Category Archives: personal

W is for Wuss-out

Posted on September 17, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sorry, kids, it’s going to be a Wuss-out Wednesday Post.  I got my articles submitted to Mohawk Valley Living magazine and I seem to be done.  But I cannot be entirely done, because I will make some semblance of a blog post.

I have not murdered a weed in a while.

I just scrolled through my Media Library looking for something beginning with a W.  I made my Weed Murderer using a recipe I Googled.  The main ingredient was white vinegar, which I am currently unable to find in a gallon jug.  Hence, the unmurdered weeds in the cracks in my sidewalk and driveway.

Cheers to you, too!

For another W, here is my friend Kim with a glass of wine.  It is Sweet Little Blonde from Rustic Ridge Winery in Burlington Flats, NY.  She is drinking it at Heelpath Brewing Company in Frankfort.  Just to sneak in a little local.

Today was actually not as hot as expected.

How about the Wicked Witch of the West for a plethora of W’s?  This Look For The W’s game is fun!

I personally am a writing monster.

After the Witch, W’s got a little scarce in the old Media Library.  However, it seems appropriate to end on Writer.  I will strive henceforth to NOT be the non-writing kind.

 

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I Still Call Myself a Blogger

Posted on September 16, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

Have I crashed and burned after my second 15K in a week?  I fear ’tis true.  I managed a Monstrous Monday Post two days ago, then went to bed after a couple of attempts last night.  I added the pictures I took Sunday to my Media Library, but once again, words are not forthcoming.

So here I am, early Wednesday morning, making a quick silly post, so I can still call myself a daily blogger.  Oh, I know, people can call themselves anything.  It doesn’t mean other people will believe you.  For example, I tried to change my name to Zsa-zsa back in 1989.  It didn’t catch on.  In the army, people called me Q, eventually Sgt. Q.  In civilian life, not so much.  Oh, and in the mid-80’s, I invited folks to call me Amaretto Vetrone.  Few availed themselves of the invitation.

Well, I guess I’ve taken care of the silly part of the post.

I have been doing some small bits of writing these days.  As I sit here pecking out these words, I think, “Hell yeah, I can write.”  It’s like running, all you have to do is do it, but you have to do it.  If you see what I mean.

 

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Too Tired to Tingle

Posted on September 15, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I ran 15K again yesterday, at the mini maker sponsored by Copper City Brewing and Roman Runners.  I proceeded to celebrate my achievement with the result that I did not make a post last night and I am taking a Blogger’s Sick Day today.  I am TIRED! I made it through the day at work. When I got home I put trash and recyclables by the curb.  And I cooked a little supper.

Oh, just listen to me babble!  Quick, put in a monster picture.

I have similar dark circles under my eyes.

I need some rubber chickens in my life.  The above, of course, is Svengoolie, beloved horror host.  I said Blogger’s Sick Day,  but perhaps this will be a Monstrous Monday as well.

Poisonous? Or a sqeezer?

Some people are terrified of snakes.  This one does not look too threatening.  He (or she, I can’t tell) is painted on a walking path near my house.

Who does her hair?

Here is one of my favorites,  Elsa Manchester as The Bride of Frankenstein.   Hubba, hubba!

Now there’s a tight necktie!

I was looking for a picture of a sleepy or sleeping monster, but how about a monster on a sleeping victim?  It is Vincent Price in The Tingler.  And that brings me over 200 words.  Score!  And Happy Monday, all.

PS  I plan to write a post aboit the mini maker, hopefully by tomorrow.

 

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Busy Day Before 15K

Posted on September 13, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had a pretty good Scattered Saturday.  I had to be careful not to overdo it, because I might be running 15K again tomorrow.  I believe I mentioned the mini-maker at Copper City Brewing in Rome, NY Sept. 13.  Even though I ran my official Virtual Boilermaker last Sunday, I am signed up for the run in Rome.  I messaged Copper City and offered to act as a volunteer instead, if they needed another one.  In any case, I will be up early in the morning and off to Rome.

With a possible 15K in mind, I took a short run this morning.  On my cool-down walk, I stopped at a neighbor’s house, where they were setting up a garage sale.  They did not mind me taking a sneak preview.

Before garage saling, however, I had other chores to do.  I put a load of laundry in the wash and wrote a few post cards.  After the laundry was in the drier, I headed to Richfield Springs Community Food Cooperative, where I planned to have a cup of coffee and write.

Note to self: try to get a better picture.

For a picture of the Co-op, this shows a nice view of the opposite side of the street.  After that pleasant interlude, I went back home to Herkimer to consider further options. I went to two neighborhood garage sales, where I made a few fun purchases.  Then I decided to walk to Main Street to the Mohawk Valley Community Market, which includes Renewed and Rescued, and Wakefield Furniture.

Unfortunately,  it was close to their closing time when I got there.  I went across the street to the End Zone Pub and Grub for a beer.  When I was in the army, a drill sergeant said it was a good idea to have one beer the night before a PT test.  YES, I had just one beer!

Now I am home and taking it easy before my big day tomorrow.  I had a bowl of pasta and I am hydrating.  Am I better prepared to run 15K than I was last week at this time?  I don’t know.  However, I had an enjoyable Saturday and I am looking forward to Sunday.

 

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I’m Afraid It’s Lame Post Friday

Posted on September 12, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I made it through the week and contemplate the weekend with trepidation.  Is that the right word?  I usually try not to be so cowardly.  But I must be having a craven moment, because I just backspaced those two sentences out.  I restored them with the “edit undo” button.  I must not be afraid to admit when I am feeling scared.

So that was my first lame paragraph from this week’s Lame Post Friday post. I am tired, and I am having a bad writing week.  There, I admitted it.  At lunch time at work, as I sat cravenly doing a cryptogram puzzle instead of writing, I said, “I have got to get my act together.”  My co-workers agreed, saying that they had meant to mention that to me.  I can always count on my co-workers.

I don’t think I ever gave him a name.

I wanted to throw in a picture, to pep things up, and this one caught my eye.  He is currently lurking by me garage.  I don’t know where I will put him next.

This is where he used to lurk in the front yard, under Frankentree.

These are appropriate pictures for today, because the one thing I accomplished was to mow the front lawn.  It was in shade for the most part, so that was good.

Mmmmm… coffee…

This is the coffee cup I used this morning.  This would normally be the weekend for the Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival in Little Falls.  Alas!  One more thing to look forward to in 2021, I hope.  Oh dear.  I cannot end on such a sad note.  Can I find a cheerful picture?

Maybe I could look like this if I went on a really strict diet.

Here is a cheerful thought: COVID or not, I can decorate my porch for Halloween!  That will also make a good blog post!  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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Without Hoopla or Help

Posted on September 11, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I did a thing last Sunday.  I ran 9.31 miles.  Yes, it was my Virtual Boilermaker 15K, and I pretty much backed into it.

I ran for one hour one minute on Saturday.  I had a bad headache, which running seemed to help.  Unfortunately, I started to get nauseous.  Now, I have the idea that I can run pretty much as long as I make up my mind to.  Not so on Saturday.  Quite abruptly, I felt, “No.”  I don’t know if it was from my mind or my body, but I stopped running.  I walked home, wanting nothing more than to stay perfectly still, which I was eventually able to do.

Still, I think an hour is a pretty good run, and I had included a few hills, so I was not entirely dissatisfied with myself.  Sunday I thought I would try for seven miles, however long that took me.  Then I would be in good shape for the Mini-Maker at Copper City Brewing in Rome on Sept. 13.

For a hill, I went out Main Street.  Part of the road is closed to traffic, but they don’t say anything about overweight, middle-aged runners, so I feel free.  It is steep and long-ish, and if I go all the way out Highland, I can come down Steuben Hill.  Sometimes I go up Steuben and down Highland, but I prefer to go up where it is steeper and down the more gradual slope.  Just my preference.

The run was going pretty well.  My first mile was almost 15 minutes, which I was not pleased about, but I told myself not to worry, just keep going.

It was sometime after the second mile that I began to toy with the idea of going for the 15K.  I had a bottle of water in my hand.  I could re-fill it at the spring.  That was almost as good as having water stations. I had not planned my entire route, but I could just keep going till Map My Run told me nine miles.  Then I could keep going till it was 9.3.  I should be able to look at my phone (strapped to my upper arm) enough to ascertain that.  I just couldn’t finish on a sprint, as I like to do.

The phrase occurred to me, “without hoopla or help.”  That’s it, I thought.  Without hoopla or help, I will run my 15K.  It kind of went against the grain, because one of my mottoes of life is “I get by with a little help from my friends.”  In this case, however, I decided to do something by myself, for myself, to prove I could do it.  I was running through some fairly level streets in Herkimer, NY while I thought this.  I tried to keep up my pace yet told myself that it did not matter how long it took me, as long as I went the distance.  Then I started thinking about hills.  I had gone up a big hill.  I did not need to do any more.  Did I?

The fact is, Herkimer is not that large, especially if I did not want to cross Route 5, which I did not.  Additionally, I wanted to be at least an hour into my run before I finished my bottle of water and stopped by the spring.  All things considered, I decided my best bet would be to go up the kick-buttest hill in the residential area behind Valley Health.  I suppose I could have gone up the hill to Herkimer College, but I felt more comfortable in the other area.

It was not too awful getting up that long hill, and I was slowly racking up the miles.  I was just over an hour when I refilled my water.  Now where to run?  I thought of a route that would bring me by my beloved Historic Four Corners.  I’ll do that!  Then I added in a few more turns and streets, because I needed to run longer.  Soon I was wishing I had fully charged my phone, because it started making a noise which I was afraid meant low battery.  Please, phone, please, last for me!   At last I was at nine miles!  I was headed down Prospect Street, almost at Bellinger Avenue (not to be confused with Bellinger Street).  I could enter where it said Do Not Enter!  My favorite!

As I headed up my own street, I twisted my arm enough to see my phone.  Map My Run, don’t fail me now!  It did not.  I stopped running when it said 9.31 miles.  Yay!  I was right across from a neighbor sitting on his front stoop, one I often greet as I run by.

“I just ran my Virtual Boilermaker 15K!” I told him.

“Good for you,” he said.

And I just finished my blog post about it.  Phew!  I guess I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.

 

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Words Are Not Forthcoming

Posted on September 10, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought of that title earlier, when I was working on a letter to a friend.  I feel it is quite pathetic to be unable even to write a letter.

Eventually I turned to a new page in my notebook (yes, a spiral-bound paper notebook with a pen) and actually wrote something.  One word followed another and I soon had almost a whole page, front and back.  Was it any good?  I can’t tell.  What I can tell is that I need to get a better grip on this novel I am allegedly writing.

Full disclosure:  I am having difficulty in maintaining my grip at all these days.  Yesterday at work I spent a good part of the day telling people I was at the end of my rope.  A poster back in the ’70’s (it may have been an Argus poster, remember those?) said that if you get to the end of your rope, you should tie a knot and hang on.  I think you should swing.  It is fun to swing on a rope.  Or, if you are feeling vindictive, you could make a noose and go after whoever drove you to the end of the rope.  Just to threaten!  I am not recommending murder!

Well, that brings me over 200 words.  I’m going to call it Wuss-out Wednesday and drive on.  I am still working on the post about my Virtual Boilermaker 15K.  I trust eventually words will be forthcoming.

 

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Tired But Running And Posting

Posted on September 9, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just sat at my laptop and typed in 444 words of a blog post.  There are more words to be written, but I could not write them today.  Judge me if you are so inclined.  I am having a Tired Tuesday.

This is me tired.

I do not look like this right now, at least not the hair-do or outfit.  It is me after I ran a Virtual 5K to benefit the Little Falls Food Pantry.  I must have written a blog post about it, since the picture is in my Media Library.   My facial expression might be similar, because I am still recovering from running my Virtual Boilermaker 15K on Sunday.  That is what the 444 words were about.

This is me all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed before the run.

Is “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed”  a cliche or an acceptable idiom?  Or is it a retro expression which adds color to the post?  I fear it is the least flattering option.

I went running this afternoon, thus making a traditional Running Commentary Post a possibility.  My main comment is that my legs felt pretty awful to begin with and pretty terrific at the end.  I like to remember these things, because it is motivation to keep running!

In the meantime,  I shall continue to work on the post about my 15K.  Additionally,  I still hope to run the Mini- Maker at Copper City Brewing in Rome on Sunday Sept. 13.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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A Monstrous Moment

Posted on September 8, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

He’s got things all wrapped up.

Yes, it is another Monstrous Monday Post.  I am not even sure I can manage that, but I will try.  Don’t mind me; I’m having a moment.  For the past two months I’ve been having a moment.  I expect to get over it soon.

I need a little spookiness to cheer me up!

This is a neighbor’s Halloween display from last year.  I must begin my own Halloween decorating soon.  That will be nice.

He is hot, yes.

In other cheerful news, I just read that Peter Cushing is the Star of the Month for TCM in October.  That means Hammer Horror!  Yay!

Speaking of Masters of Horror…

 

Here are a few more fellows who I’d like to see featured by TCM:  Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price.

Yum, yum!

I thought I ought to include Christopher Lee as well.  No doubt there are others I should include, but there will be other Monstrous Mondays.

Regular readers know who my favorite is!

Here are a few actual monsters, just to get back to the theme of the day.

She needs a new outfit.

I close with another of my at-home monsters, Bonita.  Isn’t she elegant?  And that brings me over 200 words.  Freudian typo:  I started to put years instead of words.  How old I feel?  Or how long some things seem to take?  Anyways, it’s better than 200 pounds!

 

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Media Library, Can You Help Me Now?

Posted on September 6, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello, and welcome to another Slacker Saturday.  The only remotely useful thing I did today was a run of just over an hour.  I went on to feel discouraged as I got on Facebook to see numerous posts by people who had run their Virtual Boilermaker 15K, most of them in well under two hours.  Of course I was happy for and impressed by these people.  But I feel… unworthy.

My plan is to run the mini maker at Copper City Brewing in Rome next Sunday.  I hope they are not too impatient with me.  I rear I will be an elephant amongst gazelles.

But never mind my running problems.  I need to make a blog post, and I have done very little that is blog-worthy today.  Yes, I suppose I could do another Running Commentary Post.  Only I really do not feel like revisiting this morning’s thunk-fest.

My favorite!

When in doubt, throw in a picture.  I did not include Nosferatu in my Non-Sequitur Thursday Post,  but I noticed him in my Media Library just now and said, “Ooh!”

Now some people may say that if a blogger has not much to say, she might like to refrain from making a blog post that day.  I found a pat answer for that, also in my Media Library:

Kafka knew from insanity.

That is my problem!  I am not writing enough!  I know, some of you are looking at this post and quoting Truman Capote: “That’s not writing,  that’s typing.”  How literary of you.

Is this the monster Kafka was talking about?

Writing or typing, I am over 250 words.  I call that respectable.  Happy Saturday,  my friends!

 

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