Category Archives: humor

On to the Play!

Posted on October 7, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

OK, this is going to be a fast post, but that’s OK, because it’s Lame Post Friday.  I am typing hurriedly, because Steven and I plan to go to the theatre tonight (you can pronounce it “thee-ah-tah” if you want to be la-di-dah about it).

This is way easier than typing in all that information.

We did not audition for this production, because our murder mystery for the Herkimer County Historical Society (which I believe I have mentioned once or twice) is Oct. 14.  Alas!  Then again, there is no guarantee we would have gotten cast.  I understand the cast is excellent (and some of them read my blog sometimes).

I stole this photo from the director’s Facebook page, but then, so did a number of cast members.

I believe this is a photo from dress rehearsal.  That’s a pretty impressive set as well.  The next play I want to direct has nothing but a bunch of black curtains hanging down.  If I ever do direct that one, I will even need help stapling the black cloth to the ceiling, but we’re not talking about me (for once).

This play, in case you missed it in the first graphic, is at Ilion Little Theatre, one of the most distinctive theatre buildings I have ever seen.

I stole this one from Ilion Little Theatre Club’s Facebook page.

For more information, check out Ilion Little Theatre’s website at http://www.ilionlittletheatre.org/.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in community theatre, humor, Lame Post Friday, personal and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Just Another Bog Post

Posted on October 6, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I did some writing at work today (YES, boss, on a BREAK!)  (oh, yeah, like my boss reads my blog, dream on, Cindy!), but the thing I finished wasn’t good for the blog and the thing that was good for the blog isn’t finished (ooh, here’s a Freudian typo: I put “bog” instead of “blog”).  Actually, the thing I finished could use some revision and addendums, but let’s not worry about that now.  I have a blog post to make.

Lately I have been having the problem of feeling unable to write.  I am obsessed with puzzles: anacrostics, crosswords, cryptograms, anything with a pencil and clue (cue jokes about how I may have a pencil, but I certainly do not have a clue).  I cut cryptograms and crosswords out of the daily paper, and I have puzzle books as well.  Some days I purposely leave all puzzles at home, so I will have to write.  Sometimes that does not work very well.  I sit there looking at the blank page and feel actual physical discomfort from not having a puzzle to work on, or I write something so bad, stupid or ridiculous that I still feel physical discomfort.

Once in a while, however, I surprise myself.  I try to write one sentence and suddenly find myself scribbling paragraph after paragraph.  It’s great!  How do I make that happen all the time?  As I sit here, I realize I can offer myself a number of suggestions.   I’ll mention a few of them and you can tell me if they sound good or if I’m full of beans (always a possibility).

  1.  Have a project going.  Today I met with success because the two things I worked on were things I had started previously.  That is, I wasn’t starting from a dead stop.  However, this does not always work.  Sometimes the project I was working on is bogging down for one reason or another.  This leads me to my second suggestion.
  2.  Start a new project.  It is really easy for me to start making notes on  new novel or murder mystery. Actually, given my track record of unfinished projects, this may not be the best advice for me to follow, although in a pinch, it may get the pencil moving.
  3.  Here is my real takeaway from today’s little bit of success:  KEEP TRYING!  I never know when I am going to be stuck with the blank page and pen that doesn’t move or when I’m going to write and keep going.  But if I right away get buried in an anacrostic, I for sure won’t get anything written.

Hmm… I thought I was going to have more suggestions.  Still, I said “a number” and 3 is a number.  I’m going to call that OK for Non-Sequitur Thursday.  I think I’ll go stare at a blank page for a while and see if anything happens.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal, writing and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Graveyard, Nosferatu, What’s Not to Like?

Posted on October 5, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was feeling better than I felt yesterday, so I went running.  I was going to do a Running Commentary post, but in the first place, the run was not that memorable.  In the second place, my headache is back and I have to start thinking about dinner.  As I was looking through Facebook, hoping for a little inspiration (oh, don’t give me that hoary cliche that inspiration follows writing, sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes you do so get it before you write).  Where was I?  Ah yes, I found a monster movie picture, and you know how I love to make a post of monster movie pictures.

SO atmospheric! I love it!

It is from the James Whale Frankenstein.  It reminded me of another picture of a cemetery in another horror movie.  I knew I had seen it on Facebook at some point but could not remember what page.  I went to The Golden Age of Monster Movies, a group I am in, and began scrolling through their photos.  Of course I could not find the one I was looking for, and I do not have all night to search for an obscure picture.  However, I soon found a shot of my favorite guy, Nosferatu.  I must share Nosferatu.

I remember this shot from the first time I saw this movie, when I was in the sixth grade. I was scarred for life, but, you know, in a good way.

So I gave up on doing a graveyard theme and just looked for a couple more pictures I liked.  I soon found the following:

We recently watched this one. I should write a blog post about it. I haven’t written about a cheesy horror movie in a long time.

 

I have no idea what this is from, but Peter Lorre, Vincent Price, a severed head, what’s not to like?

So this is my Wuss-out Wednesday post for the week.  I don’t say I won’t have another day of monster movie pictures and silly commentary, but at least I won’t call it Wuss-out Wednesday.  As always, thank you for tuning in.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in commentary, humor, personal, Wuss Out Wednesday and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Another Pre-Rehearsal Hasty Post

Posted on October 4, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, it was going to be a Bad Attituesday no matter what anyways, but I’m afraid now I have to take a blogger’s sick day.  I have been feeling quite awful since last night, dizzy, nauseous, headache, body aches, stiffness… oh, sorry, now I’m going on and on, whining in a most unbecoming fashion.  I’m pretty sure it is my allergies, and I’m just going to have to ride it out.  Once when I had gastroenteritis, a doctor told me that the body can ride out an astonishing number of things if only you stay hydrated.  With that in mind, I drank water all day, with only the necessary amount of coffee thrown in, and now am sipping seltzer with lemon from a wine glass (woman cannot live by water alone) (at least, not this woman).

Where was I?  Did I mention I’m also feeling kind of out of it?  That’s just MARVELOUS news for me, since I have to drive myself to Little Falls in about a half hour for rehearsal for Strike Story.  I don’t suppose I mentioned Strike Story recently. It is a beautifully researched reader’s theatre piece about the 1912 textile workers strike in Little Falls, written by Little Falls resident Angela Harris.  It was the inaugural production of LiFT Theatre Company, first presented in 2012.  I had the good fortune to take part in it when Ilion Little Theatre imported the production in November of that year (I may have written  a few blog posts about it at the time).

Well, LiFT is reviving the play on Oct. 27 in Little Falls.  Unfortunately, a quick search as I type this does not give me further info as to time, ticket prices, etc.  However, this is a daily blog, so as soon as I find out more, I’ll write another post.  In the meantime, I’ve got to punch holes in my script and put it in a binder.  Thank God it’s reader’s theatre and I don’t have to learn all the lines!

Hmm… this is not the blog post I set out to write at all.  No matter, I have not time to rewrite it.  I hope to see you all tomorrow on Wuss-out Wednesday.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Moonshine Monday

Posted on October 3, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Full disclosure:  It is not really Moonshine Monday.  I did not nor will I drink any moonshine today.  I’m a little sorry about that.  Today is one of those posts I make in haste before rehearsal, having once again failed to write anything earlier today.  I think it will be long on pictures and short on words.  That may be a good thing.  Let’s see what I can come up with…

I went to DikinDurt Distillery in Herkimer, NY  a while ago, so I could write about it for Mohawk Valley Living Magazine.  That issue came out today.  Noting that they did not use all the pictures I took, I thought I could use them here.  If you want to read the article, and the rest of the magazine, which is a wonderful publication, you can find them online: http://www.mohawkvalleyliving.com/.

Wouldn’t you love to have this in your house, with or without the moonshine?

This and the next picture were in the magazine.  However, I like them, I downloaded them, I’m sharing them.

Elizabeth Stack and Eric Boyer, co-owners of DikinDurt Distillery.

No, I did not have a sample from all those bottles of moonshine.  For one reason, they are only allowed to give you three 1/4 oz. shots.  The rules for distillery tasting rooms are much more strict than for winery tasting rooms (who me, sample every possible wine at a sitting?  Say it ain’t so!).

Kim suggested this shot, as it included the logo.

My friend, Kim, came with me when I visited.  We must return sometime soon with my husband, Steven.  For another reason, I might like to taste three different moonshines.

You can look through a window at where it all gets made.

 

I would also like to get a t-shirt.

I purchased a coffee mug when we were there.  The next time, I’ll probably buy some moonshine to put in my coffee, possibly Toasted Maple or Mohawk Valley Fire.

Kim did not fear the clear.

I close with another picture of Kim, because when you have a beautiful blond friend, it is nice to put her picture in a blog post.

DikinDurt Distillery is located at 115 Smith Rd., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-868-1563, www.dikindurt.com.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, local business, personal and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

With a Laptop on my Knee

Posted on October 2, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

OK, I’m sitting here with the laptop on my lap (I know, where else would it be?  Well, it MIGHT be somewhere else; I’m not here to discuss the possible whereabouts of computers), and once again, I got nuthin’ (or is it “nuttin'”?  I like “nuthin'”) (which is not the same thing as not liking anything, but close).

Where was I?  Ah yes, Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I tell you, I am down.  I’m not a writer.  I write a silly blog, and, as Truman Capote once said, “That’s not writing, that’s typing.”  Yes, yes, I must stop with the existential crisis, people will think I am merely fishing for encouragement.   I am only being honest, in this case.  Oh, sometimes I fish for encouragement or even compliments, never fear.  Hell, I’m not perfect.  I’m a factory worker who takes pen in hand or keyboard under fingers occasionally and words come out.  Good words?  Useful words?  Entertaining words?  One can only hope.

I have been trying to take another step towards reaching my writing goals, and I have had little to no success. I know, lift your feet a little higher, push them forward a little more, these things are under our own control if only we would accept responsibility.  Very well then, I shall accept responsibility.  Tomorrow, or possibly later tonight, I will work on the novel I found earlier today.  Ooh, that’s right, I did do one thing today:  I found the notebook I’ve been looking for where I had started a novel I thought I would like to finish. It’s a baby step, but it is a step.  I shall make further updates as events warrant.

In the meantime, it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday, the day I try to enjoy myself with my husband and not think about returning to work tomorrow (I’ll work on curing the Monday to Friday Malaise another time, did I mention I’m not perfect?).  We were watching Halloween movies earlier.  I wonder if we could watch another one now. No, I can’t work on that novel now, time with husband, remember?  I may or may not ever become a successful novelist, but if I take care to spend time with my husband I WILL have a good marriage.  Priorities, people.

 

4 Comments

Posted in blogging, humor, personal, Wrist to Forehead Sunday, writing and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Frankenstein and his Bride on Slacker Saturday

Posted on October 1, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

So it was after seven on Lame Post Friday when I posted.  Now it is after eight on Slacker Saturday, and here I am.  Of course, it was not Slacker Saturday earlier today.  I was not exactly slacking then.  That happened later.  Now I am at the sitting on my couch enjoying the Watching Halloween Movies portion of the day.  We just finished watching Frankenstein and Steven is putting in Bride of Frankenstein as I type.  The James Wale version of these tales, of course.

A publicity still from the Frankenstein movie I referred to above.

One thing I loved about Bride of Frankenstein is the prologue, with Elsa Lanchester as Mary Shelley.  I adore Elsa Lanchester, and this is an excellent introduction to the tale.  I have always been a little sorry the movie did not return to the scene of the introduction, making it a real book-end of a framing device.  However, I personally cannot figure out a way to do that without it being an anticlimax.  Perhaps James Whale, the director, could have come up with something suitable, but I cannot blame him for not having bothered.  Then again, perhaps he did bother, and the studio rejected his ideas.  Studios tend to do that, you know.

“My Mary is an angel,” says Percy Shelley.

Here is the delightful Elsa Lanchester.  What a fun scene this must have been to film.  She sits there, embroidering sweetly, with the tale of a monster in her head.

This was my Facebook profile picture for a while.

I’ve shared this picture here before, but I thought it appropriate to include a picture of Lanchester as the Bride.

Anyways, this is my Saturday post.  Full disclosure:  I thought I was going to just go to bed and make this post at five or so tomorrow morning.  I’m going to count that as a “Yay, me,” deserved or not.  I hope to see you all on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Slacker Saturday and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

No Pictures, But Lots of Plans

Posted on September 30, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, here I am, after 7 p.m. on Lame Post Friday and no post anywhere in my brain.  So I sit down, start typing, and hope for the best.  Before I started typing, I went to Facebook and looked for an image to download from the show we’re watching.  It is Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen.  We watch a lot of Oxygen, because they show a lot of Snapped, one of my favorites.  This particular episode of Dateline was a case that was also covered on Snapped.  I LOVE to see the same crime on more than one show!

Oxygen has what they call “Crime Time Weekends,” where they show LOTS of true crime shows.  I am a well-known addict of true crime.  Um, not committing it. Reading about it and watching television shows about it.  The real documentary shows, not what I call the reenactment-fests.

However, I do not intend to have a “Crime Time Weekend” of my own.  I have plans.  Tomorrow I am going to go running (preparing for the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K Race!)  I may also walk to the post office, after writing my usual post cards, just for a little more exercise.  Later on Saturday, I plan to attend the Flood Relief Benefit for Rocky Rockwell, an area veteran who lost his house to flooding earlier this year.  In between these two activities, I have to figure out what to wear to the latter, always a traumatic experience for me (perhaps that will form the subject of Saturday’s blog post) (preview of coming attractions).

Sunday will be spent watching Halloween movies with my lovely husband, Steven, with a few breaks to work on our lines for A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, the murder mystery dinner theatre we are doing to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  I think I know my lines pretty well, but it is well to be sure about these things.

So this is my Friday Lame Post.  No pictures but lots of plans (would that be a good title for this post?  I’ll ask Steven).

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Community Events, humor, Lame Post Friday, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Firefighters, Here I Come!

Posted on September 29, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I’d open with this catchy logo.

I ended Sunday’s Running Commentary post wondering if I could find a nearby 5K any time soon.  Ask and you shall receive!  Just a couple of days later, my husband Steven showed me an article on Facebook about a new 5K right here in Herkimer, NY. It is the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K, a new race. I said LET’S GO!!!!!  It got even better.

It is to benefit East Herkimer Fire Department.  I LOVE fire departments!  They save lives and property. During the flooding in 2013, fire departments traveled from across the state to Herkimer to help pump out people’s basements.  Three different departments cheerfully pumped us out three different times.  I think firefighters are GREAT!

The run will take place Saturday, Oct. 14.  Steven is on vacation, so he can attend and cheer me on.  Later that day, we will participate in A G.R.A.V.E. Murder, the murder mystery dinner theatre we are doing to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  That will make for an entire fun day!

Run, then murder. Life is full for Mohawk Valley Girl!

Then I noticed that registration is through RunSignUp.  I love those guys!  It is so simple and straightforward to register through them, and they don’t try to sell you anything.

So, feeling all happy and determined to participate in this 5K, what did I do but take three days off running.  In my defense, it has been hot and humid, and my body has not been in the best of health (but you already know that; I spent my other posts this week whining about these things).  I went running today.  In fact, my intention was to make a Running Commentary post.   However, I see I am approaching 300 words, so how about a Registration Commentary post?  We’ll call it a win for Non-Sequitur Thursday.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Community Events, humor, personal, running and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

I’m Also a Witch

Posted on September 28, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

First a quick postscript to yesterday’s post (postpost?):  the crock pot applesauce was DELICIOUS, especially with the vanilla ice cream.  It was also yummy today for my lunch without the ice cream.  Unfortunately, my digestive woes continue.  I only mention it as a partial excuse for today’s Wuss-out Wednesday post.  Earlier this afternoon, I seriously considered cancelling the blog due to weather.  I thought, why not?  They call sports games for rain, snow or severe heat.  Lightning causes all sorts of cancellations and plan changes.  Why am I expected to function normally in unreasonably warm, muggy weather? (The weather folks call it “unseasonably warm,” but I calls it like I sees it.)

I know, I know, stop being such a baby.  That and, when have I ever functioned normally?  And when have I ever needed an excuse for Wuss-out Wednesday?  When have I ever used an excuse that was not immediately discounted, at least by those pesky critics in my head?  How many questions do you suppose I can fit into one paragraph?  Would you believe one more?

I think this blog is spinning out of control, even for a Wuss-out Wednesday.

What I may look like tomorrow morning.

When in doubt, look for a Halloween picture.  I went to the downloads on our laptop and found this.  I couldn’t quite see what it was in the downloads (too small), but I saw pumpkin, darkness, and said, OK.  Pumpkin spice coffee.  Ah, the thought of that encourages me.  It is the taste of autumn.  I could use some autumn.

I’m the one on the right.

I do not now where Steven got this picture, but I love old-fashioned stuff like this.  Ah, the thought of Halloween approaching makes me feel better about everything.

This time I’m the one in the middle.

Wow, my husband finds some great stuff online.  And too late I remember, I could have thrown in the pictures, called this Wordless Wednesday, and had done with.  I never do anything right!  On the other hand, if that’s what I am, I’ll embrace it.  Happy Wednesday, everyone.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Wuss Out Wednesday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →