Category Archives: personal

Pre-Race Lame Post (with a Dull Title)

Yes, it is another late Lame Post Friday post. So sue me (just to say something different from “judge me”). I am lounged on my couch, pecking into the Tablet with the stylus (which I have managed not to lose too many times this week), listening to the rain.

Normally I would be thinking about going on my run by now (halfway through my second cup of coffee, by the way). It is not merely the rain which deters me this morning. This afternoon I plan to participate in the inaugural Iron Rock Run at Iron Rock Brewing Company in Little Falls, NY.

The event is a benefit for Little Falls Food Pantry. I made an additional donation when I registered, as I am sure many runners did. The race is directed by Rock City Runners, who also sponsor the Little Falls Turkey Trot and my beloved Reindeer Run 5K.

I confess to feeling a little nervous about the run. I feel I have not trained as well as I might have. Then again, one can almost always do more, often at the expense of something else one wants or needs to do. That will count as my half-baked philosophy for the day.

Additionally , I have a tendency on these runs to “leave it all on the track” (in the words of an admired drill sergeant in my past). I run harder and faster than I think I am capable of, especially at the end. I start my final sprint too soon and finish up making terrible noises with my breathing. I kind of make a spectacle of myself. I do not know if more training would prevent this.

Perhaps later I can make a post about the run. Or I may blog about hearing our favorite band The Posers at the Brass Tack in Frankfort. I was also carbing up, by the way.

Is It Halloween Yet?

How about a nice Throwback Thursday Post? If I use a picture I shared recently, sorry. Of course, they will all be pictures I have used before. What am I getting so concerned about? On with the post!

Bonaparte and friends.

Here is a picture from 2019: our skeleton Bonaparte in the mug from our murder mystery, Fabulous and Fatal. Plus a couple of rubber duckies. We like rubber duckies.

We must do our porch soon.

This is also from 2019, our front porch. We still have Christmas lights out now, and a Santa Claus. Judge us if you like. There are reasons, but explanations are so tiresome.

Let’s wrap this up!

I bet you thought I was going to say, “I want my mummy!” It seems I am not going to reach 200 words today. You’ll have that. Happy Thursday, everyone!

It Is a Black and Grey Scarf

So I guess yesterday was a true Wuss-out Wednesday, since I declined to post at all. What, I wonder, is my problem? I actually wrote quite a bit before work and on breaks, blog and novel. Then I came home, hung out for a bit, went to dinner, came home, and knitted while watching Dateline. I finished another scarf. Anybody need a scarf?

Is this for Corn Hole?

We ate at The Tin Cup Tavern and Grille, just south of Little Falls, NY on Route 5. I am hoping to write about them for Mohawk Valley Living magazine. The deadline is today. Yikes!

Full disclosure: the article is mostly written; I just said Yikes to be dramatic. In fact, this was our third visit to the Tin Cup. I really did not feel like cooking.

My question now is: will I post again later so this is a late Wednesday post, or will I fail to post and call this Non-Sequitur Thursday? A little suspense adds interest to my day.

Ready to Run?

Look at me, making my Tired Tuesday post on Tuesday. I hope. Or as I like to call it Itsonlyfreakingtuesday. Only I don’t always say “freaking.” But never mind my whining. I went running today so thought a Running Commentary post might be possible.

I was determined to go running today, because I have a four and a half mile run in Little Falls, NY on Saturday. It is the Iron Rock Run at Iron Rock Brewing Company, directed by Rock City Runners. I believe beer will be involved.

Taken on a recent visit there.

I had been beating myself up for not running yesterday, when temperatures were more moderate and humidity lower. Still, this afternoon did not seem as uncomfortable as this morning’s weather forecast seemed to threaten. I got into my gear and went.

My first thought was, I am never going to be able to run for four miles on Saturday! I was skeptical of my ability to keep it up very long today. Just keep going, I told myself. I had it in mind to go on a long run with a major hill, but I found myself revising my plans.

I had also miscalculated the humidity. It was indeed muggy; I just had not really felt it till I started moving. Oh well, a little sweat never hurt anybody. I persevered.

I ran up a couple hills, not the major impressive ones, but I found them challenging. I hung in for just over two and a quarter miles, 30 minutes (yes, it’s slow, what do you want from a middle-aged, overweight shuffler?). It became less painful as I went, although I did ask a little girl to give me a ride home in her plastic car (I think she actually might have tried to). I petted one nice dog.

On the whole, not a bad run. I can’t say I have a whole lot of confidence about Saturday, but we shall see. At least I hope today’s run helped me be a little more prepared.

What I Have Been Doing Other Than Blog

One step forward two steps back, thus goes my macabre dance of being a daily blogger. I threw in the adjective macabre just to be dramatic. Of course I did not mean to miss three days blogging. Of course I do not have time or brain enough to make a decent post now. However I do have a few pictures of what I have been up to. I present a few as a Preview of Coming Attractions.

Never forget.

On Saturday Steven and I attended a 9/11 Memorial Walk in Little Falls, NY.

Good music.

After the walk we enjoyed music by KO Grainger.

Nice place.

Later on we stopped at the Tin Cup Tavern and Grille.

More about these later, I hope!

Hey! It Is 200 Words!

I say it is not really Friday when I have to work on Saturday. However, all I can manage right now is a Lame Post Friday post. Because I have to go to bed soon to get up early for work. Ugh.

Here is an interesting grammatical phenomenon. “Because I have to etc.” is a sentence fragment. But if I take away the word “because,” it is a complete sentence. What kind of a messed up language is this, where by adding a word you make a complete sentence be a fragment? What’s that all about?

Unfortunately that is about all I have right now. No other random observations or half-baked philosophy come to mind. Say it ain’t so!

I have other things to blog about eventually. We went to a beer tasting at Beet Belly Bob’s in Ilion, NY tonight. Tomorrow we plan to participate in a 9/11 Memorial Walk in Little Falls, NY. Preview of Coming Attractions.

In the meantime, I think I will follow my recently adopted rule about not worrying if I do not reach 200 words for a blog post (my addmittedly arbirtary self-imposed rule) (ooh, admittedly arbiter is alliterative! Regular readers know I love alliteration). Happy Friday, everyone!

More Max, Less Post

Fine daily blogger I am these days! I make a short post, then I miss a day! Right now it is Friday morning, and I don’t have a whole lot of time (for one reason, I also neglected to pack my lunch yesterday). I thought I might just share the other pictures I took of Max Scialdone at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort and call it a post.

Note the hockey team pennants.

He opened with “Vaya Con Dios.”

I liked the light show, too.

Steven especially enjoyed “Burning Ring of Fire.” He told me it was written by June Carter Cash.

The view from our seats at the bar.

I sang along with “Sister Golden Hair.”

I do love to eat good food and listen to good music!

Good Evening, Not Much Post

Steven and I just got back from Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY, where we enjoyed music from Max Scialdone.

He is fine, yes.

My problem is one I often experience: now that I have had a Mohawk Valley Adventure, I am too tired to write about it. I shall share another picture and post this as a Preview of Coming Attractions. Or perhaps a Wuss-out Wednesday. You decide.

I love his musical stylings.

I feel certain, my readers will forgive me. Or do I mistake the matter?

Are You Tired of My Blog Posts?

It is, yes it is Tired Tuesday. It felt like a Monday, because of the three day weekend, and I think that made me even more tired: a Monday and Tuesday in one.

But just listen to me whine. And be boring. Can’t I think of anything more original to say than it felt like a Monday and I’m tired? Quick, throw in a picture to pep things up.

Pretty!

When in doubt, send flowers. My husband, Steven, was just saying today how much he loves our Brown-eyed Susans. This is a previously shared photo. I think they are even bigger now, but of course I am too tired to go outside and take another picture.

Menacing, no?

Here is a picture taken in August, but we have seen many days of dark, threatening clouds. I personally love them, although I realize we have gotten far too much rain in many areas. I imagine many people are, yes, tired of rain.

“I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”

In searching for a suitable picture to close with, I came across this beauty. The skeleton parts currently reside in a heap on our porch. Steven noticed them yesterday but did not remember them from last October (in his defense, he was dealing with some health issues).

“I took a picture for a blog post,” I said, mentioning the caption, which I have also used again. “I wonder if I can find it again.”

And it seems I did. I think it adds a certain je ne sais quoi to my otherwise random blog post. Or do I flatter myself?

A Short Monstrous Post

And so I come to the end of an enjoyable three day weekend. How monstrous that I must return to work tomorrow! Thus making my Monstrous Monday Post appropriate. See what I did there?

He’s scary!

I open with my all time favorite, Nosferatu. For the uninitiated, this is a 1922 silent film, and one of the scariest ever made. I have not actually watched it in a long time. I rarely watch silent movies, because it is too difficult to knit or crochet during them.

Well, this is a truly monstrous development. I cannot seem to navigate my Media Library. I have had this problem before. It is terribly frustrating.

The course of true love ne’er did run smooth.

Earlier today we watched Frankenstein followed by The Bride of Frankenstein. James Whale, who directed both, was a phenomenal filmmaker. I just love old school horror.

Claude Rains, in a wonderful voice performance.

James Whale also directed The Invisible Man, which I may watch again soon. I must strive not to become the Invisible Blogger.