Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 20, 2016

Good morning! It's Sunday! That means (a.) I have a day off from work and (b.) it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're a Survivor fan, stop on back Wednesday evening during the East Coast airing of the show for my live blogging and blog party in the comments area! If you're an Amazing Race fan, you'll have to wait until the next show on April 1. We're going two weeks without that one due to March Madness college basketball.

Even though spring arrives today (yay!), we have the threat of at least a coating of snow later today and tonight. Thankfully, the storm is moving more out to sea and won't live up to the dire predictions of a nor'easter we had earlier in the week. It's unfortunate for more coastal areas of New England, for fortunate for us! We're only predicted to get a dusting or up to two inches. I'm so over it. I want spring to be spring!

Other random notes:

• Although the NJ Transit rail workers strike was averted, three of the five trains to work I took this week were late and one going home was late. It's a good thing I deliberately build in a time cushion for my to work commute. If I'm not early, I consider myself late. So, even though the trains were late, I made it to work on time. 
• Speaking of NJ Transit -- true, they opened the Watchung Avenue rail bridge to street traffic once again. But now they've shut down the Park Avenue street traffic at the bridge on the other side of the Plainfield Train Station once again. They've milked these bridge projects for 13 months now. Yeah, they were using the marvelous new doings which placed the bridge sections in over a weekend. Otherwise, I could see the projects lasting five years!
• A drunk woman riding a bicycle on the sidewalk annoyed me yesterday morning. She could barely keep upright. I have a personal policy that I do not move for bikes on the sidewalk -- they're supposed to be on the street by law. THEY need to alter their path, not me the pedestrian. Since she almost fell over, I did move. But I was nasty to her and she quickly (as slowly as her quick was) moved out into the street. I have little tolerance for adults riding bicycles on the sidewalks, nor for drunks.
• There was also a very drunk guy dressed in summer shorts and a tank top (when I dragged my winter jacket back out for yesterday) on the train. The conductors had given the two-buzz signal that the doors were closed and the engineer could move the train when the man started yelling he had to get out. Usually the train will just keep going, but they did stop again and let him stumble out. They probably preferred he get off the train.
• Train etiquette deems that you should be out of your seat and ready to exit by the time you get to your stop. First off, the departing passengers need to get off before the new passengers board the train. Second, the train will leave and you're stuck until the next stop ... usually.
• Why did I see two drunk people before 10am on a Saturday morning? What's up with that?
• While I will drink alcohol, I don't believe I've been actually drunk since about 1976 or so. I don't like the feeling. I get sick to my stomach and I really hate stumbling around or falling over. I learned my lesson way back then!

Enough of all of that. It's onto the photos for the week! Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version. Have a good week, folks ... and Happy Spring to y'all! (Even though it's a last hurrah of winter here tonight!)

Are you looking at me?

Are YOU looking at ME?!?! There's no one else here. Are you looking at ME? -- said in my best DiNiro impression. If the pigeon pulls out a gun, run for the hills.

No strike, yay!

Yet this train seems to be dirty and running dirty. While that locomotive is a dual diesel/electric powered one, it's diesel until it goes into the tunnels into Manhattan. Diesel isn't allowed in the tunnels. I find the diesel trains much more reliable in bad weather than the electric ones. NJ Transit, unlike the MTA, uses overhead wires instead of the third rail system for electric trains. Since the line I take (Raritan Valley Line) used to be all diesel until they bought the dual-powered locomotive engines, we used to have to transfer trains in Newark to go into Manhattan. Now, with the new locomotives, there are many trains that are one-seat rides into the city. But, not all of them.

Yellow and white daffodils make me happy

Well, at least when I'm looking at them.

I'm still waiting for good blossoms!

The magnolia tree across the street decided to blossom right at the beginning of a cold snap! The blossoms haven't really opened wide as of yet. Or, if they have, it's been during times I've been at work. Today's prediction of cold and possible snow covering isn't going to help them any. 

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

No Amazing Race tonight!

Just a reminder --

Due to March Madness basketball, The Amazing Race isn't on this week, nor next week. It will return April 1.

Survivor: Kaoh Rong Blog Party - March 16, 2016

Survivor fans ready? As the show airs, I'll update this entry with the major happenings -- refresh the page to get the latest news! As always, the real party is in the comments area. Please join us there. We like snacks.

Lifeguard Laurie is running the pool and here's the latest update:

Chan Loh - Brains
Peter Baggenstos - Jackie, Tammy
Neal Gottlieb - Merrilee, JoyzJenn
Debbie Wanner - meb, Rbennie
Aubry Braco - Jennasmom, Glenn
Joseph Del Campo - Grandi, Petals

Gondol - Beauty
Tai Trang - Margo, anonymouse
Nick Maiorano - Laurie, ML
Anna Khait - monty924 , SueGee from the Left Coast
Michele Fitzgerals - Brian TCC, Kelsey NY
Julia Sokolowski - Indiana Jane, Nickelpeed

To Tang - Brawn
Kyle Jason - Nana in the NW, Sharon N.
Scot Pollard - Delee, Pinky
Cydney Gillon - Leo Lionharted, PDX Granny

Torch has been snuffed:
Darnell Hamiltonn - free play!
Jennifer Lanzetti - David, Paula Bell
Elizabeth Markham - Donna in FL, Terry is a Texan
Alecia Holen - Becky, Donna NY

Medical Evac:
Caleb Reynolds - Ed in Ohio, Stephanie in Baltimore

We know a "drop your buffs" time is coming tonight. Will it be a reshuffling or the merge? I tend to think it's the former as there seem to be too many right now for a merge. Let's get this party started!

Ew. Joe has an infected looking finger. Peter, who knows he's a target, goes into his doctor mode and tries to help out. Neal thinks one of them need to find the hidden idol so it doesn't get into Peter's hands. Sure enough, he finds the clue and the padlocked box like the other tribes found. Yep, he gets it along with the clue that it fits with another idol and, if found, it could be used to save someone after the vote in Tribal.

Immunity Challenge time. Drop your buffs! Switching things up!

Original plan was two tribes of seven. Then Caleb went. Six blue buffs, six yellow, one red. Red buff goes off to Brawn Beach, but won't compete, will join tribe that loses at tribal council.

Julia draws the red.  

Blue: Two brain, two beauty, two brawn -- Cydney, Jason, Michelle, Nick, Debbie and Neal.  

Red: Three brains, two beauty, one brawn Tai, Scot, Joe, Peter, Anna, Aubrey.

Debbie is already in action, working on Cydney, then goes after Jason. With Neal, she thinks she's the mastermind they won't see coming and the beauty folks will be out.

On the other tribe, Tai has worked his way into Scot's heart. Heh, Scot says he has a man-crush on Tai. Now, Caleb was also a bit smitten. Tai must be very endearing! Aubrey and Anna are scheming against Tai. Interesting.

Nick wants to try the same thing Debbie has already done. Jason knows he and Cydney are in a good spot.

Meanwhile, Julia is having a rough time alone. She feels dehydrated and feels so all alone and paranoid.

Immunity Challenge time! Swim out, retrieve fish puzzle pieces, carry them on a pole, solve puzzle. The Blue Tribe (still don't have the name down here) wins!

Tai is worried. He doesn't want to use the idol he possesses, nor does he want to go home with it in his pocket. A move is afoot to target Anna. Tai thinks he can take Peter out because he's arrogant (Peter, not Tai). He tells Scot the girls and now Peter becomes the target. Scot thinks Jason's idol could be used with Tai's down the road and Anna could go tonight. He tells Tai not to use the idol, he's safe.

Tribal Council time! Heh. Joe doesn't think there are any idols. And, when asked, Tai explained he looked for one. But, he doesn't say whether he found one or not!

The tally (Tai does not use the idol) --
Peter, Anna, Anna, Anna, Anna.
Anna is gone.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 13, 2016

Good morning! I hope you remembered to Spring Forward! I personally feel like an hour of my life has just been yanked from me. Oh, well. Maybe I'll find it in the fall. Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're a fan of either Survivor or The Amazing Race, please stop back on show nights for live blogging blog parties!

The biggest news around here this past week is that the uncertainty of an NJ Transit railroad workers strike is over. That's something that has been worrying me for months as I depend on the trains for my work commute. I even requested yesterday off as a paid vacation day over a month ago as I read rumors there might be a "soft strike" that day leading into the midnight strike. Finally, on Friday evening, a deal was made and the strike was averted. Phew!

So, I had/have an actual whole weekend off. And, what have I done? Um. Well. I caught up on un-watched television shows. I made my corned beef and cabbage meal. I napped. Even though it was a nice day out, I stayed indoors and just had a mellow quiet kind of day. Maybe I'll venture out into the world today. 

Random thoughts on the week:

• I saw my first robin of the season, but the photograph I took wasn't good. So, you won't see it. Other years I've seen them come back during very wintry weather. But I haven't seen one since early December (when it was still unseasonably warm here).
• I also saw my first mosquito of the year. Grr.
• Along those same lines, the gnats are swarming the Bridgewater Train Station as they do each spring.
• The homeless dude hanging out at the Bridgewater Train Station needs to move along. I was told he was kicked out of the Somerville Train Station, the next stop west. He's becoming annoying and more aggressively panhandling each day.
• Someone, perhaps the homeless dude, moved a Platform Closed sign and construction barrel down to the street under the railroad bridges at Bridgewater. It took me several minutes to convince an Asian woman with only a very basic knowledge of English that the platform was open, that's not how NJ Transit closes a platform, they put the signs on the platform itself and that it was a prank. "That's not funny," she said when she finally believed me.
• Vincent liked the open windows this week. So did I. Well, until the motorcycles and brakes on the buses from NYC got too loud.

That's about all I have for you this week ... other than the photos. Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.

As the crow flies

I'm not sure why that saying exists. I've watched crows fly. They definitely rarely fly in a straight line!

The Sunset Express

My train home from the Bridgewater Train Station coincided with the sunset this past week.

Where's the beach, dude?

You're in a parking lot, you silly seagull.

Looking north on Watchung Avenue

I won't get the opportunity to take this shot again if the bridge opened on Friday night as I was told it would. I took it standing in front of the barricade fencing at the closed railroad bridge. Those are the Watchung "Mountains" in the distance. When I first moved here to the area, I was amazed about the flatness of it all. And, then they showed me the Watchung Mountain Range. Bwahahaha!

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

The Amazing Race Blog Party - March 11, 2016

The show is starting! As it airs here on the East Coast, I'll post the major happenings live. Refresh the page to get the latest! However, as it always is ... the real party is in the comments area. Please join in on the fun! (And bring tasty beverages and snacks!)

The Magnificent Margo (and Mom) have made the random picks for the blog pool and here they are ...
Tyler & Korey-P- Paula Bell, Bruce & Ray, SueGee
Burnie & Ashley- Buzzmaam, Delee
Erin & Joslyn- Brian, Margo, Rbennie
Sheri & Cole- Donna in FL, Merrilee, Becky
Zach & Rachel- Sharon N, Nana in NW
Dana & Matt- Grandi, Nicklepeed
Scott & Blair- Meb, Jennasmom
Kurt & Brodie- David, Ed in OH

Philiminated:
Marty & Hagan- Jackie, Willie J
Cameron & Darius- chrob61, PDXGranny
Jessica & Brittany- Donna in AL, Monty924

Amazing Race fans ready? Let's GO!

Teams have to find certain cars in Chamonoix  to get their next clue. Then they're going up to the top of the highest mountain in Europe in a gondola car. They're set for a mountain hike. In ice and snow, of course. They're going up with mountain guides.

Yikes! They have to ascend snow stairs and then take a hand powered kind of zip line among high peaks to retrieve their clue.

Detour: Dynamite -- must deliver explosives and lunch to experts. After the pros explode the dynamite to control avalanches, they will get their next clue. Campsite has them setting up a snow camp.

The dynamite detour is very treacherous ... especially for those afraid of heights.

Alpha Boys Kurt and Brodie are in the lead. The Roadblock has them para-gliding and answering a question regarding it to get the next clue.

Erin and Joslyn are wandering about clueless looking for lunch.

Now Tyler has overtaken the Alpha Dude. (Alpha Dude crashed on take-off.) Tyler spots the (clue) Yeti with a Frnech flag.

Cole is having issues with the heights. Poor guy.

Pit Stop:
1. Tyler and Korey - won a trip to the Phillipines
2. Brodie and Kurt (Alpha Boys)
3. Dana and Matt
4. Scott and Blair
5. Zach and Rachel

Erin just can't get the take-off done.

6. Burnie and Ashley
7. Cole and Sheri
8. Erin and Joslyn - Philiminated.

The next episode will air April 1st. I assume that's due to March Madness basketball.

Survivor: Kaoh Rong Blog Party - March 9, 2016

Survivor fans ready? As the show airs, I'll update this entry with the major happenings -- refresh the page to get the latest news! As always, the real party is in the comments area. Please join us there. We like snacks.

Lifeguard Laurie is running the pool, but that doesn't mean you can run around the pool. It's slippery, y'know!

Here are the random match-ups:
Chan Loh - Brains
Peter Baggenstos - Jackie, Tammy
Neal Gottlieb - Merrilee, JoyzJenn
Debbie Wanner - meb, Rbennie
Aubry Braco - Jennasmom, Glenn
Joseph Del Campo - Grandi, Petals

Gondol - Beauty
Tai Trang - Margo, anonymouse
Nick Maiorano - Laurie, ML
Anna Khait - monty924 , SueGee from the Left Coast
Michele Fitzgerals - Brian TCC, Kelsey NY
Julia Sokolowski - Indiana Jane, Nickelpeed
Caleb Reynolds - Ed in Ohio, Stephanie in Baltimore

To Tang - Brawn
Kyle Jason - Nana in the NW, Sharon N.
Alecia Holen - Becky, Donna NY
Scot Pollard - Delee, Pinky
Cydney Gillon - Leo Lionharted, PDX Granny

Torch has been snuffed:
Darnell Hamiltonn - free play!
Jennifer Lanzetti - David, Paula Bell
Elizabeth Markham - Donna in FL, Terry is a Texan

Let's get this party started!

We're starting off this week with Jeff telling us about the brutally hot weather at Kaoh Rong. Then we get a brief recap of each tribe's times so far. Fifteen are left. Who will be voted out tonight? 

On Brains, Debbie thinks she should be called The Mastermind. Peter is still shocked. He thinks his tribe is no longer strong. Oh, well. 

My gosh ... it's right to the Immunity Challenge! Racing through obstacles, digging under walls, digging for bags of balls, rolling the balls into holes on a platform. Reward is a huge array of spices, second place gets salt and pepper.

They're all digging for the bags of balls. The camera goes to slow motion and the sun. All are exhausted. Brains finally got the last bag of balls first. Brains win it while the other two tribes are still digging for bags. Beauty now has their three bags.

Debbie (the Mastermind) thinks she has heat stroke and the medics are called in.

Brawn finally have their bags and the game is on.  Beauty wins second place and Brawn will go to Tribal once again. 

Oh. And, Debbie lived. 

Now Caleb has passed out. Cydney is about to be next. The show's entire crew get called in to help the fallen. Oh, noes! Has Caleb died?!?! (We know he hasn't, but it's onto commercial.)

They're giving him fluids, but Jeff just called for the chopper. It's an evacuation! Caleb might be out of the game. Yep, Caleb is a goner as far as the show goes. Rats. I liked him here so much more than on BB. Tai is devastated as is the rest of his tribe. He's been the strongest on it.

On Brawn it's a kerfuffle between Alecia and Scot.  

No Tribal and it's onto another Immunity Challenge. Race into jungle, climb up ladder, retrieve puzzle pieces. Two others dive for puzzle pieces. 

Brains wins first place! Beauty gets second place and Brawn will go to Tribal. 

Scot tells Jeff that Alecia has a zero chance of staying. Jason and Scot are willing to have Tribal right there, but Alecia balks. So, it's now onto the real Tribal Council. It sounds like a clear-cut decision to send her home.

The tally:
Alecia, Scot, Alecia, Alecia.

No surprises there. But now Brawn is down to three. Yikes.

Next week, it's Drop Your Buffs time. Whether it's the merge or a reshuffling, I don't know. But Brawn can't continue to go on with only three tribe members.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 6, 2016

Good Sunday morning to you! Since it is indeed Sunday, that means just one thing ... 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. Please stop back for live blogging of Survivor and The Amazing Race on show nights!

Our weather wasn't technically as wacky this past week as it has been all this winter. Instead of the record highs/lows roller coaster, we pretty much just maintained wintry cold weather all week. Snow had its (hopefully) last gasp Wednesday night into Thursday morning. It wasn't a bad snow at all, sticking mainly to unpaved surfaces, trees and cars. The sidewalks had few slippery spots as I walked. They claim that we might have record-breaking high temperatures this week on Wednesday. I'm off from work that day.

I have a four-day work week ahead. I requested Saturday off as a paid vacation day due to rumors of a "soft strike" lead-in to an NJ Transit rail workers strike planned for next Sunday if they don't resolve issues before then. I don't feel like having an iffy commute with buses and such on a weekend when I work late. I'm hoping there will be no strike. But, if there is, I have a combination of walking, buses and getting rides to bus stops on the work end of things if it comes to fruition. I'm not looking forward to it. It's going to be extremely inconvenient and leave me on the city streets late at night some nights when that's the last place I want to be for safety reasons. Plus, it will add hours onto my workdays. Sigh.

I don't have much for you other than the photos I took this past week. Clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger version. Have a great day!

Se compra oro

Alas, I have no oro to sell them. Looks like they buy and sell many things. One day I should peek in there. Park Avenue, Plainfield.

Snowy morning

The tree in front of the local Presbyterian Church held the snow nicely. I edited this photo to leave only two orange lamps by a doorway in color.

What a blue sky!

No, I did nothing with the color on this shot! I had some condensation on my lens which made the lights a bit streaky. It's finally not totally dark when I get home from work three days out of five. Plainfield Train Station.

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

The Amazing Race Blog Party - March 4, 2016

The show is starting! As it airs here on the East Coast, I'll post the major happenings live. Refresh the page to get the latest! However, as it always is ... the real party is in the comments area. Please join in on the fun! (And bring tasty beverages and snacks!)

The Magnificent Margo (and Mom) have made the random picks for the blog pool and here they are ...
Tyler & Korey-P- Paula Bell, Bruce & Ray, SueGee
Burnie & Ashley- Buzzmaam, Delee
Erin & Joslyn- Brian, Margo, Rbennie
Sheri & Cole- Donna in FL, Merrilee, Becky
Zach & Rachel- Sharon N, Nana in NW
Dana & Matt- Grandi, Nicklepeed
Jessica & Brittany- Donna in AL, Monty924
Scott & Blair- Meb, Jennasmom
Kurt & Brodie- David, Ed in OH

Philiminated:
Marty & Hagan- Jackie, Willie J
Cameron & Darius- chrob61, PDXGranny

Amazing Race fans ready? Let's GO!

Teams are on their way to Geneva, Switzerland. All teams are to be on the same flight, so we have a bunching point. Lots of talk about Blair having a crush on Brodie. Hmm. It seems like he kind of likes her, too!

The first clue leads them to a place which doesn't open until morning. So, Brodie and Blair got in some cuddle time.

Detour: Workbench or Bench Work -- They have to assemble 27 Swiss Army Knives. Or, the latter is saying how many people can sit on the bench touted as the longest in the world.

Both Detours seem quite tough.

Although Brodie and Kurt made it through the bench sitting/counting spaces first and shared their answers, the others in that detour had to go through the motions again. They're the first through to the next clue, then Tyler and Korey finished the knives detour. So, the two leading teams are leading once again.

Brittany and Jessica didn't get the Alpha Boys answer, so they seem to be the only ones still stuck on the bench.

One thing I've noticed with these basically younger Internet quasi-related teams is that the teams are more friendly with each other than we've seen in many other seasons. That may change when the win gets closer. But there's no animosity between teams.

Roadblock: "Who is Having a Banner Day?" Teams have to identify ten flags of ten countries which were original members of the United Nations. (Where's Sheldon Cooper and Fun With Flags?)

Burnie and Ashley get done first and are headed to France for the Pit Stop.

Brittany and Jessica are the last team to arrive at the Roadblock. The remaining teams there are all already working together and they feel shunned.

Now, after two separate groups taking two different trains, all the teams are on the same connecting train heading to the Pit Stop ... except Brittany and Jessica.

1. Brodie and Kurt first - 3,000 each
2. Tyler and Korey
All the other teams converged on the mat so quickly, I lost track.

9. Brittany and Jessica -- Philiminated