Category Archives: commentary

Does This Ever Happen to You?

Posted on October 22, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sometimes I don’t know why I (a) write this blog, (b) tell people that I write it and especially (c) share the link on Facebook, practically begging people to read it. What the hell’s wrong with me?

A calmer voice in my head reminds me that art and especially writing is all about communication. If I’m going to create something, this line of reasoning goes, why not put it out there?

A mean, nasty voice in my head sneers, “Art? What do you mean art? Do you think what you do is art?”

And then I start to wonder if I really ought to be sharing information about hearing voices in my head.

What prompts this… soul searching? hair tearing? wrist to foreheading?… is a post I am trying to write about the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts. I mentioned on their Facebook page that I am writing one. Now all I can think is that it’s going to sound stupid and should I mention this or that and OH MY GOD, I have to write it now, somebody might be waiting to read it!

Or do I flatter myself?

I don’t know if this happens to other people, but sometimes I start to write about something and realize I am telling everything and it may not be all that interesting to everybody else. And sometimes as I write it becomes a good deal less interesting to me. Or I experience other resistance, usually along the lines of, “You can’t say THAT!” or “I just don’t feel like writing about this,” neither of which ought to be given the weight they seem to demand.

I first tried to write the piece in my usual personal fashion, sharing all my dithery gyrations in getting there (my computer is telling me “dithery” is not a word, but it is exactly what I mean). I was afraid it would go too long and really be too much about me, so I tried editing as I went with no great success. Next I tried a straightforward news release style. After all, I worked in the newspaper business. I understand the inverted pyramid. Moreover, I read newspapers regularly. I ought to have internalized the structure by now. I got two paragraphs written, and they were no great shakes.

In desperation, I went to another page of my notebook and wrote, um, what you just read (oh dear, I HOPE somebody is still reading). It will have to stand as a Monday Middle-aged Musing. I will somehow get the Arts Center post done. Stay tuned.

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More Lighthearted than Literary

Posted on October 15, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m having a Middle-aged Musings Monday and I’m not apologizing for it (I say a little defensively).

I actually had very little to muse about. However, I have the habit of picking up a book while I wait for my computer to boot up. Right now it’s A Writer’s Diary by Virginia Woolf (Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, New York, 1953). Today I came across the following: “Writing is not in the least an easy art. Thinking what to write, it seems easy; but the thought evaporates, runs hither and thither.”

And here we come to the ugly truth about me. For me thinking about what to write is never easy. My mind runs hither and thither or else seems to have evaporated. However, once I manage to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, words come out. It’s easy!

OK, all together now: Cindy, you’re no Virginia Woolf.

I actually say it with no feelings of shame or inferiority. I adore Virginia Woolf, admire her writing intensely, don’t know why I don’t read more of it. Could I write like Virginia Woolf? Or rather, could I write more betterly than what I do? Could I be admired by the snobby intellectuals? Would my stuff eventually be read by students of literature with varying degrees of loathing, envy or mystification?

I’m thinking not. I’m thinking I am more lighthearted than literary, and I don’t mind that a bit. We all write what we can. If I could only write more than what I do, publish and get paid for some of it, well, I would be exactly the kind of writer I aspire to be.

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Get On With The Creature!

Posted on October 13, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had great hopes for Wasp Woman (1959). The title seemed to promise a monster. I knew they might slough me off with a big bunch of insects, but I was willing to take that chance. When I saw Roger Corman’s name in the credits, I felt certain I had made a wise decision.

Spoiler Alert! I will give away some plot developments, but not all. Still, more than I would want to know, so I warn you.

The movie opens with predators of a different kind, in a corporate board room. A hard-nosed businesswoman is putting her board through the wringer on declining sales. A good-looking young man jumps up and in arrogant leading-man fashion blames her. It is a cosmetics company, you see, and she has always been its “face.” Now that the face has changed, customers do not trust it.

Snap! Why didn’t you just say, “It’s your fault, because you got so old and ugly!” Incidentally, she’s neither. She’s not young and chipper, but I should look so good in my 40s (I’m still in my 40s for at least another month, so shut up!). Obviously the movie is setting her up to take extreme measures to look young and beautiful. Naturally this will lead to trouble.

I can’t help noticing that the quest to keep a woman young and beautiful forms the catalyst for a number of horror movies. I like best the ones where they have to kill authentically young and beautiful women to do it. Oh dear, that didn’t sound very nice. I only meant that those were the most horrifying and in general the cheesiest. I think woman’s quest for beauty and man’s role in aiding and abetting is a ripe topic for some serious commentary, if I was that sort of a blogger. Being the sort of blogger I am, I may mine the topic for some half-baked philosophy one Lame Post Friday.

Where was I? Ah yes, with Cosmetic CEO ready to fund some highly risky experiments involving wasps. They provide some background on what terrible creatures wasps are, especially the queen, and the supposed scientific basis for the experiments. I wasn’t paying a great deal of attention. You know in these pictures the science is going to be spurious; I say just get on to the creature.

It takes a while for the Wasp Woman to show up, and she’s a pretty good movie monster. I wish she had gotten more screen time. Before the creature shows up we have to go through the mad scientist (he is actually a rather sweet old man) convincing CEO to fund him, then watch him work, progressing too slowly to suit CEO. Of course she experiments by giving herself extra injections.

She doesn’t see a kitten, previously rejuvenated from an old tabby, go crazy and attack the mad scientist. He gets hit by a car and goes into a coma before he can either perfect the formula or warn anybody about what happened to the cat (he kills the cat, by the way; it might have been fun to have several wasp-infused creatures running around but I guess that’s just me, always wanting more).

The hero — remember, arrogant guy from scene 1? — and his love interest — CEO’s secretary — are, not surprisingly, pretty boring. There’s another guy who always has a pipe in his mouth and gets to have a little more character. My favorites were the two brassy secretaries. I was a little worried over who would end up being wasp food, but the body count wasn’t too high (which could be a good or a bad thing, depending).

It’s a pretty fun movie. I recommend it. If you watch it and have a discussion on the feminist implications, please let me know what conclusions you draw.

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Tabby on Main Street

Posted on October 11, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I think Tabby would like to become a member of Herkimer Now. She had a wonderful time at their Superhero Sprint last Saturday. Tuesday night she joined them for their second Main Street Walk. Steven and I tagged along.

The first Main Street Walk was held last month (perhaps you read my blog post about it). Once again, people gathered outside Basloe Library at 6:30 p.m. We greeted people we remembered and who remembered us from last time or from the Superhero Sprint. Well, I guess they mostly remembered Tabby, although one woman had seen me on WUTR News (I had agreed to comment on camera). No news people were there this time (phew!), but Mayor Mark Ainsworth was on hand.

Another lady had brought her dog this time. She said her dog was kind of a snapper, so we did not let Tabby get too close, although both hounds seemed interested in each other. We walked north on Main Street as far as the 1834 Jail (one of my favorite spots), then crossed the street and walked south. Once again, people reminisced about what used to be where. Two gentlemen sitting on the stoop of an apartment building said hello. They knew one of the walkers, who stopped and chatted for a minute. I heard them express encouragement and approval.

When we passed Smokers Friendly, Steven went in to purchase a lottery ticket. I’ll let you know if he wins big. As we came out the door, Tabby encountered the other dog. Rowf! I think the other pooch wanted to fight, but her owner restrained her. We walked a little faster.

At State Street, also known as Route 5, people paused so we could cross the street as a group. It was almost dark by now. I remarked that it might have been better to start earlier and cross the busy street in full daylight. However, there were streetlights and a walk signal, and everybody made it across safely. One lady showed me that she had on an identification bracelet she wore when she rode her bike, so if she got hit by a car anybody would know who she was. I said that was a good idea, but, really, God forbid.

We hadn’t gotten to South Main Street on the first walk, so we saw some different buildings. Steven and I rarely cross State when we walk, so that was of interest to us.

St. Anthony’s Church hosted the group for refreshments. We hesitated about bringing Tabby in, but the lady in charge said it would be fine as long as we kept track of her. We didn’t let her off the leash, and she was, as usual, well behaved. One nice lady got her a dish of water. Steven and I enjoyed a cup of coffee and some treats. Tabby was a little disappointed that we didn’t share, but we made sure she got some treats when we got back home.

We walked back up Main Street by ourselves and managed to cross State without mishap. I was really glad we had gone on the walk. I think it’s wonderful that such a simple idea can make a difference and that people are willing to try. What tangible differences has it made so far, you may ask. I say good question. I’ll be watching Main Street and will be sure to report back.

I believe the two walks taken so far have at least made a difference to those of us who walked. I felt encouraged to see that people cared, were willing to come out and were optimistic enough to believe we can change things.

To watch for when the next walk will be, you can Like Herkimer Now’s Facebook page. Hope to see you there!

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No Oomph?

Posted on October 3, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was thinking today that I could very easily end up writing a blog entirely about How I Can’t Write a Blog Post. I would probably want to call it something different from Mohawk Valley Girl, though.

Well, I don’t think anybody could blame me for not having any Mohawk Valley adventures last week; I was sick. So what can I write about this week? If I had more oomph, I would come home from work, have a Mohawk Valley adventure and write about it. And here we come to the ugly truth about me.

As I search for something new to say about not having anything to say, I was surprised just now when my computer seemed to consider “oomph” a word. I thought it was, you know, one of those words people use that isn’t really a word. It means, you know, whatever it seems to mean in the sentence. I thought the word origin was the noise people make when they heft something heavy.

I looked it up in the dictionary after writing the above paragraph (Steven keeps one by the computer) (The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition, New York, 1992). It says: “n. Slang. 1. Spirited vigor. 2. Sex appeal [Of expressive orig.]”

So it seems I am right about the word origin. I guess I used it to mean spirited vigor. I mean, not to brag, but I have PLENTY of sex appeal. Sex appeal in SPADES! DRIPPING with sex appeal!

Sex appeal, as you may know, is of very little use in the composition of blog posts.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s Wuss Out Wednesday.

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Nothing Wrong with That

Posted on September 21, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I realize I cannot go on running merely one day per week. However, that was hardly a reason NOT to run today. So I did. First I did some running around which I hoped would prove blog-worthy. That’s still marinading in my brain. I want to have some Saturday Running Commentary today.

So it was later than usual when I started out my run, a little after ten. It was warmer than it has been, but I hoped not too warm for me. At least I wouldn’t need a headband to cover my years, and my hands would not get stiff. I got my gear on and took off.

Down German Street I went, in the direction of the hills by Valley Health or up to HCCC but on the wrong side of the street. I did not feel up to hills. When I got to Caroline Street, I stopped to pet a lady’s dog. I interrupted her cellular conversation to ask permission, which she granted. Then I heard her say into the phone, “Yes, I’m outside. A lady running by just stopped to pet Emma.” I ran on.

It quickly became clear that I was going to find the shade more comfortable than the sun. I thought of myself as a shade-seeking rather than a heat-seeking missile, but way I run really has nothing to do with the way most missiles move.

I thought of running by the high school, but saw two vehicles pull in then noticed two people walking on the grounds. They may have been picking up trash, but I could not see very well. I continued on the sidewalks, picking the side of the street with more shade.

Going down one street, I saw two ladies talking in a driveway on the other side of the street with a little white dog not on a leash. I thought about calling out and asking if I could pet the dog if I crossed the street. Then I thought one of the ladies looked familiar. Then I recognized the dog as my friend Nicky. I crossed the street and went right up to him. He sat nicely and waited for me, much the same way Pudge the pug does, only Pudge is more wiggly when I finally get to him.

“Hi, Nicky, good boy!” I said, also, greeting his person.

“You’re out later than you usually are,” she said.

“I know, I wasn’t going to run till tomorrow, then I said, ‘Ah, I gotta do it!'”

“It’s a beautiful day for it.”

It really was. I enjoyed the shade, but it was not sweltering in the sun and it was not really humid. I confess my body did not feel as happy about running as it has at other times. However, when I finished the run (equaling last week’s time, by the way) and was walking my cool-down with Tabby, I found myself thinking, “Ah, I love running.” Then I kind of laughed at myself. What I guess I meant was I love to have run. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

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NOT Waiting for Inspiration

Posted on September 18, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is a dry patch for me. I don’t even have the excuse that I’ve been working on my novel, because that has been going very poorly.

I was not happy with yesterday’s post. I did not think it turned out that well, and it was not even much fun to write (except for a couple of the parenthetical comments) (you know how I love parenthetical comments). The fact is, I have not been inspired lately.

I can just hear all those critics out there saying, “You don’t wait for INSPIRATION to write! If you waited for INSPIRATION to write, you would never write anything at all! REAL writers don’t wait for INSPIRATION!” I hope my capitalization gives an indication of the huffy, superior tone I hear that in.

Well, obviously I do not wait for inspiration. I wrote the post, didn’t I? I’m writing this one, aren’t I? Sheesh!

However, once one begins, one hopes to keep going. So perhaps it is not inspiration I lack so much as momentum.

And I do lack momentum, because I pulled that last paragraph out of my brain one word at a time (I know some of my more sarcastic readers think I pulled it out of somewhere else) (you know who you are, and you know where I mean).

That was as much as I was able to write while at work. Except for the last two parenthetical comments. Those I came up with just now. Could it be I was… INSPIRED?

I’M CURED!

I hope to see you on Wuss-out Wednesday, when I hope NOT to wuss out (and perhaps some readers hope I will make less use of my caps lock key).

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My Thoughts Run Away With Me

Posted on September 14, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went running this morning for two reasons. First, I need a blog post. Second, when I got dressed to go do laundry (I got up EARLY this morning), I felt fat.

“I feel like I’ve gained back all the weight I ever lost,” I wailed to Steven. As usual, he did not know what to say. In his defense, what could he say? Anyways, I knew it wasn’t true. However, one cannot always help what one feels.

Be that as it may, as soon as I got home from the laundromat, I got into my running clothes. As I mentioned yesterday (if any of you nice people read it), the temperature has dropped around here. Still, I thought bicycle shorts and a t-shirt would be OK. I added a headband, in case of cold ears, just to be on the safe side.

I was soon glad of the headband, and wished I had something for my hands. Never mind, I didn’t need to use my hands for anything. They could get cold and stiff. I wasn’t going to be running long enough to do any permanent damage, not by a long shot.

I thought I could equal my last week’s time of 25 minutes. I reflected as I ran that one cannot run only once a week and expect to get into good running shape. Still, I have to start somewhere. I’m not in completely flabby shape, because I work out at Curves three times a week.

As I ran, I reflected on the differences between running and working out at Curves. Curves is more intense, and there is a lot more going on. Peppy music plays, other ladies working out make funny jokes, you move from machine pad to machine. Altogether a great deal more variety is involved. When running, the entertainment comes from one’s own thoughts and the slowly (very slowly in my case) changing scenery. Oh, I know, some people run with headphones in their ears. I prefer to be aware of my surroundings.

So I felt a little pleased with myself, providing my own entertainment, as it were. I enjoyed the leisurely pace, and the grey day around me. I looked at the houses I ran by and speculated on their possible occupants. I enjoyed my own thoughts.

And then my thoughts took a turn for the worse.

It’s a terrible thing, how sometimes you just let your thoughts wander and they wander right over to something that pissed you off. Then you start thinking about how it pissed you off, and how you were justified in being pissed off, and what steps you will take to keep such a thing from pissing you off in the future. And would they work?

Then I realized I was being rather ridiculous and ruining my nice run. So I tried to think about something else. Mostly I started thinking about the weather, which seemed to have gotten colder. I thought running was supposed to warm me up! I hoped the cold air would not give me a raging sinus headache, as it was clearly threatening to do. No matter, I told myself. A hot shower and a cup of hot tea would cure my ills.

Well, I have not had the tea yet, but the shower felt pretty good (what, you didn’t think I ran straight to the computer in all my sweat and started typing this, did you?). I’m not sure that it was a good run, but I made my 25 minutes. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I ran up the hill by Valley Health. So I am glad I ran. Now to get on with the rest of my day.

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Toot! Toot!

Posted on September 12, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I don’t usually write about work in my blog, but I told Joanie I was going to tell this story.

Some of us are on overtime. We walk into the factory at quarter to five, which some people feel is the middle of the night. I walk up the stairs, but several people were getting on the elevator.

Joanie said, “Toot, toot! All Aboard!”

She later told me another co-worker said, “Glad you’re so happy to be here,” adding that she would not be when she had worked there as long as he had.

Joanie disputed this. I guess we’ll have to wait thirty years to see who is right, although I’m betting on Joan. In the meantime, Joanie agreed with something I like to say: “You can laugh or you can cry. You might as well laugh.”

I’d like to call this a Mid-week Middle-aged Musing, but I already had a Monday Middle-aged Musing this week. How much musing can one middle-aged lady do in a week? OK, I do a lot. How many blogs about mental meanderings can one blogger get away with? I’m hoping a lot.

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Not Even an Excuse

Posted on September 10, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, here it is Middle-aged Musings Monday and I have nothing, not even an excuse.

Other days when I have not written my blog post while at work, it has usually been because I was working on my novel. Truth be known, this is not an airtight alibi, because other days I have been able to do both, utilizing different breaks for each purpose. Still, working on a novel. There could be no possible objection.

I did work on the novel. I wrote a little more than a page.

And it wasn’t very good.

I realize I may not be the best judge of this. However, since I am the only one allowed to read the dumb thing at this point, I am the only judge. And I judge: gotta do better than this.

That’s really all I want to say about the novel, though. For one thing, if you talk too much about a novel, you no longer need to write it. And anybody out there who says, “I told you that years ago,” just shut up, you did not. Oh, but that’s the other thing: everybody is SO READY to offer advice, whether or not they have actually written a novel themselves. Even a bad novel. Even a stupid novel that never got published.

Oh wait, I wrote a stupid novel that never got published. I guess that means I can give myself advice. My advice to myself is: don’t publish this blog post, it’s stupid. Write something good.

How many of you out there take advice? Let me see your hands.

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