Author Archives: mohawkvalleygirl

Oh Yeah, I Ran

Posted on March 23, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am uncomfortably aware that I have not posted since Friday (Saturday actually, since the post was late, but you see what I mean). The fact is, Saturday Running Commentary should have made a triumphant return. I ran on Saturday! And it was great! And I ran again on Sunday! And it was not so great!

Still, we could have had a triumphant return on Saturday, because we did not know then how Sunday was going to turn out. Perhaps it was not what others might consider a triumph anyways. To me, since I had not been running since January, any step was good. I set myself a goal of 20 minutes and ran for 24. Later I took a 20 minute walk. I was back on the road to fitness!

Sunday I felt less fit. I managed to run but let myself off the hook at seventeen and a half minutes. Still, I told myself, after two months off and being sick…

The problem was, my runs had irritated the fronts of my thighs so that going up and especially down stairs was torture. I whined and cried in a most unbecoming fashion. Monday I discovered a terrible shin splint in one leg. Any walking was rendered hideous. I had to say, what the hell, body?

I have stopped and restarted running any number of times since the late ’90’s. I have never suffered such pain. Could I be feeling my age? SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!

The shin splint was in abeyance today, so I tried to run again. I had to remind myself that I LIKE to run. I guess parts of the run were OK. I continued for a mere 17 minutes. As I started my cool down walk, a voice in my head kept saying, “Where is it written that I have to do a ten minute cool down walk?” This voice has questioned me before. I had to admit, she has a point.

I see I have blathered on for over 300 words (and my autocorrect seems to think “blathered” is not a word). I say pretty good for a Tired Tuesday. I hope I can continue to run. For one reason, it gives me something to blog about.

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Lame Is As Lame Does

Posted on March 19, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Have I used that title before? No matter. I typed it in and it stays. This is my sadly usual late Lame Post Friday post. I make no apologies but merely mention it in the interests of accuracy.

I have not had coffee yet but I think my lovely husband Steven is getting me some now. And, yes, I call him lovely largely because of the coffee. Ahh yes, here it is: the magic elixir that makes morning possible.

As I type this (one letter at a time with the stylus; I really must get a new laptop) (I certainly am a stickler for accuracy this morning), I contemplate the day ahead. I really want to do something other than sit around and watch movies. Of course that is a pleasant way to spend a Saturday or any available day, but today I want something more.

Here is a funny thing I add for entertainment purposes: when I typed in “that is a” my predictive text suggested ” horrifying thought.” I find that highly amusing. One woman’s pleasant is another’s horrifying thought. I can think of a few horrifying thoughts but will strive to stay positive.

My positive thought for this morning is that I will find something blogworthy to do today. Yes, I have a history of writing posts on arguably non-blogworthy subjects. However, I am no hand at argument. On the brighter side: I am over 200 words. Bring on Saturday!

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PS It Is Over 200 Words

Posted on March 18, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hey, it’s St. Patrick’s Day! For my Non-Sequitur Thursday Post, I will look for pictures with green in my Media Library.

Is it easy being green?

Here is Bridezilla and Groom from the Halloween Party at the Herkimer VFW last October. At my wedding, the bridesmaids wore green. I do not have any pictures from that, alas.

Maybe it is easy being green.

Here is our Rose of Sharon, with, it seems, only one bloom. She has sported more at other times.

I forgot about this one!

This was taken in Little Falls, NY, near the antiques shops at Canal Place.

Can you see my green eyes?

OK, here is a silly one. It is a selfie from when I was doing a challenge to raise awareness of diabetes: do 34 minutes of exercise for 34 days, and post a selfie, because over 34 million Americans suffer from diabetes. At least that was the number on 2020. I include the picture, because I was wearing the same headband today.

I have not reached my usual goal of 200 words. However, I will sign off now so as to avoid finishing this post tomorrow morning, with or without coffee. If only I could think of a punchy title worthy of Non-Sequitur Thursday, I would be reasonably content.

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What Kind of Wednesday?

Posted on March 17, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Wordless Wednesday Post? Oh yeah, as if I am ever wordless. I have always had a tendency to talk too much. Sometimes I have entertaining things to say, others not so much. Let me try for the former, with illustrations.

I wish!

We have enjoyed warm temperatures these last few days, and tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer. I am hoping to see some crocuses soon, although I’m afraid my lawn has too many of last year’s leaves in the way. However, I see brown leaves in this shot from March 2021, so I hold onto hope.

This doesn’t bode well.

Moving back to March 2020, I found several pictures with dark clouds. How appropriate for that benighted year. Benighted, by the way, is one of my favorite words.

That was as far as I got last night. I was looking for a picture from March 2019 and wondering if I shouldn’t bill this as a Wayback Wednesday Post (even a year ago can seem like way back) when my Media Library ceased to cooperate with me. So it became a Wuss-out Wednesday Post. It is early Thursday morning as I finish this, without coffee, by the way.

Suddenly I want to go for a walk.

Finally accessing March 2019, I find only one nature photograph. Bare tree, blue sky. I like it. It is symbolic of my brain, largely bare these days, yet retains that bit of optimism with the blue sky. I, too, strive to retain a bit of optimism.

At the beginning of this post, I hoped to entertain. I hit publish with the optimistic thought that I have (or once again, do I flatter myself?) and adjourn for a cup of coffee.

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Who Me? Have a Bad Attitude?

Posted on March 16, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I used to have a feature called Bad Attituesday. I am reviving it for today. Oh, am I ever in a rotten mood! And, you know, sometimes you just have to feel that way until you don’t feel that way any more.

It’s not that I have a good reason to feel that way. Yes, some things are bothering me. There is no point in listing them. For one reason, nobody wants to hear me bitch. Moreover, most people would read them and say, “That’s not so bad. What’s her problem?” I, on the other hand, might in the act of describing them become ever more incensed and convinced of the validity of my rotten mood.

Gee, that doesn’t paint me as a very good writer, does it, when the only person I can convince is myself. Although it does give me a bit of a laugh. That is my saving grace: I can usually laugh at myself.

Additionally, it seems that writing the preceding paragraphs has alleviated my rotten mood. I am not yet feeling jolly, but I am no longer at the teeth grinding stage.

So this is today’s blog post: a few words about my bad attitude with no useful insights. But at least I got to 200 words. And I guess it makes a change from Tired Tuesday.

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Monsters for My Malaise

Posted on March 15, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

My foolish blog posts continue with another Monstrous Monday Post. I really want to start having and blogging about Mohawk Valley Adventures again, but it is really not going to happen today. I will try to cheer myself up with a few monsters from my Media Library.

“I love what you’ve done with the place!” said in a Transylvanian accent.

This is from Mark of the Vampire. I am too tired to look up the year and the name of Bela lugosi’s co-star. Or do I mean lazy? Let’s go with tired.

He is scary, yes.

I continue the Vampire theme with my favorite fiend, Nosferatu (1922). I did not have to look up the year. I remember it, because 22 is my favorite number.

“I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”

I could not easily find another vampire, so I went a different yet still related way. You see, the vampires are appropriate, because I am so tired, I feel the life has been sucked out of me, much as the blood is sucked out of the vampires’ victims. And here we have a skeleton, unable to raise himself from the grave, much as I am unable to pull myself out of my current malaise.

I seem to be getting profound, or do I flatter myself? No matter. I have reached 200 words and enjoy the hope that I have entertained at least some of my readers.

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All the More Reason to Swoon

Posted on March 14, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have said that a Monday through Friday day shift schedule suits me. However, I confess to sometimes having a problem with Sundays, hence my feature Wrist to Forehead Sunday. For anyone just tuning in, this refers to the dramatic pose with which one swoons onto a chaise lounge or other handy faint-on-able surface. Before anybody starts playing the miniature violins or rolling their eyes, I KNOW this is what they call a First World Problem, and, yes, I laugh at myself for having it. For heaven’s sake, when I talk about swooning on chaise lounges, doesn’t that sound like I am making fun of myself? Sheesh!

I just searched my Media Library looking for an illustration of me with my wrist on my forehead. I thought I had one. This gives me even more reason to swoon! Or I could just get over myself.

It has not been too bad of a weekend. The weather disappointed, but you’ll have that. I disappointed myself by not getting much done. That you will also have. I feel sure that the best thing to do in these situations is to try to do better going forward.

That was frustrating. I tried again to find the picture I wanted, failed, settled on another picture, and could not get it into the post! My only comfort is that I am over 200 words. Will I make a better blog post tomorrow? I hope you will tune in and fond out.

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Not 200 Words

Posted on March 13, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sensible cities: Cancel the St. Patrick’s Day parade in this horrible weather!

Utica, NY: Hold my green beer.

That was a comment I made on a Facebook post by my husband. He was praising Utica for being bad-ass and holding their parade in a snow storm. We sat home and watched the coverage by WKTV News.

That is really pretty much all I have in the way of a Saturday blog post. And I am, in point of fact, making this post Sunday morning, an hour later than I feel it ought to be (I hate Daylight Savings Time). I think I will not even worry about getting to 200 words.

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Lame for the Deadline?

Posted on March 12, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here is Yet Another Late Lame Post Friday Post. It is almost another feature here at Mohawk Valley Girl. I am feeling sad this particular Saturday morning, because the winter storm the weather forecasters threatened seems to be materializing. It’s not that I do not enjoy a Saturday spent at home, I do. But I need to have some Mohawk Valley Adventures!

Regular readers may remember that I write for Mohawk Valley Living magazine. I got the gig because Sharry Whitney, one of the publishers, read my blog. Every month I try to come up with something, sometimes coming embarrassingly close to the last minute.

Last month I had nothing, due to being sick. I am kind of sort of recovered now but have yet to return to my adventuresome ways. What to do?

I do have one or two places I could write about, places I have been to prior to getting sick. But I always like to visit a place just prior to writing. Then again, perhaps that is just me wanting to go out to eat or shop.

It is easy to beat myself up for not planning ahead, but no amount of planning would have made me recover from COVID any quicker. Then again, a certain amount of planning might have helped me get my article written despite COVID. Perhaps I can plan to do better in the future.

In the meantime, I am over 200 words. I guess I’ll call this a post.

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Weather or Not…

Posted on March 11, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a nice Throwback Thursday Post. I put a period instead of a question mark, because I am going to make the post in any case.

Yikes!

This is a picture from March 2017. It makes me a little sad, because according to forecasts, I may be able to take a similar picture on Saturday. And I don’t want to! I want spring! Oh well, there is no point in whining; we must deal with the weather that comes.

Better rain than snow? Maybe, maybe not.

Here is July 2017, after a rathe boisterous rain storm. I don’t think the picture captures it very well, but I believe there was mud everywhere. I include it to show a different season of troublesome weather.

And then there are flowers.

This is what I want! This is my front yard in May 2017. Our first spring in this house, 2006, we had one lone yellow tulip. Without putting in more bulbs, we have yet been blessed with more tulips. One of these years I will up my bulb game, and then we’ll see some blooms!

I hope to start having Mohawk Valley Adventures again soon and write blog posts about them. However, if we receive a similar amount of snow to the above picture, it might not happen this weekend. I suppose the suspense adds interest to the end of my week.

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