Author Archives: mohawkvalleygirl

Late Post, Good Run

I begin my Thursday with  Running Commentary Post.  For one reason, I never posted on Wednesday, and this way there is an off chance I will make two blog posts today.  Additionally, I got back from my run less than an hour ago.  IT! COULD! WORK! (That was a quote of Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein)

I was ready to get up shortly after five.  Steven was still blissfully asleep, so it was a good day to start with a run.  When I looked out the window at the fog, my mind was made up.  I got ready quietly and off I went.

I have been running for several days in a row.  I really must go back to keeping a Running Journal so I can keep track of these things.  Yesterday I went for a long run up the hill to Herkimer College (previously known as HCCC), so I thought a shorter, easier run would be acceptable.

For most runs, I turn left out of my driveway and head toward German Street.  Today for something different, I turned right, going the way I go when I walk to the post office.  I went through Meyers Park, another familiar route for me.  When we first moved here and I started running again (after several sedentary years and gaining over 30 pounds), I made it a habit to always run through the park.  I went on really short runs in those days, but you have to start somewhere.

After the park, I headed toward Main Street.  I decided to keep going in roughly that direction till I had run for ten minutes then head home.  It would probably take me more than ten minutes to get home, what with following a different route, so that would be a good plan.

The plan worked fine.  I went on a couple of streets I don’t often go on (the village is too small for there to be many I’ve NEVER seen).  I admired several flower beds and envied a few screened porches.  I ran by my beloved Herkimer Historic Four Corners.  I ran for 23 minutes.  To put that in perspective,  I ran 40 minutes yesterday,  33 the day before.

I still don’t have a plan for running my Virtual Boilermaker 15K,  but my training seems to be going  well.  I’m feeling pretty good about it.  Now to work on my writing!

 

No Brain, Mummers, Mummy… How Monstrous!

I normally do not call it Mid-week till Wednesday,  but I really want to make a Monstrous Post.  Then again, who knows what will catch my eye when I go to my Media Library?  Maybe I should just go for a Tired Tuesday.  How fun to begin a blog post with no idea of where it is going!  I shall try to plan better for tomorrow,  just for a compare/contrast.

How would you like to fit this guy with glasses?

How appropriate for me to find the monster from The Brain That Wouldn’t Die on a day when my brain has definitely died. Oh how I love a cheesy horror movie!

HOW I miss my theatre friends!

I found the first picture in June 2018.  The above is from June 2019.  They are Mummers Along the Mohawk, a group that performed at The Great American Irish Festival.  Only the headgear makes them monstrous.  In the performance they are merely boisterous players, and in real life utterly delightful people.

You could not toss and turn. Just saying.

I put in this sleeping (for now) mummy, because I was feeling a little tired myself (you know, Tired Tuesday).  Personally, I have trouble sleeping on very warm nights, in addition to suffering from insomnia in general.  I can only imagine how difficult it must be for the undead in the dessert.

My favorite side eye.

I close with a more familiar shot from The Brain That Wouldn’t Die.  It is perhaps my favorite cheesy movie.  Then again, I have not seen them all.  So many things gs to add to my To Do List!  No wonder I am tired.

 

Will Running Commentary Return?

I love it when my runs get up to 40 minutes, because about 22, 23 minutes in, my body goes, “Oh, yeaaah!”  This does not happen to me during shorter runs.  Your results may vary.

I have not said much about my plan to run in the Virtual Boilermaker 15K for the simple reason that I do not have a plan.  I don’t know how to make a plan for that sort of thing!  The only virtual run I have done so far was a 5K sponsored by Rock City Runners to benefit the Little Falls Food Pantry (perhaps you read my blog post about it).  I am thinking a 15K will be at least proportionally more complicated, if not moreso (why is my Tablet underlining “moreso”?  That’s a word, isn’t it? ).

Be all that as it may, I have been running incrementally longer runs (or do I mean increasingly?  Am I being unnecessarily verbose?  Say it ain’t so!).  I thought it might be nice to make more Running Commentary Posts.  Unfortunately,  I make my best Running Commentaries soon after the run.  Yes, I ran this morning, but I just don’t remember all that much about it.

What does that say about me?  Nothing good, I suppose.  Then again, why should I go out of my way to say good things about me?  Readers will think I have a tremendous ego.  Yet again, I have long maintained that there are worse things than having an ego the size of Manhattan.

Well, that is enough of that circular argument.  But it gives me an idea:  I am going to call this a Monday Mental Meanderings, hit Publish, and drive on.  I hope I can go running again tomorrow.

 

Shall We Blame My Attitude?

I have long maintained that it was useless to try to get anything done on a Sunday.  Once again, I have proven myself right.

Oh, I know all about self-fulfilling prophecies.  And please do not say, “Well, you never will with that attitude.”  For heaven’s sake, by that reasoning everybody can do anything they want if they only want it bad enough.  But let me not digress into these philosophical arguments with imaginary opponents.

I went for a long run this morning up a fairly challenging hill.  My first intent was to go for a slow, leisurely run, maybe even not very long, but I changed my mind as I went.  I told myself I could just run up the hill very slowly. Not that I ever at any time run very fast.

After a shower and breakfast, I made a tossed salad for the week.  I realized once again that my weight loss goals are more like daydreams, so once again I will renew my efforts at healthy eating.  Then I went to T & J’s Fruits and Vegetables for more tomatoes to make a macaroni salad,  which eventually I did.  More calories than the tossed salad, but so yummy and seasonal!

In the afternoon, I went with my friend Kim to the End Zone Pub and Grub.  We drank wine and I ordered the hamburger I had been craving for days.  I had French fries too, especially since Kim wanted to share those.  What was I saying about weight loss daydreams?  Oh well, as they say, tomorrow is another day.

Speaking of daydreams, you may have noticed that at no time did I mention writing.  I tried but failed.  I wrote a few paragraphs in the TV Journal and that was it.  But I mean to persevere.  At least I have managed a 300 word blog post.  An entertaining blog post?  Let’s not ask for miracles, not with my attitude.

 

Did I Slack?

Earlier this morning, I thought at least I will not have a Slacker Saturday!  Now I am not so sure.

I got up around five and immediately went running.  For one reason, it was supposed to rain.  For another reason… well, I don’t exactly remember the reasoning, bit I told myself to do it and I did it.  After a shower and some breakfast, I went to the grocery store, getting there early enough to miss the usual Saturday morning crowd.

After putting the groceries away, I went outside and once again had at my lawn.  Certain areas along the edges are getting a little put of control.  On the morning’s run, I noticed a fence almost obscured by numerous bushes and trees.  I said, “Yikes!”  So I did a bit with clippers, a hack saw, and my hands in gardening gloves.  Phew!

Not yet done with being useful, I did the dishes and wrote a few post cards.  In between these chores, I peeked at Facebook and called my Mom and Dad.  My final useful act was to drive by the post office and mail my post cards (I elected not to walk, because it was raining).  I could not extend the trip into further useful shopping, because I forgot to bring a mask.

So I have gotten a few things done, but writing an interesting blog post was not one of them.  Alas!  I can only hope to do better on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

 

Scattered Non-Sequitur Thursday?

Is it Thursday?  I got a few unexpected days off from work so am a little confused (cue unkind remarks about how this is not unusual). No matter.  Since Scattered Thursday is not a thing and Non-Sequitur Thursday is, we’ll go with that.

I went for a run this morning.  Virtual Boilermaker 15K, here I come!  A little later I went to AW Greenhouse and Garden in Little Falls, because I saw on Facebook they were having a sale.  I picked out a hanging plant and a couple four-packs of annuals.  I also grabbed a hunk of Garlic Cheddar Adirondack Cheese.  Yum!

Aren’t they beautiful?

I picked it for the cascading purple,  then noticed the other colors.  Lovely!  I will share pictures of the other plants when I get them, you know, planted.

Later this afternoon I went to the Hot Spot Salon and Spa in Herkimer for a pedicure.  Yes, I am quite incapable of painting my own toenails.  I think we have gone over this before.

I’ll be spending the next few days admiring my toes.

My husband, Steven, and I spent a nice amount of time in our deck.  We admired the weather and my container garden as well as my toenails.  And now I have managed at least 200 words of a blog post.  Phew!  Happy Thursday,  everyone!

 

A Foolish Blog Post? My Foot!

We had a break in the weather and yet not a break in foolish blog posts.  Today is Wuss-out Wednesday and that’s all there is to it.

This is me relaxing.

This is the picture I tried and failed to get into yesterday’s post.  It is applicable to today, because I did spend some time lounging on the deck.  Perhaps this was not my exact view, but close enough.

I went for a run this morning.  I will soon be making more Running Commentary Posts, and talking about my plans to run the Virtual Boilermaker 15K in September.  As soon as I make some plans.  Regular readers may know that planning is not my strong suit.  In my defense,  very often when I make a plan, circumstances conspire against me and my plans come to naught.

My feet before running, just to add another illustration.

So this is turning into a kind of a feet-centered post.  I am thinking about my feet today, because I have a pedicure scheduled for tomorrow at my beloved Hot Spot Salon and Spa in Herkimer.  I hope to make a blog post about that.  I will be SO delighted to not have toe-colored toenails!  And, yes, I am quite incapable of painting my own toenails.  I have tried.

I hope to post something similar tomorrow!

Well, why not make a blog post about feet?  Most of us have two and pay little enough attention to them on a regular basis.  Tomorrow I may add a foot and make a post about my yard.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

In General, This Is Not A Hot Post

Yesterday I made a blog post about how it was too hot to make a decent blog post.  Therefore, it behooves me not to do the same thing today.  Yikes.  I know, a word like “yikes” generally rates an exclamation point.  Sorry; I’m just too hot.  So much for making a blog post about something different.  No, no, don’t give up on me!  I’ll try to come up with something!

That’s right, General! Point the way!

I searched my Media Library for a picture with snow.  Here is the statue of General Herkimer in Meyers Park in Herkimer,  NY.  He sports a mask these days, and there are flowers around the base.

We can see the mask but not the flowers, so you will just have to take my word for it.

You can see by the delicate green on the trees in the background that I took this picture a couple of months ago.  That would be when I was hoping it would be warm enough to sit outside instead of being afraid it was too hot to do so.  Do you get the feeling I am never happy?  Well, I try.

 

OK, I just tried three times to add a photo of my feet lounging on my deck.  However, my Tablet will not cooperate.  Regular readers know I am fairly technologically incompetent.  On the other hand, I see I have rambled my way up over 200 words.  I think I will share a picture of flowers and call it a Tired Tuesday Post.  Let’s hope for cooler weather and a better blog post tomorrow.

My Johnny Jump-ups are still looking good!