Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 12, 2016

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. As for television -- you might want to keep tuned here or on my Big Brother on Jackie's TV Blog Facebook page as I watch for news on the upcoming season of Big Brother 18! I will be posting later today on the BB18 topic and the cast reveal should be tomorrow.

It's been a rather whacko weather week here in my little part of New Jersey. We had chill worthy of autumn for part of the week and then so hot and humid that flowers were wilting before my very eyes. They said it's supposed to be beautiful today. But, when I went out to get my newspaper from the front of the building, it's definitely still on the humid and muggy side. That's okay. Except for running over to the bodega around the corner a bit later today, I'm in for the duration. I had yet another hectic work week, didn't sleep properly and I foresee a bit of nap time thrown in with household chores today.

Our state primary was this past Tuesday. While we have a circus going on in the national presidential race, our local politics in Plainfield aren't much better. Thankfully, the folks with a wider vision won on the local level. Yes, Plainfield has troubles. Yes, things need to be done to stop gang violence. However, that's only a fraction of the folks living here. Plainfield is moving forward. It needs to stay on that path. The majority of folks in town are working and contributing to society. (I like to think of myself in that majority.) While we definitely need and want a safer city, new businesses and promoting higher standards for what we accept as a society will mean more in the long run than pandering only to folks who prefer to stand on street corners doing drugs, gang-banging and drinking in public. The local political race got nasty and underhanded. I'm so happy the people with a positive vision won out.

On the home front, I still haven't met my new downstairs neighbors. Except for some odd hammering in the daytime on my day off, I haven't heard any noise from down there. That could have been Super Mario (the superintendent) hammering something. As for the guy upstairs, he's been relatively quiet. Or, at least his stereo has been relatively quiet. I still wonder if he has any furniture or anything up there other than the stereo or if he's just a plain old loud guy. I know there's carpet for the first tenant ever up there since I've lived in the building. Yet, if he's on the phone or has someone over, I can practically hear every word said. With all the other tenants up there (with no carpet), I could only hear conversation if they were shouting. He's also very thumpy. I cringe if I drop something on my hardwood floor, especially late at night. But I don't think I thump when I walk!

Onto this week's photos ... clicking on an image will bring up a large version.

Over the sidewalk

I took some editing liberties with this shot. I liked the contrast of the pinks and greens against the background of the sidewalk.

A safe zone

Due to robberies (and even scattered murders!) of folks buying/selling on Craigslist and other internet sites, the Plainfield Police Department has this set up across the street from the police station on East 4th Street. I know there have been robberies of people involved in the buying and selling in nearby towns. I'm not aware of any occurring in town. But this is an excellent idea rather than meeting up with strangers while carrying money ... go to the police station!

Man vs. Nature

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 5, 2016

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. As for television -- you might want to keep tuned here or on my Big Brother on Jackie's TV Blog Facebook page as I watch for news on the upcoming season of Big Brother 18! I will be posting here during the upcoming week and already have a few tidbits posted on Facebook.

While I only had a four-day work week due to the Memorial Day holiday, it was four chaotic and hectic work days. I'm glad to put the week behind me. I'm getting too old for this kind of stuff on an ongoing basis. I want to retire and work in a puppy play camp or something. You know ... something FUN and not stressful. Although I'm more of a cat person, puppies are fun. I could deal with that. If I could make a living at that, I'd go for it in a minute! Unfortunately, I have to pay for this roof over my head and other various things of life.

Our weather this week went from heat wave to rainy to muggy and today it's supposed to be very stormy later on. That's okay. I'm not planning on going anywhere today. It's good to be home. I only request that my power, cable and Internet remain working.

I finished reading The Girl on the Train earlier this week. Now, a lot of people recommended it to me because they think I'm "the girl on the train." Of course, it's also a bestseller. I enjoyed the book. It had an Alfred Hitchcock Rear Window (my all-time favorite movie) quality about it. Plus, it did hit home a bit as far as commuting via walking, bus and train for so many years. No, I don't drink on the train. Nor have I gotten involved in any murder investigations.

For years, I've seen the same faces and the same places day after day. And, yes, I do think about them a bit and, though I don't assign them names like the protagonist in the book did, I assign them descriptors and sometimes think up stories of what their lives may be. For example:

• The Pool Guy. At a home in Dunellen by the tracks, there's a home with a pool. In the summer, I sometimes see him floating on an inflatable raft in the pool. In the winter, he has a fire pit and I only see one track of footprints in the snow leading to the one chair by it. I have seen him with small children, but never a woman. In my mind, he's a widower with young grandchildren. In reality, he probably has a wife in that house who doesn't care for the outside so much!
• The James Whitmore Eyebrows Man. Always walking with his newspaper under arm. I picture him to live in senior citizen housing but having little to do with bridge games or the other social events they hold there. He's too busy shaking his head at life and reading the paper while his bushy eyebrows accentuate the news stories as he reads them.
• The Wood Harris Dude. Looking much like the actor who played Avon Barksdale on The Wire, this guy comes across as slick and street-savvy. I've actually talked to him, though. He's very nice and I would have doubts that he's involved in any drug empire going on around here. While he definitely seems of the city streets, he's quite pleasant. But he still looks like Avon Barksdale!
• The Crawl Around the Train Station Guy. He's a rather new one at the Plainfield Train Station. Wearing clothes and filth from weeks on end, he comes up to the train station platform shelters and crawls around. At first I thought he was looking for abandoned cigarette butts to gather. But he crawls way too long for that and never seems to pick up anything. He always walks away smiling and chuckling to himself. I've never seen him panhandle or even talk to anyone. Maybe he's conversing with bugs. I just don't know.

Oh, there are plenty more characters I see all the time. And, some who I've seen yet they've vanished over the years.

Anyway ... onto this week's photos. Clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger version.

Undergoing renovation

In my mind, I used to think of this house on East Second Street in Plainfield as "The Junk House." The lawn was always neglected with grass and weeds growing nearly thigh-high. Litter was scattered throughout the lawn and front porch while random dudes hung around it drinking beer. Last fall it was vacated and boarded up.

Now someone has gutted the inside, torn most of the blue cheap aged shingles off the outside, as well as the porch railings. And the lawn is even being mowed in between renovations! I've noticed at least three other homes on the stretch of East Second I often travel also being renovated without a cause such as fire. Sure, for a several years now the mansions in other parts of town have been bought, renovated and probably flipped. But I think it's even a better sign for Plainfield that folks are buying the more affordable homes and fixing them up! Note the flowers growing next to the stairs are even happy about this!

Yep, they're happy!

Get my best side, please!

I talked a young pigeon into a photo shoot at the Bridgewater Train Station. This is an adolescent, born perhaps five or six weeks ago. The cacophony of young birds in the nests under the bridges there has lessened as more of the youngsters are able to get around on their own. It's not just pigeons nesting there -- also sparrows, starlings and even squirrels! However, the squirrels were very quiet, unlike the birds.

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

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - May 29, 2016

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, that means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way.

However ... a brief mention of television before I start rambling about other stuff -- you might want to keep tuned here or on my Big Brother on Jackie's TV Blog Facebook page as I watch for news on the upcoming season of Big Brother 18! The season premiere is less than a month away!

We jumped from a very chilly spring into a pre-summer heat wave here in my part of New Jersey. That's just not fair at all. I wanted a real spring, not a winter/summer combination of a spring. Grr.

I actually have a three day holiday weekend for a change. Normally I work on Saturdays, but I had requested a vacation day so that I'll make this into a bit of a mini-vacation. I need it. Yesterday I went to nearby Scotch Plains to visit the farmers' market (which I always miss because I work practically every Saturday of my life), stop in at CVS and hit up Park Beverage for some alcohol-laden goodies. I don't care for the liquor stores in Plainfield, at least the downtown ones near me. They tend to have limited selections, high prices and attract panhandlers and ne'er-do-wells. I don't want or need alcohol enough to deal with that. Park Beverage is huge compared to them and has a great selection of microbrew/craft beers and all kinds of fancy stuff. So, when I'm in Scotch Plains, I tend to stop by there.

I got attacked by mosquitoes one humid night at the Bridgewater Train Station. Unfortunately, that allergy I developed to them about five years ago is still in full swing. Besides the huge swelling into red blisters that last about a month, I've been running a low-grade fever all week. (Thus the CVS stop.) Woe is me. How did I ever develop an actual allergy to mosquito bites?!?! At least now I'm geared up with repellent, anti-itch spray, Benadryl and Aveeno bath treatment.

Alas, the Benadryl makes me sleepy and I live my life perpetually exhausted to begin with. And, yeah. I'll end a sentence with a preposition if I want to. Call it literary license!

My upstairs neighbor has been quiet since my latest complaint. He seems to be gone for the weekend. Yay. I'm probably sticking around the apartment today. I was tempted to go into the city (Manhattan) for some Fleet Week stuff. But it's supposed to be another hot and sticky kind of day. I'd rather stay in my air conditioning!

I finally broke down and bought the book The Girl on the Train. Folks recommending it were right. It's mesmerizing. I should finish it today.

If the weather holds up tomorrow, I might go to the Memorial Day service in downtown Plainfield. There are also pretty flowers around City Hall I've been meaning to photograph. However, the weather prediction sounds very stormy. If it's bad, I'll just stay in again. I certainly have enough diversions and things to do at home.

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger version.

Vietnam War Memorial

I guess it's been a while since I actually went by the front of the Scotch Plains Municipal Building. They now have a very impressive memorial to those who served in Vietnam just out front of the building. I found this very touching to encounter on this three-day Memorial Day weekend. 

Memorial Day

This is another shot I took of that Vietnam War Memorial in Scotch Plains, this time from the side. I played with editing on this one. I'm pleased with the results.

Clover blossoms

I saw these growing by a tree and felt the need to shoot them.

After the rain

Pansies in a planter.

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

The Price is Right Special - The Amazing Race Edition - May 25

CBS

Tonight, it's The Amazing Race teams appearing on a special The Price is Right. And, on Wednesday, it's The Amazing Race competitors. I will be watching the show tonight. However, I'm not much of a game show fan (other than Jeopardy) and I probably will hang out in comments rather than live-blogging it, per se. But, since folks would like a place to discuss this show, here you go!

In addition to a Phil Keoghan appearance, the following teams will compete:

Leo Temory and Jamal Zadaran, Season 23 and 24
Tyler Oakley and Korey Kuhl, Season 28
Erin Robinson and Joslyn Davis, Season 28
Joey Buttitta and Kelsey Gerckens, Season 27 (winners)
Natalie "Nat" Strand and Katherine "Kat" Chang, Season 17 (winners)
William "Bopper" Minton and Mark Jackson, Season 20
Tiffany Chantell Torres and Krista DeBono, Season 27
Brook Roberts and Claire Champlin, Season 17
Nathaniel "Big Easy" Lofton and Herbert "Flight Time" Lang, Seasons 15, 18, and 24

Teams ready? Go!

The Price is Right Special - Big Brother Edition - May 24

CBS

Tonight, Big Brother hamsters appear on a special The Price is Right. And, on Wednesday, it's The Amazing Race competitors. Unfortunately, I won't be around for tonight's show. I'm actually not quite sure how I'd live-blog a game show anyway! But, since folks would like a place to discuss this show, here you go!

In addition to an appearance by Julie Chen, this is the guest list for tonight:

Frankie Grande, Season 16
Britney Godwin, Seasons 12 and 14
James Huling, Season 17
Will Kirby, Seasons 2 (winner) and 7
Janelle Pierzina, Seasons 6, 7, and 14
Rachel Reilly, Seasons 12 and 13 (winner)
Da'Vonne Rogers, Season 17
Jeffrey Schroeder, Seasons 11 and 13
Ian Terry, Season 14 (winner)

Have fun and I'll check in on comments a bit later!