Author Archives: mohawkvalleygirl

The Heat Is Already Wet

Posted on August 20, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, this is embarrassing, although I suppose I should be used to it by now.  I ended yesterday’s post with a silly prediction that I would be explaining once again why I could not write a decent post.  I was kidding!  I meant to write a good post!  I really did!

However, it is a well-known fact that shit happens.  And sometimes doesn’t happen.  In this case what did not happen was my brain functioning.  I’m going to blame it on the continuing heat and humidity, which I had not expected.  At least, I had not expected it to be so bad.  I thought yesterday was supposed to be the worst day.  I thought we were supposed to get thunderstorms at some point which would cool things off.  Another cruel hoax by the weather people!

I really can’t spend another post complaining about being uncomfortable, so I will share one of Steven’s and my movie memories.  One of our favorite hot weather movies is Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window.  In this movie, it is very important to the plot that the city is in the middle of a terrible heat wave.  In the middle of one night it rains.  The next day, the wonderful Thelma Ritter (one of our all-time MOST favorite actresses) says, “You’d think the rain would have cooled things off.  All it did was make the heat wet.”

Steven and I often use that line, or variations of it, when it rains.  Unfortunately, it has not rained yet, and the heat is already wet.

In the meantime, it is, indeed Wuss-out Wednesday, and I have rehearsal for Roxy is less than an hour (I did mention the play I’m in,  didn’t I?  I’ll no doubt write even more about it as time goes on).  What will I come up with for Non-Sequitur Thursday?  Time will tell.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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Shoveling Something

Posted on August 19, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I keep telling myself that you don’t have to shovel humidity.  That is really a good thing, because it would be damn uncomfortable to be outside hefting a shovel in this heat.  Yes, I know,  who could complain about the hot weather after the long, cold winter we just endured?  A lot of people apparently.

I did experience some relief from the heat last night.  My lovely niece and nephew-in-law (silly word, nephew-in-law, but I don’t want to make it sound like she married her brother) got central air and gave us their window unit.  It’s not your usual kind of window unit; it sits on the floor and has an exhaust tube that goes out the window. Very handy if you prefer a fan in the window when possible, which we do.

That is a good point about the weather, by the way.  I don’t mind it so much being hot during the day as long as it cools off at night.  I can even live with it being swelteringly hot at night if I don’t have to work the next day.  I get dreadful insomnia in the heat.  And that reminds me that I pretty much do have to work every day.

Ah, from there I could segue over into a lament that I was not born wealthy, like the heroines in those Regency Romances I dote on.  Of course, they are not always fabulously wealthy.  Sometimes they have a “respectable competence.”  Sometimes it’s straightened circumstances or even genteel poverty.  Sometimes they are constantly being dunned by creditors or (horrors!) have to take a position as a governess or companion.  From these situations, of course, they are usually rescued by some rich, titled hottie.

Isn’t that nice?  I have led myself from bitching about the weather to daydreaming about romance novels.  I’ve tried to write a romance novel.  Perhaps I should try again.  As soon as I have finished the one I am working on, which I VOWED I would finish.  In fact, why am I not working on it right now instead of messing with foolish blog posts?  Ooh, that makes a good exit line.  I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow,when Mohawk Valley Girl explains once again why she cannot write a decent blog post.

 

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Return to Rustic Ridge

Posted on August 18, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I would give another shout-out (love that expression) to Rustic Ridge Winery, which Steven and I visited as part of our long adventure a few Saturdays ago (perhaps you read my blog post about that).

We had visited Rustic Ridge some time before, on a nice, quiet week day (I wrote a blog post about that, too).  I was a little worried that it would be too crowded on a Saturday afternoon, being as it is a popular spot.  On the other hand, a little crowd isn’t always a bad thing, and wine-tasting crowds are often nice.  both things were true this day.

As we walked up to the tasting building, it was starting to rain.  I did Shawshank Redemption for the entertainment of the folks sitting in the Adirondack chairs on the porch, enjoying a glass of wine (ever since I spent time in Arizona in army training, I have been a big fan of rain).

As I utilized the facilities, Steven got us a spot at the bar.  On joining him, I realized I had left my little notebook in the bathroom.  By that time somebody else was in the bathroom.  I expressed my dismay.

“I don’t think anybody will steal your notebook,” a man sitting at a nearby table said.

“I know, but I always make notes in it while I taste,” I said.  I went back over to the bar.  Soon the guy at the table brought my notebook over to me.  See what I mean about wine-tasters being nice?  I know, many people are nice without wine, and some people are not nice with or without wine. Right now, I am talking about nice people tasting wine.

We tasted five wines.  The Chardonnay had no oak, which I like in a Chardonnay.  The Untamed White was a blend of Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer.  The guy pouring (I foolishly did not get his name) said it was comparable to a Pinot Grigio.  I pronounced it tasty.  I thought there was a little more to it than to the Chardonnay.

The Traminette is a hybrid grape like a Gewurztraminer.  I caught floral notes, although the description did not mention that.  I was impressed by this, because I almost never catch notes of anything, but I wasn’t sure I liked the wine.  The Untamed Red, a blend,  was described as  an everyday table wine.  I found it tasty.

The Cabernet Franc was described as heavy-bodied.  I liked it but was not sure how to describe it.  Complex?  Well, we all know I’m not a real oenophile.

We purchased a bottle of the Untamed White to enjoy later.  Other tasters were purchasing bottles for immediate consumption.  I may do that sometime, when I can get a seat in one of those Adirondack chairs on the porch.

Rustic Ridge Winery is located at 2805 St. Hwy 80, Burlington Flats, NY.  Phone number 607-965-0626.  Their website is http://rusticridgewinery.com/.

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Family, Fun and Forehead

Posted on August 17, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sometimes Mohawk Valley adventures render you too tired to write about them.  For me this is especially true when I spend any amount of time in direct, hot sunlight.  I have some sort of sun sensitivity.  And I’m a big, fat baby.  Don’t judge.

Speaking of big, fat babies, Steven and I saw our delightful great-nephew, Shepherd today.   Well,  he’s not exactly big and fat, and he is more toddler than baby, but he is nine months old and he has sweet, chubby feet.  Everybody loves him, with good reason.

We met him and his family at church, then met up with some other family members and drove to Fly Creek Cider Mill.  I have written numerous times about Fly Creek Cider Mill, but it is always worth another visit and shout-out.  My father and I made sure we tried every sample offered, although he eschewed the fudge and the alcoholic beverages (wine, hard cider and today there was gin and vodka).  In case anyone is shaking his or her head at my lushiness, I did not try ALL the alcoholic beverages offered.  Two wines, one cider and some gin, and it was eetsy-beetsy tastes of each.  Why am I justifying myself to you?  That’s a bad sign too, isn’t it?  Oh dear.

The highlight of the visit was showing Shepherd the ducks, geese and chickens.  He loved them.  He couldn’t get the hang of throwing them corn, but he enjoyed watching them gobble down the corn we threw them.  This was the part I spent out in direct sunlight. I even took off my crazy old lady hat for part of it, because I put it on Shepherd’s head.  Must protect the bambino, after all.

After our fun visit, we went for some food at Jerry’s Place, which I have also written about before.  I got one of the chocolate shakes in a mason jar this time.  Yum!  Perhaps tomorrow I can finally begin to do something about my big fat butt.

Before, after and during our adventures, we enjoyed beautiful drives through some of the best scenery I’ve ever seen.  Up hills where you can see for miles over farmland, forests and mountains.  Down into valleys near lovely lakes and rivers. I positively must get some kind of camera or device whereby I can post pictures.  In the meantime, I’m afraid you’ll just have to use your imagination.

In conclusion, this really is a Wrist to Forehead Sunday, because I feel some distress over the fact that I cannot do justice to today’s adventures.  Tomorrow I plunge back into the whirlpool of overtime, play rehearsals and my new diet and exercise program.  And a few other projects I have in mind.  Will I have the wherewithal to take my wrist off my forehead and write about them?  We’ll see.  Once again, a little suspense adds interest to the blog.

For more information about Fly Creek Cider Mill, visit their website at http://www.flycreekcidermill.com/.   For more information about Jerry’s Place visit http://www.jerrysplaceny.com/.

 

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Neither a Tall Table nor a Tall Tale

Posted on August 16, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Is it going to be a Saturday thing now that I go out for dinner and drinks and then post?  It was pretty fun last Saturday and, well, here I am.

This Saturday we only went to dinner, not to a wine tasting first, and we did not have friends with us, definitely not my evil twin Phyllis, who always tempts me into bad behavior (as if I needed any encouragement) (and just to be clear, Phyllis and I are BOTH the evil twin).  But we did have a very good dinner at PK’s Pub in Herkimer, NY.

We went early to dinner, because I was hoping to sit at the tall table, which is my favorite.  When we got there, there was only one other patron in the restaurant.  Guess where he was sitting.  No matter, we sat down, got some Pinot Grigio and perused the menu.

I selected spaghetti with Alfredo sauce while Steven got mushroom stew over penne pasta.  They were out of spaghetti, but angel hair was fine with me.  We both both got tossed salad instead of soup, Italian dressing for me, Ranch for Steven.  The bread with herbed butter is always a favorite of ours.

We were feeling so comfortably full after dinner (taking home enough for at lease one more meal) that we were NOT going to get dessert.  Then, of course, we decided to.  Monkey Pie for Steven, Samoa Cheesecake for me.  Yum!

Now we are home, listening to music and chilling.  Full disclosure:  we stopped at Vintage Spirits to get a bottle of wine.  Lushy, perhaps, but it is Saturday night.  And I am having a glass of seltzer with lemon before wining further, so there.

We MIGHT have a Mohawk Valley adventure tomorrow.  If so, you’ll read about it here.  If I don’t indulge in a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I think a little uncertainty adds interest to the blog, don’t you agree? (And if you don’t, well raspberries to you!)  Happy Saturday, everybody.

PK’s Pub is located at 221 King St. in Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-3494.  You can visit their website at www.pkspub.com and you can Like them on Facebook.

 

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Lame Brained and Not Really Friday

Posted on August 15, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

So there I was, logging on to WordPress to finally make my Lame Post Friday blog post for the week.  Why, oh why does Reader pop up first?  I just can’t help but scroll down and read a few.  Sometimes I resist the urge, then I feel guilty for ignoring my fellow bloggers.  We all like to be read, that’s why we do this.  At least, it is one reason (oh, don’t sit there saying in that superior tone of voice, “I blog for ME!  I don’t care if NOBODY reads it!”  If that was the case, you’d just write a diary).

Where was I?  Ah yes, making my blog post and I think I went a little bit long on the first paragraph,but you’ll have that sometimes.  Let’s make the second paragraph shorter, shall we?

It isn’t even really a real Friday for me, because I work tomorrow.  I am quite happy to be doing so.  For one reason, I’ve already spent the money (don’t judge).  For another reason, the DARE 5K is tomorrow.  I have not kept up my training since the Boilermaker 15K so am unable to participate.  The Kids’ Fun Run goes right by my house.  The 5K goes by the end of my street.  It is not easy to avoid, and I will feel bad to see all those people running without me.

As I sit in my living room typing this, I can hear thunder outside.  Herkimer County is under a severe thunderstorm warning for the next 40 to 45 minutes or so.  I do love a good thunderstorm.  Of course, it would be a problem if we lost power, but I’ll just keep the good thought and enjoy the rumble.

Another thing for me to enjoy is an episode of Snapped on digital cable.  Regular readers may recall that this is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I usually watch it on Sundays (sometimes all day), but I have found another channel that shows it on Fridays.

And now I am beginning to think I am having a Non-Sequitur Friday.  That’s not right!  It’s Non-Sequitur Thursday, and I had that yesterday!  Sorry, folks.  I guess it’s my brain on overtime.  Hope to see you all on Saturday.  AFTER I get done work.

 

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I Want My Pork Chop

Posted on August 14, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

The weather in the Mohawk Valley has taken a turn towards perfect.  As I type this into our little Acer, I am sitting on our deck, enjoying a lovely breeze.  The two trees in our backyard give enough shade to keep me cool and to keep the sun from really bothering my eyes.  The sunshine is bright enough to make everything in your yard look pretty, and that’s a pretty good trick, since I have not done much yardwork or gardening this season.

My container garden is still in bloom.  Of course some plants have done better than others, but I am seeing bright purple and yellow blooms as well as a enough basil for at least one more good batch of pesto.

In short, life is good.

If only I could write, life would be perfect.  I spent a good portion of the day thinking about my novel (I reiterate that I have the sort of job where one can think about other things and still be productive).  I tried to frame things into “Because THIS then THIS,” with no notable success.  What terrible news.  Fiction MUST have a progression, cause and effect, one thing leads to another.  Otherwise, why would the reader turn the page?

But one must persevere.  I vowed I would finish this novel.  I must either come up with an outline that fits what I have written thus far, and continue to write, or I must start all over again.  This is a daunting proposition, but one which I am prepared to face.

In the meantime, I am greatly enjoying my time sitting out on the deck while my beloved husband cooks supper.

Full disclosure:  Steven finished cooking when I has halfway through the second sentence of the first paragraph.  I stopped composing to eat then continued on,  leaving the headline I had written first, in order to make this Non-Sequitur Thursday.  I hope this blog post meets with your approval.

 

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But I’m NOT a Method Actress!

Posted on August 13, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m afraid this blog may become All Roxy All The Time sooner than one might expect.  Opening night is one month from tomorrow.  Plenty of time, you say?  Perhaps.  But it is difficult to concentrate on other things, especially on nights when we have rehearsal.  And anyways, I thought of something new to talk about.

Roxy, for anybody just tuning in, is a play written by local author Jack Sherman about Roxalana Druse, who murdered her husband and was later hung for it at Herkimer County Jail.  The play is being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society at Ilion Little Theatre.  I play Roxy.

The historical society is going to great lengths to make the play authentic.  They have biographical information on many of the characters.  We have two costume designers who are striving to make the costumes true to the time period.  And then there is the set…

Since Roxalana Druse was famously the last woman hung in New York State (James Greiner wrote a book about her called Last Woman Hanged: Roxalana Druse; good book, read it), one might expect to see a gallows in a play on the subject.  So the historical society got a gallows.  In fact, they got some folks at BOCES to build them a gallows just like the one used on the real Roxy.

These gallows were pretty interesting in and of themselves.  They were called the Galloping Gallows, because they could be taken apart and moved.  Herkimer County rented them for the occasion.  Additionally, this was not a traditional gallows, where the condemned fell through a trap door.  Instead, a weight was dropped, jerking the body upward.  Who thinks of these things?

I have to confess, I am feeling just a little bit nervous about this contraption.  I think it is a bit more realistic than is strictly necessary.  How do I know the guy playing the sheriff won’t get a little carried away with his part on opening night?  Do you suppose I should insist upon a stunt double?

 

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Not Tired, Tasty

Posted on August 12, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just remembered that last Tuesday I noticed a rarely used category of Tasty Tuesday.  That was handy since I was sitting down to write about tonight’s supper.

Steven and I have rehearsal tonight for Roxy, the play we are in at Ilion Little Theatre (being presented by the Herkimer County Historical Society, in case anybody forgot or never knew).   One must have fuel to rehearse, of course, but one does not wish to be weighted down with too heavy a meal.  Additionally, while the temperatures have not been overly high today, the humidity has made things a little oppressive.

Luckily for me, Steven had a good idea.  Sunday I had made a yummy macaroni salad.  Today he went to the grocery store and purchased some deli meat and cheese.  His idea was to have not sandwiches but roll-ups.

The salad was one of my better efforts, if I do say so.  Medium shells, tomatoes, zucchini, red onion and radishes.  I only used mayonnaise for the dressing, but to add flavor I cut up some Horseradish and Garlic Pickles purchased at The Locavore in Frankfort, NY (just to add a little local, Mohawk Valley flair).  When I chopped up the tomatoes, I scraped all the seeds, juice and innards into the salad, so the whole thing is kind of pink.

I’m feeling exactly the right amount of full.  On to worrying about rehearsal!  I hope I know my lines.

 

 

 

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Salvatore’s: The Perfect Medication

Posted on August 11, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

The reason people self-medicate with food is that it almost always works, at least in the short term.  I’m actually not self-medicating with food right now, but I thought I’d lead with that as a semi-profound, arguable statement (but I hope nobody argues with me; I always lose arguments).  In fact, I am merely giving another shout-out to Salvatore’s Pizzeria and Restaurant in Herkimer, NY.

We really have been pretty good about not sending out for food lately.  We must fund our money, and I must watch my caloric intake.  However, sometimes you just need to treat yourself.  It is really a practical move as well.  We are getting garlic pizza and antipasto salad, and we will certainly have leftovers.  I can eat leftover pizza for breakfast and bring leftover salad for lunch.  What could be better?

Sometimes we go out to Salvatore’s and sit in their gracious dining room.  I do like to go out to eat.  However, one cannot go out to eat barefoot and bra-less, as I currently am (I shall not apologize if that has given you an unfortunate mental image, just get over yourself).

I have given shout-outs to Salvatore’s before, because the food is delicious and the service prompt.  I guess I don’t have a whole lot new to say about them.  However, it is Monday and I am tired. I’ll just hope the opening statement about self-medication adds enough interest to call this a post.  I hope my pizza gets here soon.  Happy Monday, everybody.

Salvatore’s is located at 650 1/2 W. German St., Herkimer,  315-866-2600.  For more information you can visit their website at http://www.salvatores-herkimer.com/.

 

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