Category Archives: Herkimer

The Quest Continues

Posted on December 9, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had already written Tuesday’s blog post about how I could not find a plastic light up snowman for my front lawn when I remembered another place to look: The Thrift Store. I thought of it shortly after seven in the morning, so I had a full day of work to get through while containing my excitement.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store is located at 164 W Main St. in Ilion. It took some maneuvering from my place of employment to get there — late afternoon traffic in Ilion is incredible — but I found a parking space and in I went, hopes high. No luck. Lots of cool Christmas decorations, but nothing big. I walked studiously by the books. OK, I took a quick glance, but did not let myself stay. You know me and books (and if you don’t know: I love books).

As I had contemplated the Thrift Store during work (still paying attention to my tasks, of course), I had bethought me of Collis Hardware (how’s that for a fancy way of saying “I thought of”?), on North Main Street in Herkimer. An old fashioned store like that, I thought, might be the way to go. As I pondered how to get there from here, I remembered Second Time Around Consignments on Mohawk Street in Herkimer. Two more possibilities!

Second Time Around, it turns out, has mostly clothes. Some very fancy clothes. I did not have time to browse, though. I was on a mission. It’s a nice store. I’ll have to return at a more opportune time.

I found a space on Main Street almost two blocks from Collis, and I remembered the HARC Goodwill Store around the corner. No luck in Collis, and then I had to decide: to walk around the corner and down that street, then all the way back to my truck, possibly carrying a plastic light up Santa (I am ever optimistic) or to drive around the block. I drove around the block. Don’t judge me.

No luck at HARC Goodwill, either. I briefly eyed Dollar General across the street, but decided it was too complicated to get to (one way street, no left turn, etc.) and not that good of a possibility anyways. I went home and contemplated the perverseness of fate.

Last night I found a comment under Snowman Rant. A friend, who is much more adept at the internet than I, had found me a couple more possibilities. The search continues! And if I don’t meet with success in 2011, there will be garage sales to check out in 2012. Now it’s a quest. But will my plastic light up snowman be the thrill I am hoping for when I finally find him? A philosophical question to ponder another day.

Leave a comment

Posted in Christmas, decorations, Herkimer, humor, Ilion, local business. Bookmark the permalink.

Saturday Morning Walk

Posted on December 3, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Other Saturdays I have gone running in the morning and then blogged about my run. Today I walked to the bank with Tabby, so my post will be about that.

I had a couple of checks I wanted to deposit in my Mad Money account at First Source Federal Credit Union here in Herkimer. I like that bank, because they are dog friendly. They don’t mind if Tabby comes in with me; in fact, they usually give her a treat. I thought they opened at eight, so we set out accordingly. I figured if I was wrong and they didn’t open till nine, I could get two walks in.

It was cold! Our thermometer said thirty-one degrees, and I believed it. The grass was stiff with last night’s heavy frost. I slipped on a little ice in the driveway and told myself I’d better watch it. I quickly put on the headband I had put in my pocket in case I needed it. I was wearing a jacket large enough to pull the sleeves down over my hands. Tabby did not seem to mind the temperature, but then she has a built in fur coat. I kept telling myself, wait till February. Then when it gets to be thirty-one degrees, we’ll be rejoicing in the warm weather. Perspective is a wonderful thing.

We saw a young person wearing pajama bottoms walking a large dog on the other side of the street. I could not tell if it was a young man or a young woman, because he or she was bundled up in a coat and hat, and the pajama bottoms were gender neutral. I mentally deplored again the fashion of wearing pajamas in public. Then again, maybe the person had just rolled out of bed and did not want to make their dog wait for its morning business meeting. Anyways, who am I to judge other people’s clothing? Especially when you consider some of my crazy old lady outfits. Tabby and the other dog regarded each other suspiciously but did not bark. Good dogs.

Tabby did her business, and as we continued toward the bank I kept an eye out for a trash can. You would think some of these businesses would have one by the door. At last I found one. I did not want to carry Tabby’s poop into the bank. I carried it into the post office once, set it down to transact my business and forgot it. I went back to get it and apologized, but how embarrassing. And pretty gross for other people.

After I made my deposit and Tabby got her treat, we went home by a different route. We saw a pug I know across the street but did not get near enough to pet him. He looked at us rather interestedly but kept walking, pausing of course to sniff or poop. Closer to home I got to pet two sweet shih tzu looking dogs (I’m never sure about breeds; I ought to get a book). Tabby touched noses with them but was more interested in heading home.

I have at least one more walk in mind for later today, as well as a couple other Mohawk Valley adventures. This morning’s stroll was a pleasant way to start my day.

Leave a comment

Posted in animals, banks, dogs, First Source Federal Credit Union, Herkimer, Mohawk Valley, walking, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Return to Vinny’s

Posted on December 2, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last summer we went to Vinny’s Pizzeria in Herkimer, and I did a blog post. As I recall, they were about to close for two weeks. So I felt a little silly: here’s this great place to eat, but don’t go there, they’re closed. Last night, Steven and I decided to check Vinny’s out again.

I don’t want anybody to read anything into the fact that we waited so long between visits. The fact is, we don’t eat out as often as we used to. Last night we found ourselves shopping, and I was so hungry I couldn’t stand myself. Go home and cook? Oh, no, I couldn’t. Actually, Steven volunteered to cook, but I needed a blog post.

Vinny’s is just as good a place to eat as I recall. Good service, friendly atmosphere, yummy Italian food. Steven had lasagna, and I had manicotti. We both got garlic bread with our dinner, and we ended up taking enough home for a good lunch the next day.

As I write this, I realize it really has been a while since we went out to dinner. What’s that all about? I had a birthday last month, and we had an anniversary the month before that. Where are my dinners, Steven? Actually, I probably should not nag via blog post. Steven usually reads my stuff, but he will stop if all I do is kvetch. And in his defense, I have not wanted to go out as much either. I go to bed early week nights, and restaurants are usually so crowded on the weekends.

Be that as it may, we had a nice dinner on Wednesday. Vinny’s is good for dine in or take out. For more information, call 315-866-7961.

Leave a comment

Posted in dining, Herkimer, local business, Mohawk Valley, Restaurants. Bookmark the permalink.

Walk, Don’t Run

Posted on November 30, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

The headline is from a sign at work. They’re all about safety there.

I ran three days in a row, that is, three out of my four days off. Then I went back to work for ten hours (sweet overtime). I was tired. Of course, every time I don’t run just because I’m tired, I regret it the next day. It rains, or my back hurts, or something else comes up, and then I’m two days without running. That said, I just could not get myself into sports bras and out the door.

I had coffee instead. Then turned on the computer intending to make my blog post. Then started thinking about my poor dog, who had been so happy to see me come home and who I was ignoring to be on the silly computer. The least I could do was take that pooch for a walk.

It was a lovely afternoon for a walk. Gloomy but not raining. I love gloomy days. I admired the trees’ bare branches against the grey sky. I always think deciduous trees are the real artists of nature. Every season they offer something different to admire.

I let Tabby pull me where she wanted to go. Down German Street towards Main. There are some cool older buildings on Main Street before you get into the downtown area. For example, the former Masonic Temple that now houses a tanning business. And of course, the Historic Four Corners. I noticed a wreath hung over the front door of the 1834 Jail and a Christmas Tree in the window. Very nice. Tabby pulled me through the little park near Basloe Library, and I was reminded about their book sale. Maybe I could check that out for a blog post later in the week.

I realized we were headed home after that. Tabby knows the neighborhood and had definite ideas about how long she wants to walk. My only concern was to keep her from jaywalking as we got closer to our street.

As we walked down our street, I saw a man walk, stop, then walk some more. It was almost dark by now, so it took me a minute to see the small animal frisking behind him. We caught up to them as we got to our house. The small animal was a tiny chihuahua. When she saw Tabby, she stopped and waited curiously. The dogs sniffed each other, but when I went to pet the chihuahua, Tabby barked and the other dog ran away. Her person picked her up and I petted her.

I said how cute she was and asked how old, and if it was a she or a he. The man said he thought she was about two. He had rescued her in California, where apparently she had just been dropped off in traffic.

“Sometimes they breed them and all they want is the puppies,” he said. Isn’t that just awful? She was a very sweet dog and so little. The man told me he had brought her back to New York thinking to give her to his grandkids, but they could not have a dog in their apartment.

“What, this cute little dog couldn’t hurt any apartment! Well, she’s lucky she has you,” I said.

“Oh, I just love her,” he replied.

We wished each other good night, and Tabby and I went inside. I hope we see that cute little dog again. I had missed my run, but the walk was nice.

2 Comments

Posted in animals, dogs, Herkimer, scenery, walking. Bookmark the permalink.

Vintage Friday

Posted on November 20, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’d been looking forward to Friday all week, since I have the weekend off. I was delighted when I got the email informing me of the Thanksgiving Wine Tasting to be held at Vintage Spirits.

The tasting ran from four to seven. I arrived shortly after 4:30. The Great Cheese Lady who had been at the last tasting was absent (I wasn’t the only one that missed her), but Bronson had some cheese and crackers out, as well as roasted turkey and cranberry sauce. I thought that was a pretty good idea for a Thanksgiving Wine Tasting: you could easily see which wines would be good with dinner. Some would automatically think of white wine with turkey, but a light-bodied red can work, too.

The first wine I tried was Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fume. The grape used is sauvignon blanc, so I was pretty sure I would like that one, and I was right. I wrote “yummy” in my wine notebook (I haven’t mentioned yet, although regular readers are aware: this isn’t a real wine blog).

Next was Juvenile Macon Chardonnay. It was only lightly oaked, so I liked that one, too. I feel like a real oenophile when I drink Chardonnay, because I say, “Is it aged in oak or stainless steel?” just as if I know what I’m talking about. But I guess aged in oak is OK with me as long as it’s not too oaky (there’s a pun there somewhere).

The other two whites, Pfaffenheim Gewerztraminer and Skyleaf Riesling, were sweeter than I like. I do think Gewerztraminer is a good wine for anybody to drink, though. When you can’t say the name, you know you’ve had too much.

Bronson was also sampling two Woodbridge sparkling wines (some of us call them champagne, but there’s usually somebody around to tell us that’s a misnomer: real champagne is from a certain area of France). I learned that Brut is always drier than Extra Dry. Both Woodbridges were pretty tasty, although I found I liked the less dry Extra Dry just a little bit more.

By the time I moved on to the reds, still busily taking notes, another patron asked me if I was writing a term paper.

“No, a blog post,” I said.

I tried three reds: Pinot Noirs by Barefoot and Illahe, and a Blue Coast Vineyards Syrah. I liked all three, but I decided the Illahe was my favorite wine of the evening.

I also tried the Fulton Harvest Pumpkin Pie cream liqueur. That was quite rich. I asked for another taste of the Illahe, just to cleanse my palate.

The wine tasting was a great way to start my weekend. I picked up a couple of bottles, to continue my enjoyment (um, I didn’t drink them both, or even all of one, on Friday). Vintage Spirits is located at 246 Mohawk St. in Herkimer. You can call them at 866-6800 and ask them to put you on their email list, in order to be informed about future wine tastings. Perhaps I’ll see you there.

Leave a comment

Posted in Herkimer, humor, Mohawk Valley, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

Back on My Feet Again

Posted on November 17, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

I do tend to go on about things (like for example the DARE 5K). I think almost every post since last Thursday I have mentioned my bad cold. Due to the cold, I have not been running or walking in a number of days (that’s a silly expression: “a number of days.” After all, one is a number.) (Some say the loneliest number) (But I digress). I was determined to take my schnoodle Tabby for a walk on Tuesday.

We set out down German Street in the direction of Caroline. I thought we might pass a couple of Mohawk Valley landmarks I could put in the blog. First we walked by Trinity Lutheran Church. They had a craft fair and soup luncheon last Saturday, which I missed as I was in the throes of the Overtime Blues.

I saw a cute little poodle I’ve tried to pet on occasion. She was a block and more ahead of us, walking with her lady, and we did not catch up. Just as well, she’s a nervous poodle. I also saw a pug I think I know, peeping out of the front door of his house. If it was the pug I think it was, he’s hard to pet too, but not because he’s scared of me. He’s just too wiggly.

Tabby and I boldly crossed Caroline, which I don’t always attempt at that time of day. It was no problem, though, and we walked on. We passed the Bellinger Rose Bed and Breakfast. I’ve never set foot in the place much less stayed there, so I can’t give it a real plug. However, it’s a beautiful building to walk by. Maybe one day they’ll do a Historical Society Fundraiser there, as the Balloon Farm Bed and Breakfast in Frankfort did once (alas, in my pre-blog days).

I had thought to walk down by the high school. For one thing, they have a handily located trash can, and Tabby had done her business (incidentally, I don’t know what kind of dog food and treats, Steven has been buying lately, but Tabby’s poops were tri-colored. It was amazing). Unfortunately, some parent meeting was going on. Lots of traffic, and I did not like to intrude. I did scan their electronic sign as I passed for upcoming events. We went to a fun play there once (again, during pre-blog days. Sorry, Herkimer Footlighters).

Tabby was getting a little tired of walking by now and started pulling me toward home. We headed in that direction, making good time except for just a couple pauses while Tabby explored a promising smell. She may get tired of walking, but she almost never gets tired of sniffing.

I always like walking in Herkimer, and I like writing blog posts about my walks. I always try to find something new and different to mention to my readers. I’m almost never disappointed. I hope my readers like it too.

Leave a comment

Posted in dogs, Herkimer, humor, Mohawk Valley, walking. Bookmark the permalink.

Helping HALO

Posted on November 15, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Saturday, despite the bad cold I’ve been complaining about for the last three or four posts, I accompanied Steven to the HALO Trash to Treasure Sale. I wanted to help the kitty cats, and I love to find treasures amongst other people’s trash.

I’ve blogged about HALO before, but it bears repeating. HALO is the Helping Animals Live Organization, a no kill, no cage, not for profit cat rescue based in Little Falls. They hold a number of fundraisers throughout the year, most memorably the HALO Hoedown at Silverado in Herkimer, which I believe I also blogged about.

The Trash to Treasure Sale was held in the Polish Home on South Washington Street in Herkimer. Entrance to the sale was through the back door, so no sneaking to the bar for a beer on my way through. That was OK; I was there to treasure hunt. The sale ran from 9 am to 4 pm, and we arrived shortly after three (I was moving slowly due to the above mentioned cold). As we walked through the door, a lady announced that everything was half price, books and stuffed toys free.

“Oh, they shouldn’t have told me that,” said a lady perusing the books. “I love to read!”

I love to read too, but I did not see much to tempt me (effects of the cold?). Then I saw The Frugal Gourmet Cooks With Wine. I love to cook with wine! Of course, the Frugal Gourmet probably puts it in the food. I’ve been meaning to try that.

Then I found an Oneida pizza tin in practically new condition. Steven found a couple of Santa Clauses and snowmen (can’t have too many of either of those). We also chose some pretty tins. We love to put Christmas presents in tins. When the lady added up our purchases, it came to a very attractive total.

A poster board was on display showing photos of some sweet cats and kittens. They need foster and adoptive homes for cats. I can’t have a cat in my house, because I am deathly allergic. But I support what HALO does, so I try to help as best I can, by spending money at their fundraisers and by giving them a little publicity in my humble blog. Um, I hope the second one helps.

For more information on HALO, visit their website at
http://www.halorescue.net, or you can like them on Facebook.

Leave a comment

Posted in animals, Community Events, Herkimer, non-profits, rummage sales. Bookmark the permalink.

Another Pedestrian Post

Posted on November 10, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Tuesday Tabby and I walked to the post office with post cards. I did not allow myself to be distracted by television. I did not neglect to put my bra back on. So right away, I was doing better than the last walk to the post office (or worse, when you consider the bra thing was pretty comical to blog about). Still, the walk was not without its points of interest.

I rather blatantly wore a crazy old lady outfit. I kept on the BDU pants and bright orange shirt I had worn to work (I think they look nice together). I added a sweatshirt and changed my steel toed work shoes for comfy running shoes (purchased at The Sneaker Store in New Hartford, NY). I let Tabby jump and bark impatiently while I looked for my crazy old lady hat.

We used to have a neighbor who loved that hat. If she saw me and I did not have it on, she’d say, “Young lady, where’s your hat?” She moved out, but Steven ran into her at Wal-Mart the other day. She told him to tell me I’d better be wearing my hat. So you see.

We walked into the post office to mail the post cards. Nobody has ever yelled at me to get my dog out, so I guess it’s OK. She wanted to greet a lady who was buying stamps, but the lady did not seem interested.

Since Tabby had been nice enough to accompany me to the post office, I let her choose our directions for the rest of the walk. She pulled me to Hummel’s Office Plus. One clerk, who knows Tabby from previous visits, greeted her by name and walked out from behind the counter to pet her. Another clerk said, “What a sweet dog,” and petted her too. We left when a customer came in needing help, but not before the customer petted Tabby as well.

After that, Tabby pretty much pulled me home. She is quite familiar with the streets of Herkimer. A successful walk from her point of view — petted by three people — and from my point of view — got my post cards mailed. And I got a blog post out of it, although I hope to have something more exciting to blog about soon. Stay tuned!

Leave a comment

Posted in dogs, Herkimer, humor, walking. Bookmark the permalink.

Running in Traffic

Posted on November 9, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m often touting Herkimer as a great village to run in, and of course it is. I must add, however, that some times of day are more convenient than others.

Four o’clock in the afternoon, for example, is one of the less convenient times. The traffic is murder! You wouldn’t think it would effect me so much, seeing as I like to stay on the sidewalks. But sidewalks don’t go on forever; you have to cross the street sometime (why did the Cindy cross the road?).

I hate four way stops. It’s like a big game of chicken. “Is it my turn? Is it his turn?” And that’s with my truck, which most people, given a choice, will usually try not to hit. My body, while not as small as I’d like it to be, is a little less noticeable and a lot less respected.

At Caroline and German it is a three way stop. You would think that would be better, but you would think wrong. Too many people making turns. I try not to cross Caroline at certain times of day. For one thing, once you’ve crossed, you still have to cross back.

So Monday I headed in the opposite direction. I can usually get all the way to the end of German that way. Not so Monday. A bunch of construction vehicles were doing… I don’t know, some construction thing. They were blocking traffic. At least three cars were waiting to turn off Prospect, somebody might have been waiting to turn onto Prospect. I didn’t want to mess with it. I stayed on the sidewalk and turned down Prospect.

That wasn’t bad. I crossed two streets with impunity. I ran by Bruce Ward Realty, where our realtor Lorraine Hartigan works. She showed us 33 houses before we finally bought one. The building Bruce Ward is in used to be a bank. I saw a sign on what used to be the drive thru: “Do Not Enter. Exit Only.” Not one to pass up such a challenge, I entered. A quick turn around the parking lot, just to be that way. Of course, when I run by a bank that is currently functioning as a bank, I don’t pull such shenanigans.

I ran through the Myers Park and down Park Avenue (Oh, ain’t we swank?) (That’s a line from a movie). I ran up and down a couple neighborhood streets till I had run the length of time I intended. I did cross Caroline Street, then back again later, just not at German. It made for two very short sprints and was really not a problem for me or the cars.

It was a pretty good run. I feel a little constricted when I have to modify my route to avoid traffic, but really I had plenty of room to run. At least for the short runs I’m up to now. We’ll see what happens when I build up a little. I’ll report back.

Leave a comment

Posted in Herkimer, humor, running. Bookmark the permalink.

Walk in the Woods

Posted on November 8, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sunday was our dog, Tabby’s birthday. I suggested we celebrate with a walk on the Nature Trail at Herkimer County Community College (HCCC).

I was introduced to the trail a few years ago by a then student of the college. We would meet once a week and walk. We had meant to branch out and explore the canal trails as well, but we never seemed to get around to that.

Steven worked till two on Sunday, and we both wanted coffee after that, so we headed up the hill to HCCC shortly after three. It was an utterly beautiful day with bright sunlight. The temperature was a little cool, but we had jackets, I wore a hat, and Tabby, of course, sported her all natural fur coat. No worries about Tabby keeping warm anyways. She was so excited she jumped around enough to keep three dogs warm.

We parked near the gymnasium and walked past the tennis courts and ball fields. Tabby must have remembered the trail, because she eagerly pulled me in the right direction. A sign in front of the trail’s entrance told us that dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.

The trail is not very extensive, but it goes into the woods far enough that you can lose your way if you’re not careful. It loops around a few times as well. The wood chip trail was a little obscured by fallen leaves, but we could also see posts to follow.

I soon started in with my usual walking in the woods jokes.

“If you see a wolf,” I warned, “don’t tell him we’re on our way to visit Grandma.” A little later: “If you see a house that’s all gingerbread and candy, don’t eat it.”

“But what if I’m hungry?” Steven asked.

He had a good point. I’m not much on gingerbread, but what if the trimmings were chocolate? “OK, you can eat some, but if an old lady comes out, don’t talk to her.”

I started making these silly jokes some years ago, when I was in the army attempting to learn how to read a map. After the third or fourth fairy tale reference, a fellow soldier complained, “At this rate, I’ll never make any new friends in the woods.”

I know, I should get some new material.

Steven made a Blair Witch Project reference, “Let’s follow the stream!”

I played along. “OK, we’ll go this way.” The opposite direction. Anyone who hasn’t seen the movie or doesn’t remember: They’re lost, they agree to follow the stream, they totally don’t. Steven and I both point out, while a witch could probably easily mess with a compass, it would take a real bad ass witch to change up a whole stream.

Tabby ignored all our jokes and enjoyed her birthday walk very much. Steven and I enjoyed it too, as well as the view of the countryside when we emerged from the woods and headed back to our car.

I’ve blogged (such a silly verb) many times about running up to and around HCCC. Sometimes I forget to mention that it’s good for walking, too. Check it out.

Leave a comment

Posted in dogs, Herkimer, humor, scenery, Uncategorized, walking. Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →