Author Archives: mohawkvalleygirl

All Roxy But Mostly Tired

Posted on September 9, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Are you ready for All Roxy All The Time?  Because we have three — that’s right, a mere THREE rehearsals before opening night on Friday.  How can I help but obsess?

For anybody just tuning in or for anybody who REALLY doesn’t pay attention when they read (like the way a lot of you listen when I talk) (you know who you are), Roxy is the play being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre.  I’m in it, and I have written several blog posts about it.

Actually, I spent a good deal of my time at work today NOT thinking about Roxy.  I was instead thinking about how hot and uncomfortable I was.  Unofficial end of summer, my ass! (I used that as the first sentence of a blog post once; let’s just say I’m quoting myself.)  However, to kvetch about the weather is tiresome.  I am comfortable now and enjoying the sounds of a thunderstorm.

I spent my lunch time going over my lines again.  I pretty much know them, but it is a mistake to become complacent about these things.  My only fear is that the hot weather of the last few days as boiled, steamed and fried my brain to less than its normal level of usefulness (admittedly low).  For example, I’m looking back over this blog post and it reads to me a bit… disjointed.  I feel it is not as entertaining as one would like.

Then again, it is Tired Tuesday.  And since it was doing double duty as Monday (since I was one of the fortunate people who had a three day weekend),  I have even more reason to be tired.  I must hit publish and try to catch a second wind before rehearsal.  Tune in tomorrow, when Mohawk Valley Girl says, “I had hoped NOT to have Wuss-out Wednesday, BUT…”

 

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Fashion and Philosophy at Linda’s

Posted on September 8, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

One of my stops during my brief bout of ambition on Saturday was at Linda’s Consignment Shop in Herkimer, NY.   I thought I would use today’s post to give her a shout-out.

I love consignment shops in general, because you never know what you will find.  Saturday I was hoping to find shoes and handkerchiefs.  If you read my Scattered Saturday post you may remember that the shoes I had planned to wear for Roxy (that play I WILL keep mentioning) are no longer wearable.  I had not mentioned handkerchiefs, but my character carries one.  I have handkerchiefs of my own (so much better than tissues if you have a tendency to leave them in your pockets when doing laundry), but sometimes you can find the old fashioned ones with lace edges.

I found neither shoes not hankies at Linda’s, but the visit was enjoyable nonetheless.  Linda’s has a wide variety of items.  It was fun to browse.  I was fortunate, too, because Linda herself was behind the counter.  We chatted about all kinds of things, but I did take away two rather profound thoughts that I will share.

First, we must not wait for the proper occasion to wear our fabulous clothes but make our own occasions.  I already do this to a point, taking care with my ensemble whether going to rehearsal or to Crazy Otto’s to grab a bite.  I may take things a step further with gloves, hats and other accessories.

The other thought is we must love our bodies as they are.  I know this is not a new thought, but it does bear repeating.  Linda said it when I mentioned how I would buy some new things after I lost that last five pounds (or was it ten? I fluctuate).  She waxed eloquent about loving the body you are in, and I believe she is right.  I intend to continue striving towards my weight-loss goals, but I will concentrate more on the health aspect of the endeavor and less on the, “I’m such an ugly tub” side of it.

I did make one purchase, a very sweet hat.  It will come in handy next year, when I plan to participate in a St. Baldrick’s Day event and get my head shaved to raise money to fight cancer.  It was on sale.  Score!

Linda’s Consignment Shop has two locations, 152 Main St., Herkimer, and 27 Main St., Fort Plain, phone number 518-844-3051.  You can also find her on Facebook.

 

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Cruise to Forehead to Halloween Movies

Posted on September 7, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh, nobody thought I really wasn’t going to have Wrist to Forehead Sunday, did they?  In fact, my wrist is not on my forehead, even figuratively; I am having a delightful day.  The only thing to bring me down is the realization that I am not writing.  What kind of writer doesn’t write?  A BAD writer!

Well, there is no point in getting all down on myself.  The operative thing to do,of course, is to write.  It might be better if I rough drafted something on paper and then posted it, but I really would like to get back to the movie-watching, hanging-out-with-husband portion of the day as soon as possible.

Last night Steven and I attended the last Rock the Canal event sponsored by Erie Canal Cruises.  We took a one-hour attitude adjustment cruise followed by a free concert on the waterfront.  It was the first Erie Canal Cruise we took, although we have been meaning to take one for years.

The boat left at 5:30.  We had reservations so had to be there by five.  We whiled away the time before the 5:15 boarding by browsing the retail stores at Gems Along the Mohawk.  I pointed out a few things Steven could buy me.  I’m helpful that way.

The cruise was very enjoyable.   We saw the dredging operation and the Fort Herkimer Church.  The captain was knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor.  He did not narrate the whole time, which I liked.  I enjoy to stroll around, looking at the views from different parts of the boat.  We drank white wine and chatted with different people.  I like that too.

Back at the dock, we went into the Waterfront Grille for some food.  We sat at the bar and ordered appetizers, another favorite thing for us to do.  Then we went outside and listened to the band, Hot Roxx, for a while.  I danced up a storm.  Unfortunately I was about the only one doing so, although I made a spirited attempt to get others to join in.  I fear I have a distressing tendency to try to be the life of the party.  I like to think people were laughing with me not at me.

As you may guess, I am feeling pretty tired after my exertions.  However, Labor Day weekend in well known as the start of the Halloween season (at least at my house it is), so I am somehow mustering enough energy to watch some Halloween movies.  We began with Creature from the Black Lagoon and are continuing with Dracula (the one with Bela Lugosi, of course).

What I am saying is, it is by way of being a delightful weekend for me.  I have now written over 400 words.  I shall follow up with some commentary in the TV Journal.  Who says I’m a bad writer?  Oh yeah, I said that.  Well, never mind. Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

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What I Did with my Oomph

Posted on September 6, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

OK, OK, time to do the blog post.  I don’t know what it is about me on Saturdays.  I have no ambition to do ANYTHING!  I had a minimal amount of oomph this morning, though, so I will write a Scattered Saturday post telling what I did to use it up.

I knew I wanted to write a couple of postcards and walk them to the post office, as I usually do on a Saturday morning, but I had also started a letter to a friend I wanted to mail.  For one reason, in the letter I mentioned a fabulous party Steven and I are planning for October, and I am hoping this friend will attend.  I have been writing the letter on breaks at work, rather than working on my novel or better blog posts. Don’t judge.

I thought the letter was nearly done. Imagine my chagrin, therefore, on pulling out the letter and discovering that the fourth page only had part of one sentence written on it.  I can’t send out a letter with the last page most blank!  What a waste of a stamp!  What a disappointment for the recipient who thinks it’s a four-page letter and it’s only a three-page-and-one-half-sentence letter!  I finished the letter then wrote only two postcards.  Time was passing and I had several errands I was hoping to run.

It was a very pleasant walk to the post office, a beautiful day: not too hot yet, a little cloudy with a lovely breeze blowing.  I had considered not walking to the post office, because I wanted to get my running around (by that I’m afraid I mean errands; I’m still not back to running yet), but decided to not get what little exercise I had planned was not the best use of my time.  I continued on from the post office toward Main Street, thinking to make it a longer walk.  However, as I headed up Main Street the sun came out from behind the clouds and it started to get warmer.  I decided to compromise on a medium-length walk.

Then it was on to the errands! After gassing up my vehicle, my first stop was at Melfe’s Shoes in Ilion, NY (stand by for the obligatory Roxy reference).  I had found a pair of shoes that would work for my character in Roxy (that play I may have mentioned a few times).  It is a pair I have had for a number of years but never wore much.  The costume designer said they would be perfect.  It was fairly traumatic for me when the heel broke as I was taking them off after the first rehearsal I wore them at.

My own attempt at repair had failed, but I had great hopes of Melfe’s. You may have read about Melfe’s Shoes in this blog, as I go there once a year for my work shoes.  They are very helpful.  Today the young man was both helpful and kind as he explained to me how no repair was possible and that if they took my ten bucks to try I might possibly get two wears out of them but surely no more.

After Melfe’s I went to K-Mart, where I was able to find everything I wanted, including bobby pins for my hair for Roxy (ha ha, got two mentions of it in!) and allergy pills.  I got the kind I like to take every day but decided to wait on the kind that is good for sinus headache.  After all, I have not had a sinus headache in a long time (under the heading Should Have Seen That Coming, guess what I’m fighting as I type this).

My next two stops were to the Goodwill store and to Linda’s Consignments in Herkimer.  I mean to write a whole post about Linda’s, because I had a wonderful conversation with Linda and bought a marvelous hat.  Perhaps I could work on that tonight and thus avoid having Wrist to Forehead Sunday tomorrow.  In the meantime, I see I am over 600 words.  I don’t like to tax my readers’ patience and writing this has given me just a little bit more ambition.  Let’s see how far this dose of oomph takes me.

 

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Exit, Stage Lame

Posted on September 5, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

You know, like how Snagglepuss used to say, “Exit, stage left!”  I always liked that line.

Of course it is Lame Post Friday.  Perhaps you hoped I would not have one, since yesterday’s post was, well, I guess a little lame, too.  Then again, that usually doesn’t stop me (ssSomebody, sstop me!) (like Jim Carrey in Mask, a movie I have only seen once, not all the way through) (have you just lost all respect for me?).

Where was I? Ah yes, trying to get my blog post published before I get ready for rehearsal for Roxy, the play being put on by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre (I thought it would be good to say that again).  It is one week before opening night.  They still have not gotten the gallows squared away, which I suppose should be good news for me, since I am playing the character who gets hanged.  Rehearsal may run late, but that is OK with me, because I don’t have to work tomorrow. Yay!

I have my contact lenses in, which I very rarely wear.  I get the one-day disposables for precisely that reason.  I get awesome distance vision with them.  Close up, not so much.  To see my computer properly I have on a pair of over-the-counter readers.  Full disclosure: I bought them because they were on sale and had rhinestones.  I don’t know what power they are.

I shall declare  this post sufficient for Lame Post Friday purposes.  I must go do my hair, look over my lines, and get ready to murder my husband with an ax, theatrically speaking, of course. Happy Friday, everyone.

 

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In My Defense, Shut Up!

Posted on September 4, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

How’s that for a Non-Sequitur Thursday title?  I like it.

I did not write a blog post during breaks at work.  Before work I started a letter to a friend.  On breaks I worked on cryptogram puzzles. I love doing cryptogram puzzles.  I feel so clever when I solve them.  I may flatter myself, but I think the letter I was writing was witty and entertaining.  I probably used up all my wit and entertainment value for the day, so sorry about that.

Tonight is the only night this week when I do not have to be somewhere.  And the place I am most looking forward to being is… BED!  With my husband (and don’t anybody say TMI or I’ll get mad!).  One might think that on such a night I could come up with a better blog post, but I  don’t know why one who knew me might think that.

On an unrelated note (but how appropriate for the day) (see first sentence), I am SICK of seeing that commercial for the cookbook about stuff you can put in your crock pot.  That dumb lady saying, “This could take hours, but what if it only took FIVE MINUTES!”   In the first place, it’s five minutes plus eight to ten hours.  In the second place, why would I pay $10 for a book that tells me to put canned mushroom soup and dry onion soup mix in my crock pot?  I’ve been using those two ingredients FOR YEARS!!!

Anyways that puts me over 200 words.  As a final note, I will just tell you that at the end of my work day, I was singing a song that went, “Tomorrow is Friday, and they can’t make us work on Saturday, and we don’t have to work on Monday…”  Feel free to sing it yourself, making up your own tune and concluding stanza.  To anyone who works this weekend, sorry and thank you for your effort.  Whatever your work schedule, I wish you a Happy Thursday.

 

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Herkimer Hop

Posted on September 3, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Instead of  Wuss-out Wednesday, how about a brief overview of Steven’s and my running around Sunday afternoon (before it became Wrist to Forehead Sunday).  We made several stops in our hometown of  Herkimer, NY, so we’ll call it a minor Mohawk Valley adventure.

We first went to Hummel’s Office Plus, because Steven wanted to purchase some small yellow envelopes  for a prop for that play we’re in (can’t help but mention Roxy, can I?).  He found what he wanted easily.  I took the opportunity to pick up a couple of the pens I currently like best (ballpoint with a find point, excellent for how small I like to write on post cards).

After a quick stop for gas and cash, we went to T & J’s Fruits and Vegetables, to get fixings for a salad for my lunch (yet another attempt on my part to lose that last 15 pounds) (to give you an idea of how well I’m doing on that, it was previously the last 10 pounds I was trying to lose).  I got romaine lettuce, tomatoes and sharp cheddar cheese.  I had other vegetables at home.  I did not put the cheese in the salad, but I just love sharp cheddar cheese.

From there we went to Family Dollar, where I found two water bottles suitable for bringing to work.   We ran into another cast member from Roxy (just can’t get away from that play, can I?).  Our last stop was at Valley Wine and Liquor, where we purchased a bottle of Pinot Grigio, because we thought we might like to enjoy a glass of wine on the deck, time permitting (it did).

It did not take long to run our errands, and soon we were home and I was working on my blog post and dithering about auditions for  Lunch Hour, which were to take place that evening.  We felt pleased with our little burst of productivity.  I feel a little pleased that I wrote a blog post about something other than not writing a proper blog post.

 

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Maybe I Can Act Like I’m Not Tired

Posted on September 2, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I can’t, I positively canNOT have a Tired Tuesday post today.  For one reason, I simply cannot be tired.  Oh, physically I certainly can.  I had insomnia last night and worked a 10-hour day today.  I could, in fact, be forgiven for being tired.

However, my day is not over.  I have rehearsal for Roxy in about an hour.  I believe I warned regular readers (oh how I love having regular readers) that this blog may become All Roxy All The Time.  Well, opening night is one week from Friday.  It may be time for that to happen.

Tonight we will run the show.  That is, we will begin at the beginning and go straight through to the end, I hope without stopping.  Well, maybe a pause at intermission for a potty break.  Even Bette Davis took the occasional potty break.  Joan Crawford probably did too, but I doubt she admitted it.  But why am I referencing movie stars?  Shouldn’t I say Sarah Siddons or somebody?  Oh, I am tired.

In other theatre news, auditions were held for Lunch Hour, Ilion Little Theatre Club’s first official production of the 2015-16 season (Roxy is being presented by the Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre, just to clarify).  Lunch Hour is a romantic comedy about cheating spouses and what the cheatees do about it.  It’s cute.  Not nearly as serious as Roxy, and a MUCH smaller cast.  I’m stage manager.  I wonder if I’ll soon be making blog posts about how I’m so tired but I have rehearsal for Lunch Hour.  Oh dear.

Well, sorry to spend another blog post whining about my ills.  Perhaps I have time to make a cup of instant coffee before rehearsal.  Instant coffee has less caffeine than brewed, so perhaps if I drink that it will revive me for rehearsal but not set me up for another bout of insomnia.  If not, you’ll probably hear about it tomorrow on Wuss-Out Wednesday.  Hope your week is going swell.

 

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The Only Thing To Do Is Keep Writing

Posted on September 1, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I purposefully did not bring scripts or cryptogram puzzles to work, because like Return of the Modern Philosopher, on Mondays I write. At least, that is what I told myself when I packed my work bag this morning. I had a feeling even then that it would not work out as planned and, well, here we are.

It’s even worse than I thought.  As I wrote that last paragraph I felt pleased with it.  It’s getting to the point where the go-to topic for this blog is Not Writing.  SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!

I was about to say, “The only thing to do about it is …”  when I realized I have in fact a few different options. Perhaps I could write about them and make this an acceptable Monday Mental Meanderings post.

I could take a break from writing entirely.  That might re-charge my batteries.  However, past experience has shown that complete breaks tend to have the opposite effect on me.

I could force myself to try to write on other topics or projects.  While this often leads to long periods of staring at a blank page, sometimes it works.

A related approach which works even better is to give myself permission to begin a new project.  Few things are easier for me than to begin an entirely new project.  I write notes and notes as ideas seem to tumble out of my pen. It is great fun.  The problem with this approach is — you guessed it — it leads to any number of uncompleted projects as beginning them is much easier than continuing and eventually finishing them.

My original thought was the thing to do is to continue writing whatever I can write and hope to segue over into something more useful as time goes on.  This is my usual approach and hence my automatic thought of it as the only thing to do.

There are other little tricks:  Switching mediums — that is, stop writing and try typing.  Can’t do that right now;  I’m at work with my trusty spiral notebook and ballpoint pen.  Thus, related techniques such as changing locations, changing clothes, putting on music, and drinking tea are likewise ineligible.

I can’t think of any other little tricks offhand, but I see I have accumulated a few paragraphs already that might in fact make a blog post.  Cool.

I know, I will go back to my first-mentioned technique and modify it:  Instead of forcing myself to do anything, I shall gently lead myself to another project and write just a sentence or two.  No pressure, they can be lousy sentences, just see what comes out.  Astute readers (as I”m sure YOU are) will have noticed that I have also incorporated my most often used technique:  I kept writing and now hope to make the segue.  Or is it more of a leap?  No matter, whatever it is, I am going to turn the page and see what happens.

Update:  After I wrote the above I turned the page and wrote a new scene on my novel.  I believe it moved the plot along, incorporating an element which I had introduced earlier but neglected.  Full disclosure:  it may have been a lousy scene.  The important thing is I wrote it. Now to write something else…

 

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Loves of a Theatre Junky

Posted on August 31, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s another Wrist to Forehead Sunday, but I have a different source for my angst today.  I am waiting to go to auditions at Ilion Little Theatre  for Lunch Hour, a romantic comedy to be presented in November.  My angst is not from audition butterflies, because I have agreed to be stage manager.  My job is set.  My angst is is due to the onset of as huge case of  WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING???

Of course the answer to that question is, I’m not.  I almost never am.  I am, it must be admitted, a theatre junky (my computer wants me to spell it “junkie,” but my dictionary says “junky” is also correct).  When somebody asks me to do any theatre thing, I jump at the chance.  They don’t even have to ask me, I often volunteer.  And by “volunteer,” I mean beg.  “Oh please, please, PLEASE let me be in your play!  I can work backstage!  I can make costumes!  I can work on the set!  I can do lights and sound!”  Full disclosure:  I may be a complete klutz and borderline useless at any of these jobs; it never stops me.

Actually, I have not had to beg since I got involved with Ilion Little Theatre.  They are a very welcoming group, not at all clique-y.  I feel very fortunate to be involved with such a fun group of such nice people.   However, it cannot be denied that doing plays takes a lot of time and energy.  Sometimes there is more drama  backstage than onstage, even with a fun group of nice people.

The other source of my hesitation to become involved in Lunch Hour is that I am still so filled with concern over Roxy.  Roxy, as regular readers know, is the play being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre.  It is less than two weeks until opening night!  Yikes!  Will we pull it together in time? Will it be good?  Will I be good?  Oh well, probably, but one can’t help but have butterflies.

You know, I don’t know why I’m sitting here with my wrist to my forehead.  I LOVE the theatre!  It is wonderful to audition for a play and get a part.  It is fun to learn lines, go to rehearsal, develop a character and all that.  And when the audience applauds at the end, well, that’s pretty good too.  As an added bonus, I often get quite a number of blog posts out of it, as you may have noticed.  So Happy Sunday, everyone,  I’m off to auditions.

 

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