Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - October 3, 2010

My apologies, but I've been very sick all week. Thankfully I was on a vacation, so I didn't have to call out from work. I've been in bed most of the week with a cough, fever, chills, headache, body aches, you name it. It honestly felt more like the flu than a cold. I still have a bad cough and feel weak. But since I've eaten very little all week, I guess that's to be expected.

As a result, I didn't take any photo walks. But I do have a Vincent shot for you and I'll be back for the Amazing Race blog party tonight.

Survivor: Nicaragua - Sept. 29 Episode Blog Party Post

Survivors Ready?

Welcome one, welcome all! It's the third episode and the blog party is ready to start! Everyone is welcome to join in with comments as the show airs here on the East Coast or even later in West Coast time.

Just a warning -- I'm SO sick with a killer cold and will try to post the major happenings in this entry. But, if I don't, the comments should have the latest.

Younger tribe wins immunity and reward.

Jimmy Johnson was voted out.

The Amazing Race - Season Premiere Blog Party!

Yes, it's that time of year again! It's time for a whirlwind exciting and hopefully very entertaining trip around the world. I think that we'll all find teams to cheer on this season -- it looks like a good bunch for the most part. I think the show might be starting late due to football, but I'll get this up on time.

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this post with major happenings. Later tonight (or at least by morning) my show review should be posted over on TV Squad. But the real fun will be during showtime right here in the comments area. LifeGuard Laurie is running the pool and here are the pool picks for those who are taking the splash --

* Andie & Jenna ... Margo, Sally, Caela
* Brook & Claire ... Jackie, ML, Lynn1
* Chad & Stephanie ... Zoetawny, Dusty, Donna in AL
* Connor & Jonathan ... Sydney, Nana of the NW,Lisanne
* Gary & Mallory ... Monty 924, RBennie, Lars
* Jill & Thomas ... Laurie, Buzzman, JennasMom
* Katie & Rachel ... SueGee, SharonS Ben
* Michael & Kevin ... Donna in FL, DKNYNC, Brent
* Nat & Kat ... meb, PDX Granny, Delee
* Nick & Vicki ... Becky, Karen in CA, dla
* Ron & Tony ... Terry in CA, joy n, Merrilee

Teams ready? GO!

The Express Pass, new this season, will go to the winners of the first leg. It will allow them to bypass a challenge of their choice later on.

They are headed from Massachusetts to London.

Jill and Thomas were first to the pit stop, winning the Express Pass and apparently nothing else.
2. Nat and Kat
3. Connor and Jonathan
4. Brook and Clair
5. Katie and Rachel
6. Gary and Mallory
7. Kevin and Michael
8. Chad and Stephanie
9. Andie and Jenna
10. Nick and Vicki
11. Ron and Tony - Philiminated

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - September 26, 2010

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. This week is a bit image heavy so I'll be keeping the words part a bit light.

That's all.

Well, maybe not.

The majority of the photos I'm posting today were taken last Sunday when I spent the day at Skaters Circle in Central Park (Manhattan). The Central Park Dance Skaters Association throws a free skating shindig every weekend, weather permitting. I used to go regularly and skate, but the knees have done that in. Some of the folks remembered me, so that was nice.

In addition to photographing the rain, the park and other things (okay, no rain, but I'm thinking of the old Cowsills song "I love the flower girl ... dah, dah ..."), I took a lot of video. I posted a brief clip early in the week. However, I plan on making a mini-movie during the upcoming week as I am having another staycation.

About the only other thing of interest beside work is that I selected my shots for the Plainfield Library photo competition and had them printed into 8 by 10s. I don't really trust my own printer. I'll be dropping them off to the library just shy of the October 1st deadline.

Now, enough said and onto the (million) photos for this week. Clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window.

Police Activity

East Fourth Street in Plainfield. Hmmm ... three marked cars and an unmarked car. I don't think it's a run-of-the-mill traffic stop.

My Baby Takes the Morning Train ...

and then another home again. My apologies to Sheena Easton. Plainfield Train Station.

Busy Bee

It's time for the carpenter bees. Now if the weather would actually turn fall-like. It's actually supposed to cool off today. Yay! Bridgewater, NJ.


Into the city ...

Under Penn Station

I had a few errands to run downtown (in Plainfield), so I took the train into town. I took the bus home from Port Authority Bus Terminal near Times Square because that stops right in front of my apartment building.

Midtown Tourists

I like to take pictures of the tourists on the double-decker tourist buses as they take pictures. I'm not too keen on the ads on the buses (and everywhere else), but ad revenue sources are everywhere these days.

Gah. Gah. I can't breathe!

The subways are all out of whack this weekend and last for track work. Canceled trains, the One line shut entirely down, etc. As a result, the trains are jam-packed. I had to take a few different lines to get where I was going. I was shocked on one crowded train when a man stood up and offered me his seat. That has never happened to me! It was a seat by a door and a cop came along and stood in the doorway with his gun hitting my ear for two stops. But at least I was sitting!

Hubba hubba!

Ohhh, cute NYPD cops. Yeah, go ahead, call me a cougar.
Hubba ...

Waiting for the subway train

The price goes up, the service goes down. Soon we'll all be like Charlie on the MTA -- the man who never returned.

Migrating Monarch

Sure, they're all over the place on their 3,000 mile annual migration and the best photo I got of one was in Central Park.

Imagine

The tribute to John Lennon in Strawberry Fields, Central Park. There was a tribute band playing just outside the quiet zone.

Call me a cab!

Although it looks like the pedi-cab is passing the horse, that's not going to happen. They're on a slight grade and the pedi-cabs all seem to be set in really low gears causing the human horses to pedal frantically and go almost nowhere up hills. The hansom cab (horse) can only travel in that lane.

Forget the wedding party in the cab!
I needs me some grass!
NOW!

Sheep Meadow in Central Park

No, I don't sun, thank you very much.

Central Park is a peaceful oasis
surrounded by the city.

Looks are deceiving

This man can skate. Yes, he can. Once I get the video put together, you'll see.

Purty as a postcard

Fleet feet

Meeting of the skates

Balancing Act

This guy's been around for years at the Skaters Circle. He's usually with Bladie Flowness, a one-man tourist attraction (looks like George Clinton and drives a pimped-out tricycle while hawking his CDs), but he was solo Sunday. BTW - those are bottles of water and yes, he's on skates.

I forgot to mention the pants

Both this guy and Bladie wear these big harem pants. Actually, they should be great to skate in.

You can take the crosstown bus If it's raining or is cold The animals will love you if you do
"At the Zoo" - Simon and Garfunkel

It wasn't raining. It wasn't cold. But this is indeed a crosstown bus.

Reflection

One building is mirrored in another building's windows. So I shot it.

Going nowhere fast

When I left Sunday evening from Port Authority, the traffic was worse than at the weekday rush hours. I have no clue. The buses have their own ramps out of Port Authority and don't deal with this.

Hey, Vincent! Look up!

Heehee. gotcha!
"That's not funny."

How was your week? Don't forget to stop by for The Amazing Race blog party later tonight!

The Amazing Race - Looking at the New Teams, Part 2

Finally, I'm getting to the rest of the teams -- you can find my look at the first five teams right here. The season premiere is this Sunday evening. Of course (it should go without saying, but I'll say it) there will be an episode blog post party going on when the show starts (8:30 PM ET) -- everyone is invited to join in. LifeGuard Laurie is in charge of the blog pool. Who wants to cover the cyber drinks?



Jill and Thomas: A dating couple, I don't know if it's just my mood or what ... but is he really very monotone and did they say "We want to win" a quadrillion times? They sound like they might be Bickering Bickersons, but you can't tell from the monotony of this video. The video left me not caring about this team at all, good or bad. They're just kind of there.



Katie and Rachel: Jersey Girls! Like the one from Cranford on the Princeton team, Katie lives quite nearby me in Rahway. Note that she does NOT talk like Enzo from BB12! I have to give Rachel kudos in the video for not mentioning that Katie's hair kept blowing in her face. They're young, but they might be a strong female team. Once the season starts, I would appreciate name tags so I can tell them apart. SO many young blond women with roughly the same length hair this season!



Michael and Kevin: Now, THIS father is the oldest one in the race at 58 as opposed to Gary at 53. Kevin is the youngest contestant so far at 20 but he seems to be pretty driven for his age. If you can't tell, they're Texans. I found the videos. I think I'm going to enjoy these two, but it would take them a miracle to win the big prize. Here's one of the YouTube videos of Kevin's:





Nat and Kat: They're self-proclaimed nerds, two young women doctors heavily in debt with student loans. So, we know where the money would go if they were to win! I can't imagine the cost of becoming a doctor these days. I like these two based on the video. I particularly liked the "karma" reference. Hopefully they won't namby-pamby out, yet won't be underhanded either.



Nick and Vicki: After Nat and Pat, I want to dub these two Nicky and Vicki. I guess they're down to earth -- she said it enough, as well as the "judging a book by the cover bit." When she first spoke, she reminded me a bit of Rachel "I AM VEGAS!" But as it went on, not so much. I don't know. I'm not overly impressed by the mohawk and the tattoos, but floats his boat. Most men are over that by the time they're 30. However, he is a bartender so perhaps he thinks he's a rock star. Oh, wait ... I'm forming opinions. I'll stop that. I think this team could possibly do well. Maybe.



Ron and Tony: These two might be the closest we have to an alpha male team this season. That is if it's slightly aged (40s) theater circuit alphas. I do like them. I think they're going to be entertaining. I even laughed for a moment in the video. But do they have what it takes to win? I guess we'll see. Like Nick and Vicky, they plan to lay low in the beginning, then sprint to the finish.

So, there are the teams. I think we have some entertainment ahead of us, don't you?