Category Archives: Non Sequitur Thursday

Non-Sequential Chores

Posted on May 29, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sometimes you just have to do something, anything.

I know, this is under the heading of “Well, duh” advice. However, I have had it demonstrated for me three different times today. Four if you count the library. This being Non-Sequitur Thursday, I think it will be appropriate to tell three small but differing stories with a common theme. Think of it like Love Boat or Fantasy Island (if you don’t get the reference, consider that another non sequitur).

Finish That Novel May is not going well. I seem to spend a lot of time looking at what I have and asking, “What is this? Where do I go now? Oh crap!” Well, today at lunch I just started writing a scene. And it was good! It was important! And dramatic! I finished that scene and I wanted to pump my fists in the air and shout, “Yes! THAT was a scene!” I started another scene during the two o’clock break, wrote a little more of it just before going home, and I walked out of that place wanting to sing.

I went to the library and worked on another chore that needs must be done, but feel less triumph over that so shall not count it as proof of today’s opening sentence. However, I was fortunate enough to find a few good books at their ongoing book sale before I left.

At home I was hit with a huge wave of I Can’t Do ANYTHING! I felt down, dumpy and sad. Then about ten or fifteen minutes before Steven was due to arrive home I said to myself, “Just clean till he gets home.” I couldn’t believe how much I got done. Not everything, of course, because my house is kind of a sty. But I felt much better and was able to greet my husband with a big smile.

Till I confessed all the stuff I had not gotten done, then I felt a little sad again. One thing I had been going to do was to make a tossed salad for tomorrow’s lunch, including hard-boiled egg.

“Do you want me to start the eggs for you?” Steven asked. I said OK, because if I couldn’t manage to make the salad I could always eat the eggs for breakfast.

Full disclosure: I forgot to check on the eggs to see when they started boiling. Luckily Steven remembered before the water had boiled away. I made the salad. The eggs were just right.

And that made me feel good enough to tackle the other chore I had been putting off for today: writing my blog post.

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Posted in humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal and tagged blog post, blogging, chores, Finish That Novel May, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Is the Blog Post as Bad as the Run?

Posted on May 15, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

When I start to run up a hill, I almost never have any doubt that I will make it to the top; it is merely a question of how much it is going to suck. I said this to myself this afternoon as I ran up the hill to Herkimer College (often referred to as HCCC in this blog) (incidentally, that is read, “H-triple-C”). Then I tried to calculate exactly how much it actually sucked. How are these things measured, anyways?

Of course no run, however bad, entirely sucks. For one reason, you are doing it. The satisfaction of Running Anyways is not to be denied. When one is working towards a goal — in my case, the Boilermaker 15K — one can also comfort oneself that one is making progress. When I run up the hill to Hekimer College, another reward is the wonderful views when I get to the top.

One plan I had considered for this week was to run Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. As may have been expected, I wussed out on Wednesday. I would accept no excuses from myself today (to give myself some credit, I did not even try to come up with any). Since I had not run Wednesday and since I am having serious doubts of my ability to run the Boilermaker and not have it suck (see first paragraph), I thought I should run a longish run and include hills.

After considering and discarding several routes, I turned up Lou Ambers Drive and headed for the college. It was not fun. I wondered if I would ever reach the I Can Rock This stage again. But I kept going. Once I got to campus I kept going uphill, by the buildings and around the athletic fields. Oh, it took a long time. To be fair, it did not suck the whole time. It never felt wonderful, but at certain times it was… neutral.

At last I was headed down Reservoir Road. Downhill did not feel as good as it usually does. For one reason, I worked on my feet all day today. For another reason, I REALLY need to get to the Sneaker Store in New Hartford, NY, and get new running shoes. Never mind, I told myself. Just make up your mind to it your feet are going to hurt ALL THE TIME and don’t worry about it. I looked around at the distant views and the closer scenery to take my mind off it. That helped.

My previous longest run time had been 41 minutes (I may have said 40 in an earlier blog post, but I checked my running journal and it’s 41). It was soon apparent I would not get back home in that length of time. I feared I would be increasing my time by longer than the recommended 10 percent. I felt that would be OK, because I’m training for the Boilermaker. I have to get used to running for long periods of time.

I ended up running for 46 minutes. I did not feel pretty terrific, as I often do after a run. I felt, and still feel tired. I thought I was too tired to write a blog post. It seems I was not. Was I too tired to write a good blog post? Oh, who cares? It’s Non-Sequitur Thursday. Slap on a title and call it a night.

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Posted in humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal, running, running commentary and tagged Boilermaker, Herkimer College, Herkimer County Community College, running, tired. Bookmark the permalink.

My Train of Thought Jumped the Tracks

Posted on May 8, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Over a week ago I asked myself how I could de-funkify (I suppose that’s not a word, but I like it). It seems I have not yet found the answer, as I sit here on Non-Sequitur Thursday with not a post in sight nor many thoughts in my head. Another question I have asked before: What’s a blogger to do?

I did not go running (what a surprise). I took a short walk with my schnoodle Tabby, but nothing blogworthy. I had thought to fix something interesting for supper and do a cooking post, but felt in too much of a funk to do so. I finally forced myself to make a tossed salad. The therapeutic benefits of chopping vegetables are not to be denied. Unfortunately, today they only lasted as long as the vegetables did.

I managed to maintain enough oomph to make some Italian salad dressing (the kind in the envelope where you add oil and vinegar). Then I made another envelope’s worth and put some stew beef in it to marinade for crock pot purposes tomorrow. So apparently my funk is not completely incapacitating.

Finish That Novel May is progressing. Not progressing nicely, but I am putting words on paper. I’ve written a few more scenes. Actually, they kind of flow one into the other, so it’s more like one long scene. I was just getting to the exciting part when my break ended. I hurriedly wrote two more sentences then went back to work. My boss was near my work area but did not say anything to me. It’s kind of too bad, because I was all set to say, “I was just getting to the poison!”

Oh dear, have I given away a major plot point? I always say too much! Oh, OK, not really. I’m just being dramatic again. In fact, I think I have said enough for this to count as a blog post. Perhaps my funk will clear of its own accord in time for Lame Post Friday.

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Posted in blogging, humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal, writing and tagged blog post, funk, novel, Tabby, walking, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Show All Your Work

Posted on May 1, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Twice now this week I’ve gone running. Twice I have narrated in my head, coming up with some rather witty commentary if I do say so. Twice I have sat down at the computer and NOT been able to write the post.

Well, I can’t wuss out, because this is not Wuss-out Wednesday. It is Non-Sequitur Thursday. I shall come up with something non sequential but fun. Or I’ll write a short, foolish post and slap on a goofy headline that doesn’t really fit.

But first I have to start dinner.

OK, I cooked the last of the bacon (we don’t often have bacon, but Steven had a craving). While it cooked I sliced some red onion and opened a can of mushroom pieces and stems. Then I cooked a couple of cube steaks, seasoning them with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and lemon pepper (I used the last of the Worcestershire, but I know Steven put it on the shopping list).

When the steaks were almost done, I put on the onions, mushrooms and bacon on them, then covered them with cheese. Full disclosure: not real good cheese. We got it to hide Tabby’s medicine in, but it turns out peanut butter works better.

Oh yes, I cooked with wine. I did not put any in the food this time, because I don’t have a whole lot. Next time I might put it on the food. I think cube steaks need all the help they can get.

In the meantime, I hope this counts as a post, even without a catchy title.

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Posted in humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal and tagged blog post, blogging, cooking, cooking with wine, food, wine, Wuss out Wednesday. Bookmark the permalink.

Running in Place toward May (and July)

Posted on April 24, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had been going to write a Running In Place Commentary, because I ran in place on the mini-tramp today. However, in looking at my WordPress notifications, I saw some interesting comments on yesterday’s post. One in particular gave me my topic for today’s post.

Fellow blogger Mark Bialczak suggested I declare next month Finish That Novel May. What a marvelous idea! Like NaNoWriMo only I don’t have to write the whole damn thing in 30 days. For one thing, May is 31 days. Already I’m ahead of the game. And I have a lot written on this novel. Some needs to be cut, some new scenes written, lots of organization…

So that is my new plan. I will no doubt write further blog posts on the topic.

In the meantime, in the interests of Non-Sequitur Thursday, I’ll just mention that I wrote more on the new novel while at work today. A new character magically appeared. I love it when that happens. Other characters are developing, plot points present themselves, I am enjoying it a great deal.

As the Boilermaker 15K continues to approach (yes, another non-sequitur), I knew I must run. Of course the weather did not cooperate, with snow falling all day. Then again, what do I care about the weather? I can and do run in crappy weather. However, today I elected to run in place on the mini-tramp.

While I ran, my husband Steven and I watched The Blue Dahlia, which we DVR’d from TCM back in February. Naturally we discussed what we were watching, but I mustn’t share too much, in case you’d like to watch the movie sometime. It is not one of the cheesy ones I delight in giving plot summaries of.

Incidentally, the Boilermaker is in July (I just wrote the headline and realized the reference might be obscure).

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Posted in humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal and tagged blog post, blogging, Boilermaker, novel, running, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

As the Laundry Turns

Posted on April 17, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

My usual plan when I’m going away for the weekend is to write blog posts ahead. WordPress even has a handy function whereby I can set the posts to Publish at an appropriate future time.

You know what, I can just hear somebody carping now (or is it karping? Carping looks too much like carpe diem, which is not the same thing): “I thought the point of the blog was to write every day. If you write blog posts ahead, you are not writing every day now, are you?”

Oh, shut up (I explain) (that’s an S.J. Perelman joke). I’ll still write every day. I just won’t necessarily write a blog post. After all, this blog is not the only thing I write. Besides, SOME readers LIKE to see a post from me every day. I can’t let them down, can I? Of course I could, perhaps sometimes I do, but I try not to.

I wrote the above when I was sitting in the laundromat Wednesday, wishing to high heaven that somebody had left a magazine lying around. Once I found a trashy paperback in the laundromat. That was sweet. It was somehow a randomly found paperback was a more engrossing read than any number of books I have purchased or selected at the library.

No such rescue awaited me on Wednesday. I sat there with my notebook, attempting to write my novel, a letter, my play, a blog post, ANYTHING. It was no good. However, I see that the silliness I did manage is over 200 words. I call that a blog post, and quite appropriate for Non-Sequitur Thursday. But whatever will I do on Lame Post Friday? Stay tuned, we’ll find out together.

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Posted in blogging, humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal, writing and tagged blog post, blogging, lame post, laundromat, novel, silliness, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Also, I’m Lightheaded

Posted on March 27, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday when I shared my blog post on Facebook (as I always do), I made the comment that I proved I could make a blog post even when I had a terrible headache/upset stomach thing going on (NOT due to the subject of the post, I made clear). I did feel dreadfully ill. I felt proud of myself for not taking a blogger’s sick day. I felt better today.

Till after work, when I felt ridiculously tired and brain dead. OK, I felt brain dead most of the day at work, too. I tried to work on blog or novel during lunch but could not. I returned to a letter I had started to a friend and found I could not make much progress on that either. What gives, I asked myself. Headache aftermath?

All this by way of introduction to this week’s Non-Sequitur Thursday. I feel it is a non sequitur that yesterday I was ill but today I am taking a sick day. Is it easier to overcome illness or inertia? Hey, how did you like that sentence? Every word but “to” began with a vowel, and some people wouldn’t even count “to.”
And now I just ended a sentence with a preposition. That is one thing you are not supposed to end a sentence with.

And now I’m being silly. What a surprise. Sorry, sports fans, my head’s just not up to it. I’m going to slap on a non sequitur-ish headline and call it a night. Happy Thursday, everyone.

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Another Non-Sequitur Thursday

Posted on March 13, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

When I left for work this morning I did NOT bring the puzzle book which was part of my downfall the other day. I was going to WRITE on my breaks. I did bring a printout of the article I was working on for Mohawk Valley Living. I thought I could work on it.

I got to work early enough to write. I looked over the article. Marked out how I wanted to rearrange the paragraphs. Added a sentence or two. Made a couple of notes of things to look up further. This was great. I felt like a real magazine writer.

It was time to begin work before I got much else done. At my nine o’clock break, I thought I might work on a blog post. Couldn’t think of anything. I’d written a bunch of notes on my novel (currently at something of a standstill) but felt I could add nothing to them. My play was in the other notebook.

That play. I’m going to be seeing the fellow I’m writing it for next week. And I don’t think it is very good. I think I have some major plot problems. I began writing a synopsis of the plot, so as to get a better handle on what I had going on. I continued the synopsis during my lunch break (pausing to call and talk to my husband, obviously a very important thing to do). I think it is very complicated.

When I got home, I got to work on stuff to submit to Mohawk Valley Living, the deadline for which is tomorrow. I finished my article. I took two previous blog posts and edited them for submission. This, I might add, was a long and complicated process, given my old and infirm desktop computer (I’m composing this on the acer). May I just add, the comfortable feeling of being a real magazine writer did not last.

All this by way of saying, I’m too tired to also write a blog post. However, if my dearest husband can help me come up with a catchy title, we can call this another Non-Sequitur Thursday.

I Finished the Book, By the Way

Posted on March 6, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

When I impulsively put the leash on Tabby and set out for a walk, I thought I had solved my blogging problem for the day: I could do a Pedestrian Post. As I sit here in front of the keyboard, I realize I still have to write something. As we tramped through the snow, Tabby stopping to sniff at every remotely yellow patch, I was narrating in my head. Now I can’t seem to remember any of the good stuff. If there was any.

Oh, but it did feel good to walk, when the wind wasn’t piercingly cold against us. I could tell Tabby felt good about it as she trotted along eagerly in between sniffing sessions. I kept a close eye on her for signs of shivering or limping. She seemed quite happy, and I kept the walk on the short side.

I was sad to walk by two houses that I know have lovely front yard gardens. They have the same mounds of snow everybody else has now. I was happy to note that the sidewalk plow has been busy. Of course that leaves a bit of snow behind, but a little more effort in a walk is a good thing when you are walking, as we were, for entertainment and exercise.

Most of us are longing for spring. Green grass, warm breezes, flowers. Even allergies seem better than the runny nose engendered by cold air (we’ll see how much better it seems when it gets here). I don’t want to bemoan my fate and add to the chorus of complaints. I’m grateful that I went for a walk today. I look forward to being more grateful yet, especially when I write a blog post about the first crocuses I see.

Now if I can only think of a good title for this post, we can call it Non-Sequitur Thursday.

It Really, Truly Is a Blogger’s Sick Day

Posted on February 20, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Remember yesterday, when I kind of sort of didn’t wuss out on the blog post? I seem to remember saying that a Blogger’s Sick Day had been a real possibility. Guess what today is.

Oh, if only I could end it there, hit publish and have done with it. Well I can’t. I have felt too awful to write a blog post but not too awful to write at all. I wrote a couple of pages on the play I am working on. It is turning out to be a farce, and it gets sillier as I go. And yet, the silliness is beginning to make sense. Perhaps that is just the virus talking. Whatever.

I was supposed to do laundry after work. I got halfway to work and realized that although I had the dirty clothes (Steven had put them in my vehicle last night), I had forgotten the detergent and the quarters. And my cup of coffee (the coffee was not essential for laundry, but it was going to make the quality of the day ahead of me much better).

Reflecting that a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved while a joy shared is a joy doubled, I told my sad story to one of my work friends. He offered to loan me $20. When I said no, thank you, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill, which he insisted I take. He also found me two dollar coins in another pocket, which he pressed on me. He wanted me to at least be able to have some coffee.

There is more to this story, but I am too ill to continue typing. I am going to bed. This has been my Non-Sequitur Thursday post for the week. Thank you for playing.

Mohawk Valley Girl