Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - 02/14/10

It's Sunday (or really late Saturday evening) and therefore it's time to take an off-TV topic look back at the past week in words and photographs I've taken. I've been off work for my staycation and I certainly chose a good week to take off. Part of the reason I wanted the week is because my non-replaced knee has been bothering me. I figured, since I have a number of weeks of paid vacation time, one less week of being out and about in the winter weather would be nice.

Be warned -- both the photos and words are going to be rather random. I don't know why. I guess I'm in a random kind of mood! I'm also posting this a bit early as I'm well awake now and plan on sleeping in come morning.

Boy, did we get winter weather! I posted a few updates (and photos) during the week from our big snowstorm Tuesday night through Wednesday. I also mentioned I was expecting a package from Amazon.com on Wednesday. The web tracking listed it as delayed. So, there I was on Wednesday morning, drinking hot chocolate and watching the snow come down while in my robe and fuzzy slippers. My phone rang. Hmmm ... no one there. Then someone knocked on the door. UPS! Apparently someone let him in just after he rang my intercom phone-doohickey thing (which I still don't really know how to work). An hour later, I received an apology email from Amazon telling me that my package delivery will be delayed due to the weather conditions. Um. Okay.

I still have no clue what's going on with the neighbors in the apartment next door. I believe it's supposed to be rented to a single mother with a toddler and a young girl. But there's traffic in and out into all hours of the day and night, people yelling, people partying, kids jumping, adults jumping, bunches of kids running in the hall, thumping, people outside beeping horns and yelling ... riff-raff. I've decided, like in the old Manfred Mann song, "My Name is Jack," that it could be a modern day version of the Greta Garbo Home for Wayward Boys and Girls -- "It's lots of fun and I love to run up and down the stairs. I make as much noise as I want and no one ever cares!" (Video below)



I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to get done this past week. I got lazy. I had wanted to tear my crashed computer apart and see if I could fix it as well as finally fixing the computer before that. I didn't. I had wanted to clean out all my closets and get spring cleaning done. Well, it's winter. So I didn't do that either. What I did do is watch DVDs, read, play with the cat, watch television, download my monthly Rhapsody music allotment, nap, cook, bake ... and goof off!

Much like two movies I watched this week -- my ol' Alfred Hitchcock favorite Rear Window and its new age counterpart Disturbia -- I spent a lot of time looking out my window. Instead of killers living in the house next door, I have the women in business suits who drive luxury cars. I don't see much action there. The real action is in the trees. Yep, I peep in on the lives of squirrels, hawks, bluejays, crows, sparrows of some sort, and the latest ... woodpeckers. I enjoy nature. That doesn't mean I like it in my living room. But outside, it's pure entertainment!

I also went through some of my CDs of older photos I've taken since I first went digital (camera-wise) in 2003. I had some other things scanned and it was like a blast from the past. Thankfully I put the images on CD as they're captive in my two sick 'puters otherwise. I'm sharing a few of those in addition to this week's photos. Speaking of which, let's get it on (clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window). OH! And don't forget to come back later tonight for The Amazing Race season premiere blog party!

"I must rest. My work here is done."

Huh? Why is Vincent sleepy? What was he working on?

No (fire) escape from the snow.

I went out as the snow was still coming down heavy on Wednesday evening. Using the flash electrified the flakes falling and, many decades ago, it would make a hippie say, "Groovy, man." While the flash makes flakes look like bubbles in the photos, in person they're more like thousands of little lightning dots.

Da hood in da snow in New Jersey

Looking at the Richmond Towers buildings on East Front Street while under a blizzard warning. The snow was sticking to everything, including power lines. I heard of many cable, phone, and a few electrical wires coming down. But my power stayed on. My Internet itself went a bit kerflooey for a few hours on Wednesday, but cable television and power remained. Two out of three ain't bad.

I'm a voyeur

Yep, I'm watching both the squirrels nest and the red-bellied woodpecker above it. I had to look up the woodpecker. One would think it's a red-headed woodpecker, but it's really a red-bellied woodpecker. But that's very red head anyway! A pair of them have been around for the latter part of the week since most of the snow has blown off the branches.

I also watched a hawk earlier this week, but the photos didn't turn out so well. He remained motionless for a good twenty minutes, then dove to the ground out of sight.

Say it ain't snow!

How come Berckman Street (Plainfield, NJ) had these up and was thoroughly plowed while the more main East Front Street still has snowbirds? East Front tends to be one of the first plowed as it's a county road. But right now it's worse than most of the city-plowed side streets. Supposedly when we get over six inches of snow, all the cars must be removed. It's still a mess.

STOP in the name of snow

Looking up East Second Street from the corner of Berckman Street in Plainfield. Those crosswalks are a killer.

The day after

Walking up East Front Steet in Plainfield. Like several of these photos, I made the background black and white, "posterized" it a bit, and left something (or someone) in color and as photographed.

Live Maryland Crabs

I used the same photo editing effects on this shot taken the day before the snowstorm. Downtown Plainfield, East Second Street outside of Pete's Fish Market.

Christian's Snowman

As featured in an entry earlier this week, this is upstairs neighbor Christian's snowman. Alas, someone (probably from the Plainfield Greta Garbo Home for Wayward Boys and Girls) killed it by the next day. It was a great snowman, almost four feet tall.

In the early morning snow

That light is often on at all hours in the house of women in business suits who drive luxury cars. But I can't watch for a murder because if I can see them, they can see me. I usually stick to watching the action on the trees.

East Front Street is snowed in

I'm jumping about a bit time-wise here. This is back to Wednesday evening when I ventured out -- no flash used. You can tell how windy it was by the snow on the sides of trees and poles. But it never did actually reach real blizzard conditions.

Backlighted snow

Looking out to the street from my driveway/parking lot.

Third bird from left: "But I don't WANT to be a soldier!"
Second bird: "Just march!"

I tell you ... they're plotting. We need to be ready!

The Strand Theater marquee

This is one of my older shots I took off the CDs this week. I took this in 2004 before the city took down the marquee as it was "dangerous." East Front Street, Plainfield.

Frear's newspaper advertisement

Okay, you might wonder why I'm posting this. This was one of my scans on the CDs. Frear's Troy Cash Bazaar, otherwise known as Frear's Department Store, was a granddaddy of the modern department stores, carrying several departments under one roof. Located in Troy, New York, the store dated back to the 1800s. But why do I have a Frear's ad from the early 1950s scanned and now posted here? Well, I was born in Troy. My mother was a commercial artist for Frear's. She drew the images in the ad.

The original sketch for the ad

This is from my mother's scrapbook, her initial concept for the newspaper advertisement you saw in the previous image. The sketches are holding up much better than the newspaper page.

If I could talk to the animals

I think I might have posted this one before. But I saw it on CD and fell in love with Lil Mama the raccoon all over again. She was a buddy of mine pre-digital camera. This shot was taken holding my right hand as far away as I could. She was standing on her hind feet. She was a wild raccoon, but we had a relationship built over a few years. She would come when I called and even bring her babies around. This was in Connecticut some years before raccoon rabies hit the state.

Bats in my belfry

Sigh. I miss the bats in Bridgewater. The white-nose syndrome has so decimated the population that it's sad. No, I don't want these little guys flying around my apartment. But bats are really beneficial animals and, in their own way, they're kind of cute. This one is sleeping away, having chosen a spot he probably thought was dark. I was able to get pretty close with the camera and didn't even wake him up. Another photo taken a while ago and re-discovered while looking at my photo CDs.

Under Penn

I hoped, weather permitting, to take a photo stomp in the city this week. As you know, the weather was more forbidding than permitting. But when I found this older photo I took on CD, I couldn't resist "posterizing" it a bit, black and whiting it a bit and having fun with it.

The owl right-side up

D'oh. I didn't realize when I posted the photo of the upside-down owl on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield last week that I took a photo of the same owl right-side up back in 2004! And, I researched. The purpose of the owl is to deter pigeons. Well, that works really well, doesn't it?

What's that, Vincent? You hear a mouse?

I have to confess. I've been teasing my cat. I know he caught a mouse in my apartment back in December. But I've been telling him he reminds me of Murray the dog in Mad About You -- "Murray, go get that mouse!" -- when there was no mouse to get and Murray only thought there was a mouse.

I have baseboard heat in each room. Vincent spends at least an hour a day staring at the one in the kitchen. Now, it sometimes makes little ticking noises (when the landlord pays the bill, anyway). But I don't think it's where the other mouse (nor the one Teaser got three years ago) came from. Why would a mouse be in the radiator? Isn't it too hot? I have no traces of mice anywhere in the apartment, no droppings, no sightings, no food tampering.

But Vincent obviously knows better than I. (Beware, the following images are a bit graphic.)

I TOLD you there was a mouse!

On Tuesday afternoon, I was in the living room. Vincent was out in the kitchen staring at the radiator. All of a sudden ... CRASH! I hear Vincent crash into the metal of the baseboard heat. He comes running into the living room with ... a MOUSE. Eek. He'd throw it in the air, it would run. He'd catch it and throw it again. I would duck. But I did grab my camera. The action was a bit too fast and furious and most of the photos were just blurs.

"Stop playing with him and just kill it, please!" I don't want a live mouse in here, nor do I want to have to kill a mouse. But it really can't be in here. Mice can only be in here in a cage. While I like animals (and mice can be cute), there's just no place for one in my apartment.

You are NOT taking away my play toy!

Yes, I feel a bit sad for the mouse. But he really chose the wrong apartment. Apparently they're in the walls and there must be an opening big enough behind the baseboard heat. I really haven't heard any noises in the walls, but Vincent did. No mouse will ever make it a foot in here. Vincent sits there in wait ... a lot. I feel sorry for anyone in my building who doesn't have a cat. However, I'm so thankful for Vincent and he seems to really have fun (even though a mouse has to die). He's staring at the radiator as I type this.

He's dead, Jim.

A moment of silence, please.

And let's not have Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom inside my apartment again, please.

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains Season Premiere Blog Party Post

Yes, it's time for a new season of one of our favorite shows -- SURVIVOR! The talented Zoetawny has made us yet another blog logo for the show. You realize she rocks, right? Margo is running the blog pool again, rocking also. Me? I'm just rolling along.

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll post major events in updates in this post. However, it's the comments area which is where the real fun and well ... commentary is. Everyone is invited to join in! Later tonight, my full review of the show will be posted over on TV Squad and, of course, you're invited there, too.

The show will be starting in about ten minutes here. Survivors ready?

The first reward challenge has started. In the first round, Stephenie has dislocated her shoulder. Into commercial. Rupert broke a toe. But the heroes won fire! Both Rupert and Stephenie continue to play -- neither shed a tear.

They're spending more time than they ever have just visiting the camps. No immunity challenge yet (9:15 PM ET). The heroes found and captured some chickens with a net. The villains, thanks to Rob, made fire without a flint.

Villains win the first immunity challenge. Sugar is crying (as she should be).

Sugar is the first person voted out.

Looking at The Amazing Race Teams - Part 2

Yesterday I took a look at six of the teams we'll see on the upcoming season of The Amazing Race. Today it's time for the remaining five teams. The show premieres this coming Sunday at 8 PM ET/PT. The deadline for signing up to be in the blog pool is tomorrow. Margo is gathering names and will be posting who gets to cheer on whom after tomorrow.

Dan and Jordan - I guess this is our alpha male team for the season. Dan (24) and Jordan (22) Pious are brothers hailing from Barrington, Rhode Island. Dan is a financial advisor while Jordan is a strategic consultant. Um. Okay. When I was 24, no one would want me advising them on their finances. And, what exactly does a strategic consultant DO? Gotta love these listed careers.

Pros for them: They're young, they're healthy-looking, and probably more athletic on the whole than most of the other teams. They seem to be relatively intelligent. I bet they could even answer a question about geography.

Cons for them: They don't seem that well traveled. One of them, Dan, actually admits hating traveling. That could be interesting. They also are competitive and intense. I hope that doesn't equal fussing and fighting with each other like the last set of brothers on the show.

Jordan and Jeff - Well, these two look familiar! Where have we seen them before? Heh. The sweethearts from last season's Big Brother are listed as "newly dating" for TAR. Jordon Lloyd is 22, a receptionist (and BB11 half-million first place winner) from Charlotte, North Carolina. Jeff Schroeder is 31, a salesman and BB11 runner-up, from Norridge, Illinois.

Pros for them: They have the reality show experience and are used to being cooped-up with each other. Jeff, in particular, is pretty smart while Jordan definitely has her moments despite her reputation on BB11 and her phraseology. A pro for me is that I enjoy watching these two.

Cons for them: Jordan, in particular, hasn't traveled much at all and is very naive. In many online articles they've mentioned they bickered a lot on the race. I don't like that. Jordan doesn't always think quickly and Jeff tends to be impatient with her. We'll see. I'm still glad they got the chance to do the show.

Louie and Michael - These two are listed as friends and police detectives. Louie Stravato is 47, an undercover detective from Providence, Rhode Island. Michael Naylor is 45, also a detective from Providence.

Pros for them: I can only hope they're as entertaining as the clown team a few seasons back. Not that cops are clowns, but most cops I've known definitely have a great sense of humor, or at least one I can appreciate. Louie is also a cool name for a cop. Heh. They're both into weight-lifting and are athletic-ish. They're probably used to reasoning and following instructions, too.

Cons for them: Michael complains that Louie loves everyone while Louie claims Michael is a control freak. But I bet we're going to see these two get along very well as a team. I'm not seeing any real cons about the team. Perhaps they're not real well-traveled, I guess. I hope they live up to my entertainment expectations!

Monique and Shawne - Well, we had the cops, now we're to the attorneys. These women are listed as attorneys/moms. They're friends, too. Monique Pryor is 39 from West Orange, New Jersey. Shawne is 39 from Bowie, Maryland.

Pros for them: I have to say that since West Orange is near me, I need to root for Monique! That aside, they seem to be a strong female team. Both enjoy traveling and have indeed traveled outside of the country before. They're intelligent. They're both in good physical condition and younger than some of the other teams.

Cons for them: I'm not seeing too many cons at all. Perhaps an over-confidence in their own abilities might translate as cocky to other teams? I don't know. I think these two are going to be strong competitors.

Steve and Allison - This father/daughter team hails from Encinitas, California. Steve Smith is 47 and a professional baseball coach (Cleveland Indians). Allie Smith is 23 and in marketing.

Pros for them: They're probably fairly well-traveled (at least more than Jordan!). Unlike some father/daughter teams we've seen, they're not mending fences or working on their relationship. They're out to have a good time, create great memories, and maybe win a million dollars.

Pros for them: I think they're going to be a solid team, but perhaps not the best on an athletic angle. I also think the fact that he's a pro ball coach (he also coached the Phillies for their World Series win) might work against them. I'm always of the mind that if people really need the money, they should be working and not on reality television shows. However, lots of folks (including some others on shows) go by "need."

Racers ready?

Weather Update, Letterman's Survivor Top Ten Video

As of about 6:30 PM last night, the snow was officially just shy of waist-high to a six-year-old. Y'see, I don't own a yardstick, so I had to stick a kid in the snow. Christian from the third floor was happy to comply. No, he's not one of the rowdy mal-parented kids. He was out there with his mother building a snowman and playing. It's the most snow the Brooklyn native boy has ever seen. I think we're talking in the vicinity of 18 inches, nearby Westfield has an official 17.5".

Last night David Letterman's Top Ten featured castaways from Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. Here's the video --

Christian's Snowman

Weather Report, Survivor Blog Pool Update

I snapped the two photos here in this post out my window just a few minutes ago. The good news is that the Winter Storm Warning until 6 AM (tomorrow) has been canceled according to the National Weather Service website. Yes, really!

The bad news is that it's been replaced with a Blizzard Warning of the same duration. Oh, well. I have no reason to go outside other than to maybe take some photographs. I'm already hearing of barricaded roads, tree limbs down and the like on my scanner. I had a package due today from Amazon. But checking the tracking -- "delayed due to weather or natural disaster." M'kay. As long as my power stays on, I'm as snug as a bug in a rug here.

If you haven't checked already, I have part one on the Amazing Race teams up and a brief on the Lost episode.

Margo sent me the final list of the Survivor blog pool --

Amanda - Terry in CA, Rbennie
Boston Rob - txrednkgirl
Candice - Lars, Meb
Cirie - Delee, PDX Granny
Coach - Merrilee, Dusty
Colby - Laurie, ML
Courtney - Donna in AL, Sally
Danielle - Sydney, Monty924
Evil Russell - RMJ in SC
J.T. - isuquinndog, Donna in FL
James - Lisanne, Sizzie
Jerri - Jennasmom, Becky
Parvati - Tessa
Randy - Zoetawny
Rupert - Jackie, Auntie Leigh
Sandra - Joy N
Stephenie - Nana in NW, Karen in CA
Sugar - Lynn1, Brent McKee
Tom - AlbGlinka, Margo's Mom
Tyson (Asst Coach or Naked guy) - SueGee

Looking at The Amazing Race Teams - Part 1

The new season of The Amazing Race premieres Sunday night, February 14, at 8 PM ET/PT. If you want to be a part of the blog pool, the deadline for joining is noon (ET) on Friday, February 12. The way it works is Margo is running the show ... well, maybe not the show itself, but the pool. Each participant is assigned a team to cheer on for as long as they last. The winners get mucho bragging rights and can prance around saying "neaner, neaner" to everyone else. Okay, I added in that last part. Margo should be coming around soon with the list and feel free to speak up in comments if you wish to join in on the fun!

Onto part one of the teams --

Joe and Heidi - This married couple hails from El Segundo, California. Joe Wang is 42, Heidi's 37. He's a software sales executive and she's a homemaker. They have two children. Heidi gave up a successful career in finance to stay home with the children.

Pros for them: Joe speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. He also coaches youth sports which embody some good qualities for a racer (patience with others, will to win). Heidi lists traveling as a "hobby." Heidi also seems to be quite smart -- was voted "Most Likely to Succeed," "Most Likely to Win a Nobel Peace Prize," and class president in high school.

Cons for them: Heidi was also voted "Most Likely to Total Her Car." She says that Joe tends to be "intense, short-tempered, and thinks he's right all the time." Uh-oh. We've seen that before. I find that sort of racer hard to enjoy. Joe says Heidi can't multi-task. Huh? A mother who can't multi-task? Methinks Joe is wrong!

Jody and Shannon - Ah, a grandmother and granddaughter team! I know we've had grandfathers, but I'm blanking on whether a grandmother/female grandchild team before. Jody Kelly is 71 years-old, from Round Rock, Texas. She's a personal trainer. Shannon Foster is 22, from Georgetown, Texas. She's a healthcare outreach contract analyst.

Pros for them: Jody may be over seventy, but this woman is in great shape! Triathlons are listed amongst her "hobbies." She's proud of the fact she decided to lead a healthy athletic life and leave her sedentary style behind. Shannon is young, listing running, dancing, and swimming as hobbies -- all hobbies which require some stamina. She also seems well-schooled.

Cons for them: Jody thinks she's a comedian. That doesn't always work so well. All she could think to list as a pet peeve for Shannon is that her clothes are sometimes too revealing. Shannon thinks Jody can get a bit carried away and uptight. I don't know. They look like a pretty solid team to me despite Jody's age. (Mind you, I have nothing against 71-year-olds -- they just don't tend to fare well on the show.)

Jet and Cord - Jet and Cord, as unlikely as those names are, are brothers. They're also cowboys. Yippie-kiy-yay. For the icing on the cake, they're the real McCoys. Yep, that's their last name. Cord is a 29-year-old professional bull rider from Tupelo, Oklahoma. Jet is 30, a cowboy from Alda, Oklahoma.

Pros for them: Well, they're cowboys. If there's any horse-riding or bull-wrangling to be done, they're going to stomp the competition! On a serious note, they're both athletic, always a big help on the race.

Cons for them: Neither seem to be too well-traveled outside of the rodeo circuit, especially seem to be lacking foreign travel experience. Cord says Jet likes to voice his opinion (too much?). Jet says Cord isn't punctual. Both seem to think communication and decision-making might present problems. I wonder if they're going to wear their cowboy hats through the various countries.

Dana and Adrian - This married couple were high school sweethearts while attending Los Angeles High School. Adrian Davis, age 40, is in medical sales. Dana Davis, age 39, is a market manager. They live in Arlington, Texas.

Pros for them: They're (thankfully) not in the race to test their relationship or to work out problems one way or another. They seem to be a very solid couple with a good relationship. He seems to lean towards the athletic side while she's proud of her academic achievements. Both appear to be driven to succeed.

Cons for them: She says he burps. I so don't want to see a man burping all season. He better not! They don't seem to have any immediate big drawbacks. They might not be all that well-traveled in light of foreign countries and probably just speak English.

Carol and Brandy - Oh, a middle-aged and youngish-middle-aged female dating couple! I believe that's a first for the show! Both are from Los Angeles. Carol Rosenfeld is 47 and a consultant. Brandy Snow is 40 and an actress. Well, we've certainly had actresses on the show before!

Pros for them: Brandy speaks Spanish. Both enjoy traveling and might even have some foreign travel behind them. They're both very confident women who want to prove a female team can win. Carol seems to be more the intellectual while Brandy is more athletic.

Cons for them: There might be a bit of conflict. Brandy thinks that Carol tends to be too rigidly structured at times. Carol says Brandy is a biter. Yikes! I can see her running up to other teams now, biting them so they'll screw up a challenge! I don't know. I'm not seeing any obvious flaws with the team, but as they say -- others are younger and might be faster.

Brent and Caite - Dating models @@. Just what we needed, eh? Brent Horne (which makes me think of a porn name, something like Bent Horny ... heehee) is 28 and from Columbia, South Carolina. Caite Upton is only 20. Hmm ... I thought you had to be 21 to be on the show! But, you see, she's special. She's the Miss Teen USA gal who royally flubbed when asked a question about students not knowing geography (many people don't have maps). She's a model from Lexington, South Carolina.

Pros for them: Um. Well, they're young and healthy. They're both athletic. They're pretty people. Both have traveled a bit.

Cons for them: They seem a bit shallow. Both want to build their relationship. I don't know. Unless it turns out that their personalities are so intriguing that I want them to do well, I just don't care about this team. She got in there because she was dumb while pretty on national television.

Part two down the road, hopefully later today as I'm snowed in anyway!

Lost - "What Kate Does"

Well, the latest snowstorm (supposedly 12 to 18 inches) has started as I get this written up. Of course, as long as the power stays on, that makes things perfect for television watching. Not that I really need a reason, as you know. I was going to write up the latest American Idol Hollywood Week with Ellen DeGeneres starting her judge reign. But I don't have much to say about it. Eh.

Onto to tonight's show. I remain a tad lost. I'm glad I'm not doing in-depth review/recaps of the show anymore. True Lost geeks would rip me apart. Okay, here's my dilemma:

After last week, I thought that perhaps Sayid had been taken over by the dead/undead Jacob. I thought by him telling Hurley to take Sayid to the temple that the folks there were FoJ. That would be Friends of Jacob, natch. Hmmm ... so they try to save him, it doesn't seem to work, then it works. So this week they torture him, determine he failed (although they told him he passed), and try to poison him. What does it all mean? Jacob didn't enter his body, but someone else? We already know the Jacob's archenemy has taken over Locke's body.

Sawyer's actions seemed very typical Sawyer. I would have liked to have heard more from the black armed guy who escorted Jin and Kate as they went after Sawyer. So, Danielle has been dead for years and Kate knows the one "escort," or should know him.

The Kate/Claire alternate universe (whatever!) storyline was interesting. I'm sure they will meet up again. I'm really not sure what to say about it. Kate does have a way about her, though. She's right that she can be very convincing. Yet she never comes across as really evil.

Your thoughts on tonight's episode?

Happy Super Bowl!

Just to point out that two posts back, I have up the Survivor villains.

Carry on with the game ... and I'll watch the party:

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - 02/07/10

Another week gone by as we get closer to the new seasons of two of our blog mainstay television shows. That's right -- Survivor begins on Thursday followed by The Amazing Race season premiere next Sunday. But right now it's time to take a look back at this past week in words and photographs I've taken.

I guess this week's big news story was the huge snowstorm which blanketed most of the Mid-Atlantic. Well, most of. It wasn't bad right here in Plainfield where I live. Oh, cold, windy, some snow. But I think we got maybe three inches if that much.

However, I didn't know we'd get so little Saturday morning when I got up to go to work. I looked out the window and saw heavy snow falling. I listened to the National Weather Service on my scanner and we were still under a winter storm warning and snow was expected throughout the day. Me and my knee didn't want to deal with it. So I called work and took a paid personal day. Then it stopped snowing. Oops. Oh, well. After Saturday, I was to be on my staycation for a week. I just started a bit early.

On the writing front, it seems there will be a few changes down the road for my TV Squad blogging. Right now, it looks for the better. But we'll see. I'll be blogging both Survivor and The Amazing Race episodes there as I have been for the past few years.

On the personal front, karma got me for calling out of work. My neighbors had perhaps 100 kids screaming, yelling, thumping, running up and down the hallways all day and into the night. Okay, it was probably about ten or fifteen kids. But I couldn't help but wonder if ANY adults were over there supervising them. I'd hate to see what that apartment looks like. Sigh. I can only hope they move once their lease is up. If new neighbors move in below them, I'm sure the complaints will come rolling in. I've found there's no use in complaining to the landlord. Nothing is ever done about it. I'm better off calling the police. Sigh.

Onto another tangent -- it's SuperBowl Sunday. Um. Okay. I'm not a football fan. I received the first two new episodes of Southland (due to air in March on TNT) and will be watching them. What snow we have is going to be blowing all around ... and I'll be inside baking brownies and drinking hot chocolate. Yay, staycation!

Well, it's time for the photos I've taken this week. If you click on an image, it will open larger in a new window.

Squirrels' nest

The squirrels' nest outside my window is hanging in there. I haven't seen any baby squirrels or much activity right around the nest. Some squirrels were running around getting material for another nest in a tree further away the other day. This was taken Saturday morning out of my window as I contemplated calling out of work.

The Dead Zone

Yep, that's what the little sign in the window says. What makes it even better is that beyond that window is an annex of the Plainfield Police Department -- it's the offices of the narcotics cops. They don't bring prisoners there, but that's their headquarters. Odd, as the building is very iffy with many of the top floor windows broken out and in ill repair. But I guess it gives them room to do their stuff. Right now the drain pipe by their door is responsible for icing the entire sidewalk. I saw one cop almost fall coming out. If they ever run out, they're all going to go down.

It's KALE!

I found a neglected kale patch near the Plainfield City Hall on Watchung Avenue. Yay. (Not yay that it's neglected, mind you.)

Closer Kale

Yep. I miss my little kale patch closer to home.

Happy Holidays!

Does Plainfield City Hall not realize that the holidays are over and perhaps it's time to take down the adorned wreaths? I mean, it's only February. I made this photo black and white leaving only the wreaths in color.

Urban contrast

Almost like stepping blocks, we have the brick Salvation Army building, one of the city's historic homes (probably cut into apartments), and a larger apartment building (yeah, owned by my landlord). Taken from a Watchung Avenue viewpoint in Plainfield.

Bad, bad siding. Bad.

There's a preponderance of bad siding and bad addition jobs on what probably were really cool older homes throughout the city of Plainfield. Cheap jobs, I guess. But I don't like it. I recall my parents going through all kinds of red tape and having to keep the historical aspects of our battered Victorian home from my childhood. This should be a crime!

E&A Restaurant Supply entrance

I so love the graphics they've added to the building! East Fifth and Cleveland Avenue in Plainfield, the Cleveland Avenue side.

"Architectiral?"

Oh. My. Gosh. If you are in the sign-painting business, you need to check your spelling. And, if you're buying a sign, you do not accept one with misspellings! I blurred the phone and web URL to protect the foolish. By the way, it's architectural. Yes, that's right.

Into the light

The NJ Transit train overpass on Park Avenue in Plainfield.

Pants on the ground

"Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground." - General Larry Platt, the best part of this season's American Idol so far. When I saw these two walk by me with their pants on the ground, I had to shoot them. Now, these are grown men, probably late-twenties, early thirties. But their crotches do NOT start at their knees. I'm sure they don't. General left out big jackets (and shirts), but that's all a part of the look, too. How do BIG guys like these two find such BIGGER clothes to wear? Lookin' like fools, for sure. I edited this to keep the fools in color, the background black and white and "posterized."

Fading away signs

No Parking and Entrance are slowly deteriorating at the closed Crown Cadillac car dealership in Plainfield.

No Caddy for you!

Nope, not from the closed Crown Cadillac, anyway. The afternoon sun was a bit harsh, but not as harsh as the economy.

Abandoned Glory

Peeking inside the window of the old Crown Cadillac building, I saw this trophy sitting on a bucket, a remnant of glory days gone by.

Coffe and News Papers

More bad spelling on Park Avenue in Plainfield. Oy. How do you spell coffee wrong? And, of course, newspapers is a single word. Gotta give 'em credit ... they spelled ATM right.

Uh-oh

Now the birds are rolling in dirt to camouflage themselves in their bid to overthrow mankind.

Who you gonna call?

No one, because the phone has gone missing! I swear more public phones don't have phones than ones that do. With the exception of the clearly vandalized ones (which have broken phones), it seems the phone companies are removing the phones as the wires are capped off. But they leave the shell. What's up with that?

Isn't he too cute for words?

Vincent enjoys a cat nap. So do I.

How was your week?

Looking at the Survivor Villains

The new season of Survivor begins this coming Thursday at 8 PM ET/PT. I previously covered the "heroes" and now it's time for the "villains." In going through the list, I think the criteria in choosing the villains had to be a bit more grey than the heroes. I believe it was Parvati who said in her video that "the women were chosen because they're strong players while the men are characters." The men all seem like easy choices. But, with the women, the only outright villainess I'm seeing might be Jerri Manthey.

Make sure you're signed up for the blog pool (in comments at the Heroes post) if you want to play!


Ben "Coach" Wade, age 38, from Susanville, California. I don't want to talk about him. He does nothing but annoy me. He was the 11th out and 5th jury member on Tocantins. He's full of himself and needlessly "out there." While he's a legend in his own mind, he was a failure at just about every challenge in his season. I hope the first person voted out is him because he's so pitifully annoying.


Courtney Yates, age 28, originally from Boston, currently living in New York City. Courtney was the runner-up in China. She's one who isn't really such a villainy villain. I hope she's gained some weight. Whenever I think of her in her season, I see a walking skeleton in my mind.


Danielle DiLorenzo, age 26, from Boston, Massachusetts, currently living in Los Angeles. She was the runner-up in Panama. Once again, she isn't someone who screams "VILLAIN" to me. I think Parvati hit it on the nose with her comment about the women villains mainly being chosen because they're strong players. Danielle will probably do well. These women should team up and get rid of the guys ... and make it work this time. They're strong enough!


Jerri Manthey, age 38, from Los Angeles and still residing there. Now, here's the only woman who I feel was a real villain in her original season. She was the 8th person out and 2nd jury member in Australia, and 7th out in All-Stars. She had quite a bunch of brouhahas with Colby Donaldson. We can only hope for more. I doubt she'll win.


Parvati Shallow, age 27, from Atlanta, Georgia, now living in Los Angeles, California. On Cook Islands, she was the 15th out and 7th jury member. She was the winner of Micronesia. While she's definitely a bit devious with her flirtations, she's more of a smart player than a villain. She's not my favorite, but she thinks out and plays a good game. I think she could very well put in a good showing once again. I should keep count how many times it sounds like Jeff Probst is calling her "Poverty."


Randy Bailey, age 50, from Austin, Texas. He was the 11th out and 3rd jury member in Gabon. He's a bully. While I don't find him as annoying as "Coach" because he's not as whacky and doesn't get as much camera time, I don't care for him or his game. He can go. Thank you.


Boston Rob Mariano, age 33, from Boston, Massachusetts, now living in Pensacola, Florida. Husband of Survivor winner Amber, as we all know. He was the 7th out in Marquesas, and the runner-up in All-Stars. He was also on The Amazing Race. He has also used up too many fifteen minutes of fame. That said, I'd rather watch him than Coach or Randy. I don't think he's going to get really far this season. I don't think people will trust him.


Russell Hantz, age 37, from Dayton, Texas. He was the runner-up on Samoa. He's fresh in our memories and probably the most evil player since Richard Hatch. While he's the master of finding hidden idols and manipulating people in the moment, he doesn't seem to have learned a better social game plan. Loose lips and gloating cost him the million once. Will it happen again?


Sandra Diaz-Twine, age 34, from Stamford, Connecticut, now living in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She was the winner of Pearl Islands. Is she really a villain? I'm just not getting that. She was tight with Rupert in her season. Her chances? I don't know -- she's against a tough crowd and she's really not too villainy. If she makes it to the merge, maybe final six.


Tyson Apostol, age 30, from Lindon, Utah, now living in Heber City, Utah. He was the 8th out and 2nd jury member in Tocantins. He looks much better in this picture than I recall him looking on the show. He's another one I don't like -- that chip on his shoulder should make him list to one side. But he is strong in challenges and the tribemates always seem to think he's entertaining. I'd rather he didn't win, though.