Sunday, October 24, 2010

The Amazing Race - Oct. 24 Episode Blog Party Post

Jackie's TV Blog, Amazing Race, TAR

Football AGAIN -- the show is delayed here on the East Coast by about about fifteen - seventeen minutes. Once it starts, as it 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. Everyone is welcome to join in!

Nat and Kat completed the fast forward task.

Nat and Kat first to pit stop -- won a trip to Costa Rica.
2. Gary and Mallory
3. Jill and Thomas
4. Michael and Kevin
5. Brook and Claire
6. Nick and Vicki
7. Chad and Stephanie
8. Katie and Rachel - Philiminated

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - October 24, 2010

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in words and photos I've taken in my travels. For some reason, I took a lot of photos this week, not all of them necessarily artistic. But that's how things go sometimes. It helped that most of my walking and commuting times were rain-free, although it rained at night during the week.

I have an addition to my train passengers gripes from a few weeks back --
  • For the sake of all that is good in this universe, invest in a box of Kleenex. Sheesh, I realize I had my super cold, but I don't constantly sniffle in public. Blow those noses and stop the sickly noises!
Work, eat, sleep ... then get up and do it all over again. I did take a diversion from my usual routine going to dinner at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, having a few beers, then hitting Trader Joe's with a friend on Wednesday. No, I wasn't drunk in Trader Joe's. I don't like getting drunk as I tend to get sick, so I stick to a limit. 42. Er, no. Two.

I really don't have much else to say. The photo exhibition for the Plainfield Library Photo Contest will take place in two weeks. I'm hoping for a decent showing and another ribbon (and check!) this time, but there's a lot of talent in town. Until then, you get what I got for the week -- clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window.



Clouds in the early morning

I know I tend to take a shot from this vantage point quite often, but things change. This time it was the just-after-sunrise sun's rays on the clouds which caught my eye. Plainfield Train Station.


Last night

Aaaooooo! The real full moon was the night before. But this is full enough for howling! Bridgewater, NJ.


Our house is a very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
-- "Our House" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

I don't think they meant lion statues. Note the straw gazelle in the background stalking the lions. East Front Street, Plainfield.


Watching, they're always watching

They're up to something!


You're not the only cuddly toy
That was ever enjoyed by any boy
You're not the only choo-choo train
(Or big stuffed pink thing)
That was left out in the rain
The day after Santa came ...
-- "Cuddly Toy" popularized by The Monkees
- written by Harry Nilsson

Berckman Street, Plainfield. Edited to leave the big stuffed pink thing in color, the rest black and white.


Late season weeds


Red sky in the morning again

Sure enough, it rained all night. I hope those sailors took warning. Bridgewater, NJ.


That same morning in Plainfield just a bit earlier.


The sun also sets

Looking at the sun's final hurrah over the Plainfield Train Station while standing on East Fourth Street.


Plotting in the sun


Yay, Trader Joe's!

I love that each store employs an in-house artist to do all their signs. If it were just lettering, it's something I'd love to do. Alas, they want a lot of drawing with the signs. I'm not as good at that. I'm a letterer kind of person. Years back I used to make signs for various businesses, but computers have taken over a lot of that.


Reflections

Trees are reflected in a bakery's window in Westfield, NJ. Again edited for the color/black and white look.


Yes, it's a flower.

It needed to be shot.


Okay, if you unravel the canopy,
We can attack the humans.

Westfield, NJ at the now-closed Leaders Store.


Westfield?

Yikes, I would have thought that they'd take better care of their real estate. You can see through the roof in the old Leaders Store. While they do seem to be doing something with the building, the upper floors and roof are letting in rain, birds, you name it. That can't be good for the structure. For those not familiar with the area, Westfield is the more posh town in the area.

It's also where John List murdered his family in 1971 but we won't go there.


He hit on me!

EEK! Westfield, NJ.


Vicki's Diner

I love this diner's building even though an SUV is blocking a lot of it. But I wasn't too thrilled the one time I ate there. It was full of high school kids and you couldn't even hold a normal conversation. Plus, the employees were as bad as the kid customers, all hanging out at a table. The food was only so-so, not good but not bad. It was the ambiance or lack thereof which did them in with me. Westfield, NJ.


Autumn's Glory

Westfield, NJ. As a matter of fact, this is the colorful tree reflected in the window in one of the shots above.


But no candy

Gotta love Five Guys Burgers and Fries ... and peanuts! But you can't do it too often. We're talking calories here. Westfield, NJ.


Full moon

I keep trying to get decent moon shots without fancy equipment. It's hard to get detail. This was Thursday evening in Plainfield.


Full moon over the Plainfield Municipal Court.

Taken shortly before the other moon shot. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.


I can't see!
I can't SEE!
I CAN'T SEE!

Open your eyes, Vincent. You're a nut!

Don't forget to stop back tonight for the Amazing Race blog party! Hopefully the show will start somewhere near on time. How was your week?

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Survivor: Nicaragua - October 20th Episode Blog Party Post

survivor,jackiestvblog

Survivors Ready?

Welcome one, welcome all! 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. As the show airs, hopefully I'll post major events here as I'm setting this to auto-post due to going out to dinner (if I'm not here at the start, I should be by the end), but the real fun and most of the reactions are in the comments section. See you there!

8:02 PM ET -- I'm HOME!

Jill won immunity for herself and a feast for La Flor while Holly won immunity for herself on Espada.

Tie - Marty and Kelly B to go for La Flor. Marty did NOT use the idol. Perhaps he's not as smart as he thinks he is! Kelly B out on the second vote.

Yve was voted out of Espada. Gee, has there been an Yve on this season?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

The Amazing Race - Oct. 17 Episode Blog Party

Jackie's TV Blog, Amazing Race, TAR

Football AGAIN -- the show is delayed here on the East Coast by about about twenty minutes (I think). Sheesh. Once it starts, as it 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. Everyone is welcome to join in!

8:20 PM ET - It started and now we're in commercial after the recap. I see from comments that the show's on time elsewhere. Grr.

Pit Stop --
1. Nat and Kat, also won a trip to Belize
2. Gary and Mallory
3. Brook and Claire
4. Michael and Kevin
5. Jill and Thomas
6. Nick and Vicki
7. Chad and Stephanie
8. Katie and Rachel
9. Jonathan and Connor - Philiminated

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - October 17, 2010

Sunday morning is here, time for my weekly reflection on the week gone by in words and photographs I've taken. I'm finally over that bug I had. Man, that was a doozy. It seems like it's going around. I don't think I've been that sick for that long in years. The only problem remaining is that I could probably sleep around the clock for a day or two if not for that pesky thing called my job. Oh well.

Unfortunately, due to that tired factor, I fell asleep early on and off through the week and missed shows I like to watch. Now, if I had planned to fall asleep, I would have recorded them. But there was no plan. It was "I'm just going to close my eyes for five minutes" and then I'd wake up at 3 AM. Argh! There's not much to do at that point other than to head to the bedroom and go to bed. Thankfully, most of the shows I missed can be found online.

We continue to have wacky weather here. One day will start out beautiful, then end with an inch of hail on the ground at nightfall. A nor'easter is finishing out now. Due to the temperatures, there obviously wasn't any snow. We didn't even get horrible rains. But there was the wind. Usually I love autumn weather -- more typically it's highs in the 60s to around 70, cool overnights, dry and sunny skies. That's what I want. Please.

I heard the news that Barbara Billingsly died. For those of my generation, that was June Cleaver, the Beaver's mother. She was 94, but I've seen her on a few things in recent years. She was the epitome of the mother of the 1950s. I blamed a friend for her death. He's a punster and before her death was announced, he came up with this one -- "I hear all the boy bands have disbanded. They decided to leave it to Bieber." Rest in peace, Barbara Billingsly (who always made me wonder why my own mother didn't wear pearls around the house and had no patience with children).

I really don't have much news here. I've worked, slept, hid from the rain, ducked the hail and acorns and had a pretty standard week. I hope your weeks went well! Onto the photos -- if you click on an image, it will open larger in a new window.


Bad Formation

Hey, geese ... it's supposed to be a V. I hope you're not heading to Newark to bring down a plane.


The Sun Also Rises ...

On North Avenue in Plainfield. I enjoy the angles of the sun this time of year. It's not quite as harsh as it is in the winter. Plus, I actually see sunrises and sunsets. It had rained most of the night before I took this shot. My apologies to Ernest Hemingway.


Sunrise


Sunset


Sunrise


Sunset

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset

Swiftly fly the years

One season following another

Laden with happiness and tears

- From "Fiddler on the Roof"


The train arrives with the dawn

Monday morning, moments before the sun came up, I saw the light. Plainfield Train Station.


Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning

Plainfield Train Station the morning of the torrential evening downpours and hail.


Me and my shadow

Okay, not me ... HIM and his shadow. North Avenue, Plainfield.


Dave's birds

Dave, the Indian gentleman who owns The Corner Store on Watchung and East Second in Plainfield must figure that if he feeds the birds daily, they'll spare him when they take over the world. And don't ask me about his name being Dave. I'm sure it isn't. But that's how he introduces himself and what everyone calls him.


Seasons change with the scenery
Weaving time in a tapestry
Won't you stop and remember me
At any convenient time
Funny how my memory slips while looking over manuscripts
Of unpublished rhyme
Drinking my vodka and lime.
-- "Hazy Shade of Winter" by Simon and Garfunkel

Okay, it's not winter. Nor have I ever had a vodka and lime. I've had plenty of unpublished manuscripts, though. Does that count?



The Autumn Reds

This is on East Front Street in Plainfield. This tree is usually beautiful, but this year the leaves are a bit sparse due to all of the wind we've had the last few months. Plus, we went through long hot periods in the summer with no rain, then had terrific storms. That's not too cool with the fall foliage.


Reds and Golds


Warming their feet ...

... before they swoop down and attack us, that is! I know I've taken similar photos of this before, but not with so many birds. Taken at the Dunellen Train Station from inside the train.


Heading away from Newark

Plainfield Train Station


All set for the fall

When winter comes, it will be all decorated with lights and moving things. The house at the corner of East Front Street and Richmond in Plainfield.


Fall flowers abound


Look! A mouse!

It was running along the sidewalk and people scared it. So it hid up there on the wall. Isn't he cute? (As long as he's not inside my apartment!)


VINCENT! Now, stop that!


Sure, she sees a mouse and doesn't bring it home for me. I never have any fun anymore!

Don't forget to stop back tonight for The Amazing Race!