kimmi in their corner.

Reward Challenge time! Attached to a rope, unspool it, assemble a bridge, knock over blocks with sandbags. The winner will be brought to a temple, blessed by monks, eat, sleep in a temple. Keith won this very same challenge during his original season.

KEITH WINS! He chooses Kelley because she chose his wife last week, then he chooses Spencer as the second person. He said he chose Spencer because Spencer didn't get a chance for much time with his girlfriend last week. He forgot Tasha's name. Not a good move there. 

At camp they decide that Keith should be the next one to go. Abi is calm while the rest are nervous -- she says it's more fun to be a villain.  

Of course, a final three deal is made by those on Reward. Spencer is trying to think things through. Gah, Abi as their fourth might be a bit problematic. 

Now Tasha is thinking Abi should go rather than Keith. She knows that Abi could just switch alliance at the drop of a hat. Jeremy and Tasha are a bit leery of trusting Spencer. 

Time for the Immunity Challenge! Back to one person winning. Race across water through obstacles, retrieve key, solve puzzle. Tasha is doing horribly.

SPENCER wins Immunity! 

Tasha has to be pulled out of the water by medical. 

Kelley, Keith, Spencer and Abi talk about Tasha going. Tasha wants Abi out and gets Jeremy and Spencer in her corner. Or, so she thinks. Kimmi is in with Abi. Meanwhile, Abi is confident she's going to win. Spencer knows he's a swing vote and tonight he will have to show where his loyalty lies. 

The tally:
Abi, Tasha, Abi, Tasha, Abi, Keith, Abi.

Ding dong, the witch is dead! Abi is outta there! 

Abi was the sole vote for Keith. Next week is the season finale! 

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - December 6, 2015

Good morning! Yes, I'm late in posting this. But I'm here now! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection of the past week in both words and photos I've taken along the way! And, if you're a fan of Survivor or The Amazing Race, be sure to stop by on show nights for live blogging of the shows.

Once again, my past week was rather uneventful. It was full of going to work and just plain doldrums stuff of life not in the fast lane. Mind you, I don't necessarily want to be in the fast lane! I fear those days of my life are long gone. Hmm ... perhaps if I live to be 90, I'll just go wild robbing banks and such. After all, are they going to lock up a little old lady? 

We had a few rainy days here this past week and a few nights with a chill in the air. But we've escaped what could be possible in the month of December in New Jersey -- deep freezes, snow and ice. I can't complain. I won't complain.

I guess it's kind of sad that the most notable and (to me) interesting thing this week happened when I got off the train in Bridgewater yesterday. Birds. All I could hear was a cacophony of bird calls. Starlings. They were everywhere -- lining the entire interior of the TD Bank Ball Park, resting on the power wires and even on the field lights. The "swarm" featured below is just a small group of them in flight. Cue Alfred Hitchcock.

What's that black loud cloud?

Starling swarm!

To be more accurate, a group or flock of starlings is really called a chattering or a murmuration of starlings. I know one person who'd call it a herd. It's definitely more like a swarm to me! But I can see why they're called the two actual group names -- they're LOUD. Starlings just don't know how to shut their beaks!

Everybody's  back at it

After being closed for a few months, Everybody's Food Market on East Front Street is back in business and all rehabbed. It truly needed it! You can get everything from oxtails to chitterlings to energy drinks in this West Indian convenience store. I've never bought oxtails. But, if I were to desire oxtails, I know where to get them.

Chillaxin' on the job

The crane operator for the NJ Transit bridge work on closed-off Gavett Place takes a digital break. The actual crane operators seem to have the cush job in the group. All the others end up moving stuff around for the crane to snag, cutting holes with torches and doing physical labor. 

Firetrucks responding to ... um ... something

I have no clue as to where they're heading. I see and/or hear firetrucks an awful lot in town. Thankfully, most of the times, it's nothing all that serious. However, when they're called, they have to go. I took this shot on East Second Street downtown. 

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

The Amazing Race 27: December 4 Episode Blog Party

Hi, everybody! As the show airs here tonight, I'll be updating this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest news! As always, the real party is in the comments area. Come join in on the fun! Since they're hinting in promos that Justin and Diana might be out, I'd bet they're not! What do you think?

The Marvelous Margo's blog pool update:

Justin and Diana #TheGreenTeam - Chauncey, Cherry Pie, Monty924, Nickelpeed
Kelsey and Joey #TheReporters - beachmom, ChicMc, David, Grandi in MD,
Logan and Chris #ThePaparazzi - Delee, PDX Granny, Rbennie, SueGee
Tiffany and Krista #TheCheerleaders - Brenda, Brian, Cheryl in NC, Ed in OH, Nana in NW

Philiminated
TMZ girls (not in pool)
Adam and Alex #TheCousins -Anonymouse, DKNYNC, Jackie, Kelsey, Sharon C
Ernest and Jin #TheDancers - Glenn, Marlo, Nancerella, Russ
Jazmine and Danielle #TheTrackStars - Joanie, LafayetteLisanne, Margo, Merrilee
Cindy and Rick #ChacAttack - Donna in AL, Donna in FL, Jennasmom, Sharon N
Tanner and Josh #TeamTexas - Buzzmaam, chrob61, meb, ML
Denise and James Earl #TeamAlabama - Becky, Ginniejulie, ORKMommy, Willie J

Ready? Let's GO!

Logan and Chris are swearing they're going to go after the Green Team for U-Turning them. Teams are off to Hong Kong! They're all on the same flight so it's even playing ground once again.

Huh. They get to ride in Rolls Royces. The girls, then Kelsey and Joey have taken over the lead.

Detour: Sams, a tailoring of a suit. Or, Cells ... cellphones, searching for a certain cellphone (needle in a haystack type task). 

The girls are doing really well! They're heading for the next clue ahead of all others. Justin and Diana get a bad cab and have lost time. They're arguing. It's not a good side of Justin for sure.

The three teams (sans Justin and Diana) are on the way on the ferry. Uh-oh. It looks like they're getting on the WRONG ferry. 

Roadblock: Who wants to rise the the occasion?  Water performance. Logan/Chris and Kelsey/Joey move ahead. The girls have to redo the Roadblock. Justin and Diana just got there.

The first two are heading to the Pit Stop. 

Eep. The girls have to redo it AGAIN. Justin is crying AGAIN. Diana is going up for the Roadblock now. Diana has the water clue, Krista still doesn't.

Pit Stop:
1. Logan/Chris (sigh) - won a trip to Peru
2. Joey/Kelsey 

Krista wants to quit. She's tried four times at the Roadblock.

3. Justin/Diana -- took the wrong ferry. 30 Minute penalty, plus 25 minutes more because the ferry they took is faster. Total 55 minutes penalty. 

Justin is crying again.

Uh-oh. The girls made it through the Roadblock and then got a bad cab. 

3. Justin and Diana
4. Tiffany and Krista - Philiminated by a mere few minutes.