Category Archives: personal

So Many Monsters, So Little Time

How about a Monstrous Monday with new pictures?  I am just as tired as I can be and still type.  However, I poked around a couple of my favorite Facebook pages and found a few pics I like.  My theme is Cheesy Movies for Future Sunday Cinema.

Usually people complain about having a target on their back.

This is The Invisible Invaders (1959).  I found it on B-Movie Mania.  I won’t hazard a guess as to what is going on, but if I ever find the flick, I would like to write a blog post about it.

The other two I found on The Golden Age of Monster Movies.  That group is more about the classics than the cheese, but one man’s Oscar is another man’s Oh My God!  (I just made that expression up.  I don’t always resort to cliches, you know).

They say fish is brain food, but are our brains food for fish?

Lee Majors and Karen Black, how bad could it be?  Actually, I don’t quite remember who Karen Black is, but Lee Majors was The Fall Guy!  “Well I’m not the kind to kiss and tell, but I’ve been seen with Farrah,” the theme song began, with a little nudge-nudge, wink-wink, because at one point Farrah Fawcett was Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

Is anybody taking bets?

Many people love a Monster Mash-up (see what I did there?).  I personally do not mind one monster per film, but I am also flexible.  I am also over 200 words.  I’ll call that OK for a Monday and, as always, try for a better post tomorrow.

 

A Little Murder on a Sunday

OK, so I am still going to be two blog posts behind, because I only made one post yesterday and am only making one today.  Yes, I had big blogging plans.  They did not work out.  Now I am sitting on my couch,  typing one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet,  sipping 19 Crimes wine and watching an episode of Columbo on DVD.  I love Columbo.  And 19 Crimes.   It is the original red blend, by the way.

I thought I could make a Sunday Cinema post.  For one reason, I know I have pictures of the two movies we have already watched in my Media Library.

First we saw that heart warming Joan Crawford classic about the mother and daughter who reunite after 20 years, Straitjacket. I love that movie.

No, she is not looking for candy in the movie, but I can’t find the picture without the caption.

I loves me a little Joan Crawford and a little William Castle.

Next we continued the severed head theme with Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte.  I haven’t had a Severed Head Sunday in a long time.

“From right here I could spit in your eye!”

I loves me some Bette Davis too.

This is the picture I was looking for.

I was also hoping to share a picture of Peter Falk as Columbo,  but I am quite frankly tired of looking through my Media Library.   I want to get back to watching the show.  Happy Sunday,  everyone.

 

 

I’m Running Again!

Saturday Running Commentary is back!  I am running again!  I know, I know, some people never stop, even if they are in a play.  Well, I can’t live up to every standard, even the ones I set for myself.  As it happens, I was not going to start running again today; I was going to content myself with a walk.  However, after a cup of coffee and some solitaire (with an actual deck of cards, OF COURSE), I thought I would give it a try.

It was 46 degrees out, above the temperature I usually go with shorts and short sleeves, but having not been running for at least a couple of weeks (I did not torture myself by figuring out the exact amount), I went with leggings and long sleeves.  I put on a wide headband to cover my ears.  I figured my ears were likely to get cold.

Right away things did not feel so good.  I was prepared for that and hunkered down for a slow, easy run.  Which way should I go?  I saw a woman walking across the road from me on German Street so turned in the opposite direction.  I did not need to see a walker outpacing me.  About a block ahead of me was a man walking two dogs.  I wanted to pet those dogs!  I doubted I would catch up with them.  Then, too, I did not recognize the dogs as any I had petted previously.  You can’t pet just any dog.  I always ask permission first.

As it happened, they crossed Caroline Street before I caught up with them, and I turned down Caroline.  That was OK.  The way my body felt, it I stopped to pet a dog, there was no guarantee I would start up again. But I persevered.  Eventually my legs stopped complaining.  My breathing was not too bad at any point.  That meant I was setting the right pace, I think.  Or maybe it was too slow of a pace, but I prefer not to second guess myself about these things.  Yesterday I got quite out of breath walking up the stairs at work carrying my bag with my lunch, notebook, etc.  I think it is a good idea I started running again.

It occurred to me that one reason the run was not completely horrible was that I have been successful at taking off a few pounds.  Not as many pounds as I want to take off, of course, but I have been doing better lately than I have in previous months.  Let’s hear it for salad! Let’s do a little better in laying off the treats!

I ended up running 24 minutes and walking 11 for my cool-down.  I really like my cool-down walk.  For one reason, it feels AWESOME to walk after running, and I drink water, which tastes SO good.  Additionally, I feel it enhances my progress toward my weight-loss goals.  I figure after running, my metabolism is all kicked up, so that walk burns more calories than it otherwise would.  If you are an expert at these things (or think you are, because you read a Facebook meme), and feel this is not the case, kindly do not disillusion me.

So I have made a blog post Saturday morning.  If I make another one before the end of the day, I will be back to one blog post behind.  Hey, that could happen.  After a good run, I feel I can do a lot of things!

 

Mid-Week Monsters to Cheer Me Up

Yes, I have the type it in, backspace it out disease.  I am going to combat it with — you guessed right!  — MIDWEEK MONSTERS!!! If monsters can’t cheer me up, nothing can!

Mmmm… I haven’t had shark steak in years.

The warm weather makes me think of summer, so here is one of my favorite summertime monsters:  Bruce, the title baddie in JAWS (1975).  What a fun flick, and a good story on the making of (as seen, for example in True Hollywood Story, which I used to watch all the time back in the early ’00’s).

Ooh, Peter Graves and Beverly Garland! Wait a minute, I don’t know who Beverly Garland is, although the name sounds familiar.

I don’t believe I ever saw this movie, but I find this to be a delightfully cheesy poster.  And, look, it was produced and directed by Roger Corman.  Its cheesy bonafides are confirmed!

Check out the RDA at the top of the poster!

Here is a bloody poster, from a Hammer Horror Flick.  I enjoy these movies, although they are more gory than my usual taste.

A creepy pic, to symbolize my responsibilities creeping up on me.

You just knew I would include a shot of Nosferatu (1922), didn’t you?  Andnow time is getting away from me, so I sign off.  The monsters did cheer me up.  I hope they had a similar effect on you (Freudian typo:  I put “cher” me up.  If I could turn back time!).

 

Not a Lot of Pictures, But…

So I didn’t make another post yesterday and thus get caught up.  Judge me if you’d like,  it is immaterial to me.  As for today, I am still recovering from my tiredness from the play.  Still, I had a pretty good day.  I had the foresight to put in for a vacation day, which I was fortunate enough to have to take.

I’m still pretty tired, though.  Too tired to sit up at the dining room table and type on the laptop with all ten fingers.  The couch is just SO comfy, and typing one letter at a time with the stylus is really not all that bad.  The more I do it, the better the predictive text thingy gets at, you know,  predicting (although it has yet to learn the word “thingy”).

All this by way of introduction to another All Morning’s at Seven All The Time. Yes, the play closed yesterday afternoon.  So what?  I have pictures!

Here we all are!

I must say that this is one of the best casts I have worked with.  Not a stinker among them!  The director and stage manager were pretty awesome, too.

Me and my good friend Jim.

This was the picture I most particularly wanted. It was my favorite scene.

I took a couple more pictures,  but they didn’t turn out so well.  There were other pics on Facebook that I could probably get,  but I don’t know how to do it on the Tablet .  Still, I’m over 200 words.  Regular readers know I consider that respectable.  Happy Monday,  folks!

 

Scattered Sunday in Progress

Maybe I should have called this one Typing Frantically Before Closing Afternoon.  My friend Kim will soon pick me up to go to the matinee of Morning’s at Seven at Ilion Little Theatre.  Full disclosure:  We are stopping first at the liquid store to purchase libations for the cast party following the performance. Judge if you would like, but I am SO looking forward to sipping a dry red later on.

It has been a lovely experience, being in a play again.  I must say it has been a wonderful group of people to work with.  But I am tired.  Could I be getting older?  SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!!!  Oh, who cares?  If I’m getting older, I’ll take a nap or a vitamin or whatever it takes.  This is how it works, you know.

So I managed to sleep in till almost seven this morning (how appropriate!).  After coffee and a few games of solitaire (with an actual deck of cards, as God intended), I went to the grocery store.  I got a few things: stuff to make a salad for this week’s lunches, vegetables to chop for the cast party (I REFUSE to call them crudites!).  After eating some food and reading some of the paper (I am actually caught up in my newspaper reading and was reading today’s paper!), I decided to go for a walk.

It was a very pleasant walk. I did not bring my Tablet with me and take pictures, though, because I thought two Pedestrian Posts in a row was too much.  When I got home, I took my shower, chopped the vegetables, and mixed up a batch of my famous garlic dip.  And I made what I fear is a rather dull blog post.  Oh well, you’ll have that with a daily blog.  I can’t turn out a winner every time (I KNOW there are those who can, and how unhandsome of you to point that out) (you know who you are).

No matter.  I have made a blog post.  If I make one after the cast party (who, me? Drink and type?  Could be!), I will FINALLY be caught up.  If not, at least I will be only one behind, not two, which I would be, if I did not hit Publish now.  I hope your weekend is progressing as nicely as mine.

 

Don’t Run, Walk!

There was little possibility of a Scattered Saturday post, as I spent much of the day fighting a headache and recruiting my energies for tonight’s performance for Morning’s at Seven at Ilion Little Theatre (just to continue my theme of All Morning’s at Seven All The Time).  When two naps did not resolve the problem, although 800 mg of ibuprofen took the edge off, I decided to try the effects of a little fresh air and exercise (am I the only on that every time I hear “fresh air,” a little voice in my head says, “Times Square!”?).  I took my Tablet along, thinking to make a Pedestrian Post.  Warning:  this post may be long and heavy on pictures.

I have not been running in too long a time, or I might have gone for a Running Commentary.  However, there are advantages in walking, one being that I could shower before and not after.  Also, the Tablet thing.  The only problem is, when I run and narrate in my head, I can choose not to use everything. When I take a picture, it just feels wrong not to use it.  No matter.  On with the post.

Yes, I still need to deal with last year’s leaves.

The first thing that struck my eyes was the beginnings of my peony bush, which magically appeared some years ago after Steven had successfully mowed down the wild day lilies enough times.  I said my stalker planted it, but I was just being silly.  Still, that is kind of a play on words:  plant, stalk.  Yes, I just have to be that way.  Anyways, I see I have to get out and pull up the day lilies AGAIN.  I’m not sure if the other greenery is violets or daisies, but I will let them live, because they don’t choke out the peonies.

Also in my front yard.

These are the same tulips I shared on my last Throwback Thursday post, two years later.  I hope to take another picture when they bloom.

Trinity Lutheran Church.

I walked up to German Street and turned right.  I hesitated to take pictures of people’s houses, because of privacy issues, but I thought a House of Worship would be all right.

You don’t know how anxiously I have waited to see green!

Further up the street, I got a shot of some white violets and dandelions.

This is an elegant place to stay, although I have never seen the inside.

I was certain a picture of the Bellinger Rose Bed and Breakfast would be good, because, you know, advertising.  I may save up for a night’s stay there, for the sake of another blog post as well as a romantic evening with my husband.

This is a relatively new sign, when they decided they no longer wanted to be called “H-Trip-C”

This is the sign at the bottom of the killer hill I run up when I am in good running shape (Preview of Coming Attractions, I hope!).

I didn’t realize I got my sneakers in this one.

I thought to include some purple violets along with the white ones.

I tried not to get the house in but loved the tulips.

 

I missed the buds in the tree. Rats!

These two were taken at the same house.  They also had tulips next to their front walk, but I did not get a picture.

I was afraid the colors would not come out quite right.

My favorite part of this time of year is the delicate green of the trees with brand new leaves. I’m afraid this picture did not adequately capture it, but it’s the best I could do.

These have actually spread to two places in my lawn.

When I got home, I went out back to get a picture of some perennials which came up.  I positively must get out there and clean things up so others can bloom.  After getting the picture, I went further back, to retrieve the cup I had seen this morning (and mentioned in my Late Lame Friday post).  It turned out to be a yogurt container, which no doubt blew out of somebody’s recyclable “one and done” container.  I picked it up and put in in ours.

Bunny and daffodils! Alas, not a good picture of either one.

I unfortunately startled a visitor to my lawn.  Yes, I know, these animals eat flowers and the vegetables I hope to plant, but I think they are cute.

The walk turned out to be just what I needed.  I am feeling much better, although it is almost time to start getting nervous for tonight’s performance.  Happy Saturday, all!

 

Back to Two Posts Behind: How Lame!

Yes, I missed my Lame Friday Post yesterday.  In my defense, and I guess it’s not much of a defense, I wanted to take a nap before getting ready for a performance of Mornings at Seven at Ilion Little Theatre (I believe I mentioned the play I am in).  Now I am up on Saturday morning, and, ooh, look, its just after seven.  OK, that’s all I got.

Still, blog posts must be made; we’ve gone over that before.

I paused then to go to the bathroom (please do not say TMI, I have a reason for mentioning it). On the way back here, I looked out the window, hoping to make a random observation or two.  Regular readers may remember that I declared Lame Post Friday the day for random observations and half-baked philosophy.

There is a what appears to be a fast food cup in my back yard, right at the back fence.  How did that get there?  Perhaps it blew during one of the wind storms.  I don’t imagine I get many passers-through in my back yard.  One day some little boys were climbing over the fence, but that was a long time ago.  I asked them not to do that, and I don’t think those boys live around here any more.  They would be unlikely to be carrying styrofoam coffee cups during the shenanigans I witnessed anyways (WHY is my computer underlining styrofoam?  That is certainly a word and has been for some time!).

That parenthetical comment could set me up for some half-baked philosophy about what is a word and why does my computer underline some of them, but I am over 200 words.  That is enough nonsense for a late, lame post, I think.  Happy Friday and Saturday, folks.