Category Archives: personal

An Abominable Monday

Posted on January 22, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I don’t want to make a blog post now!  It’s Dateline day on OWN!  Oh well, nobody is forcing me to be a daily blogger; it is my own dumb idea.  So I will try for a Monstrous Monday.

I would like to be this relaxed about now.

I was looking for a picture of the Abominable Snowman but could not find one, so I insert one of my slippers.  I have completely worn out those slippers.  Steven got me new ones for Christmas, but not monstrous ones, so a picture of them will have to wait.

Getting back to the post at hand, it has been kind of a monstrous day.  Yes, that is usual for a Monday, but I was treated to a different kind of monstrousness today (my computer seems to think that “monstrousness” is not a word, but it is exactly what I mean to say).   It was beyond cold, below zero plus wind chill.  My husband Steven nicely went out to brush off my car  while I was still getting ready for work.  I joined him already in progress and moved a couple shovels-full of snow from the end of the driveway.  My hands quickly got icy and I decided to take my chances.  About this time, Steven said he was going back in the house while his hands could still function to turn the doorknob.  The car was pretty much clear by then anyways.  It only needed a couple of swipes across the windshield with the scraper.

I felt triumph when my little car got out of the driveway without too much problem.  It is the smallest car I have driven in years.  But this is supposed to be a Monstrous Monday, not an account of my day.

I found him! I found him!

After taking a break to eat some supper, I took another look for pictures of Bumbles, and I found one!

I see I am over 300 words.  Regular readers know I consider that respectable.  When I make these nonsensical posts, I feel it is best to keep them short.  Well, maybe one more monster picture.  Happy Monday, everyone.

You just know I was going to pick Nosferatu, didn’t you?

 

 

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Haunted by Eve, I Snapped on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Posted on January 21, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Ah, Sunday, what a day.  I have traditionally said there is no point in trying to get anything done on a Sunday, hence, my Wrist to Forehead Sunday and Sunday Cinema features.  Today is no different.  In fact, I am trying to make my post after only two movies.  Wait a minute, I think I did that last week. I am not motivated to go back and check.  Did I mention that Sunday is a low motivation day for me?  I think I did.

They are on the look-out for ghostly phenomena!

We started out our movie viewing with The Haunting (1963).  I had been thinking of it because somebody mentioned it on one of my horror movie pages on Facebook.  I have always held it up as an example of how scary a movie can be with just sound effects and acting.  On this viewing I noticed how dated it was in one respect:  the head ghost-hunting guy had to be sensitive to how people might look askance at his activities.  His wife begs him to come home and stop making a fool of himself.  These days he would have his own reality show!  Then again, some people consider these reality shows a little foolish.  The subject is too deep for me to get into now!

The couple of the moment.

After The Haunting, we went to All About Eve (1950), one of my all-time favorites.  It is arguably the role Bette Davis was born to play.  Would anybody like to argue the point?  Please comment below.

Now I am looking at Snapped, because I cannot think of another movie to go to.  What’s that all about?  I suppose it doesn’t matter.  I am over 250 words, respectable enough for a blog post.  In the coming week, perhaps I will work on becoming more that merely respectable. Will I succeed?  A little uncertainty lends interest to my week.  Happy Sunday, everyone.

Every Sunday and any other day I can find it!

 

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Scattering before the Storm

Posted on January 20, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Scattered Saturday it is!  For one reason, I can type this in quickly (I hope) and get back to the relaxing portion of the day.  Just a note of background:  today is supposed to be a major winter storm.  The weather people have been talking about it for days now.  Right now is the part of the day we are supposed to be hunkered down, waiting till it is time to go out and do some major shoveling tomorrow.  I suppose I can make a blog post while I hunker, but I would rather be watching a movie or true crime television.  On with the blog post, so I can get back to it!

We got up early today, having gone to bed early last night.  I felt rather ill-used to have a headache first thing in the morning.  I hadn’t even had a Friday night libation!  I wondered if too much sleep was to blame.  YES, I slept a lot on Friday.  I had a migraine, remember?  At least, regular readers will remember.  For sporadic tuners-in who missed yesterday’s lame post,  I had a migraine yesterday.  I sought exercise as a cure:  first I drank two large glasses of Gatorade, then I ran in place on the mini-tramp.  The headache wasn’t gone, but I could live with it.

After my usual call to Mom and Dad, I wrote a few post cards.  I was puttering around getting my act together when Steven went out to brush off the cars.  We feared the winter storm had started early, but it was merely a dusting overnight.  I got outside in time to help with the brushing, then I was off to Ilion.

My mission in Ilion was to get my work shoes for the year from Melfe’s.  I will no doubt write a blog post about that; I usually do.  My plan after that was to go to Moose River Coffee for a cup of the BEST coffee.  I could sit and write while I drank it.  Alas, they were not open.  A sign in the door said they were doing a tasting at Little Falls Food Co-op.  Well, I love Little Falls Food Co-op but was not into driving to Little Falls.

As I pulled into the parking lot for Ilion Wine and Spirits, I remembered Honey Brook Hobbies.  Maybe they had coffee!  Alas (again), they did not.  I bought a few cookies, though, because they looked really good (they were; I ate one right away).  Then I went to the liquor store and got a couple of bottles.

Back home I thought I was in for the day.  After all, it was already snowing.  However, my friend Kim needed to go to the liquor store and get something to see her through the storm.  Naturally I went with her to Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer.  After all, I still had my bra on (do NOT say TMI!) (you know who you are).  We tasted some wine and purchased some as well (oh, don’t shake your head or your finger at me!) (or even your booty, although that would be less of a problem) (it’s not like I’m going to drink it all TONIGHT!).

I cooked a pretty good dinner (not early enough to call it supper) while we looked at a Dateline I had DVR’d a while ago (judging from the taped commercials).  Now it is over so I must find something else to watch.  I see I am over 500 words, which I call more than respectable.  If you are in the path of the storm, I hope you are hunkered down.  For all others, Happy Saturday!

 

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Post Migraine Lame, with Monsters

Posted on January 19, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Am I ever glad it’s Lame Post Friday!  And not just in a TGIF sort of way.  I had a perfectly dreadful migraine today. It’s still not quite gone but is much better.  I apologize for complaining about my ills.  I fear I am turning into one of those kvetches who is always pissing and moaning about something.  People will stop believing anything really hurts, if they even believe me now.  And if they do believe me, they will get tired of hearing it.

OK, new paragraph, new line of thought.

I typed that sentence in then sat here and stared at it.  This will never do.  In desperation, I turn to my Media Library and look for a monster picture.

He looks about as miserable as I felt trying to sleep earlier.

Vincent Price in The Tingler, one of my favorites (both the actor and the movie).  “Scream!  Scream for your lives!”  That is appropriate for today, since I thought to myself at one point, “I am in screaming pain.”  Only I did not scream.  Would it have helped?  Too late to find out now.  I am only in whining pain.  Oh, dammit, I’m talking about my ills again.  Quick, look for another monster.

Perhaps a few hundred years’ sleep is what I need, too.

That actor is all wrapped up in his part.  One thing about sleeping in a coffin, you would be unlikely to toss and turn.

Look at her give him the side-eye!

Maybe I should do the opposite of what the did in The Brain that Wouldn’t Die.  He saved his girlfriend’s head and looked for a new body to put it on.  I could cut off my aching head and replace it with one that doesn’t hurt.  Maybe a smarter one, too.  And with better hair while we’re at it.  Come to think of it, my body isn’t so great either, so why would I want to be keeping that?  Waaaait a minute!  I can’t get a whole new me!  Can I?  That’s getting too philosophical for me. Then again,  I do like to indulge in half-baked philosophy on Lame Post Friday.

His eyes look a little droopy.

I shall close this nonsense with The Brain from Planet Arous, since I am obviously making very little use of my brain today.  I hope you are all having an enjoyable Friday evening.

 

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Remembering Adventures Past

Posted on January 18, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I want to do a Throwback Thursday today, only instead of revisiting theatre pictures, I thought I would look for pictures of Mohawk Valley adventures.  I’m afraid this blog has been short on Mohawk Valley adventures lately.  I hope to correct that soon, but in the meantime, let’s look back.

My theatre costumes should look this good!

Here is one of the first pictures I used in the blog, from October 2016.  It was a display of Hollywood costumes at Sangertown Mall.  It takes something that good to get me to the mall any more.

Steven at the jail. How appropriate.

This is the famous 1834 Jail at Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners.  It has been the site of many adventures, for me and others, but this shot is from a walk I took with my husband Steven in July of 2017.

Mmmmm… garlic…

Here is one of our all-time favorite events:  the Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival at Canal Place in Little Falls.

I hope this is not a preview of coming attractions.

Ah, here is a Mohawk Valley adventure I hope not to repeat, although the weather reports are threatening.  Of course this area can get a lot of snow.  Well, I’m tough.  I can shovel it, I can drive in it.  I can even write another blog post about it.

For today, this will have to do.  Happy Thursday, everyone.

 

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Who Me? Forget My Blog Post?

Posted on January 17, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Full disclosure:  I got out of bed to make this blog post.  I remembered before I got into bed that I had forgotten my blog (Can you believe such a thing?  What the hell, me?), but I had already heated up my rice bag and did not want to waste the heat (if I put a hot rice bag on the back of my neck every night before I sleep, it helps my headaches).  I have a really sick headache today.  Not so much pain as light-headed-ness and all around crappy feeling.  Sorry to bitch; I’m just trying to give you the full picture.

So I said to hell with it and laid down with the rice bag.  Naturally I could not sleep.  I am an insomniac from way back.  Finally I decided to get back up and make my silly post.  I may still have insomnia, but at least it will not be guilt-ridden from skipping a blog post.

Where was I?  Ah yes, writing about not writing.  I did write today.  Not as much or as good as I had hoped, but you can’t have everything.  Earlier today I gave myself a stern talking to.  I asked myself what I was being so angst-y and dramatic about?  I write light-hearted, chatty fluff. I write fast and I have fun doing it.  Why I can’t seem to do it any old time is a mystery to me, but there is no reason to swoon with my wrist on my forehead (Wrist to Forehead Sunday notwithstanding).

Anyways, this will have to do for today’s post.  We’ll call it a Wuss-out Wednesday and drive on.

 

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Apparently I Can Write a Blog Post

Posted on January 16, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I can’t have a Monstrous Tuesday; it’s not alliterative!  But here I am, doing nothing but read other blogs or look at Facebook when I meant to be making today’s post.  I should perhaps mention I am having a dreadful bout of Writer’s Blank.  At least, maybe this time it really is Writer’s Block, because there are words in my head that I intend to write.  Only when I sit down and put pen to paper, nothing comes out.

I found this gem by typing “monsters writing” into the search bar on Facebook.

Maybe it really is a discipline thing.  Perhaps if I gritted my teeth and forced myself to write the words I was thinking… Look, I already get sore muscles in my temples from grinding my teeth in my sleep, I do NOT need any more teeth gritting.  I really did sit down and write a sentence, which I immediately hated.  Oh, it was not the sentence you see at the top of this post.  I was trying to write my articles for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.

I imagine this was done with some gritted teeth.

I seem to follow a pattern with almost everything I write:  I can’t write it, I can’t write it, I can’t write it, I sit down and write it.  And I have yet to figure out how to skip any of the “I can’t write it”s.  I like to think the picture above is what might result if I tried.  For the uninitiated, it is from the 1980 movie The Shining, adapted from the Steven King book (by the way, they changed a LOT).  The main character is a writer, and this is all he has managed to come up with.

And now here I am approaching 300 words after I thought I couldn’t write at all.  So I guess that is one solution:  if you can’t write one thing, try something else.  Maybe I will be able to segue over to my articles next.  In the meantime, I’m going to call this a Tired Tuesday and drive on.  Maybe one picture of Nosferatu, just to cheer myself up.

“Wasn’t I supposed to be here on Monstrous Monday?”

 

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Remembering Saturday on Monday

Posted on January 15, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

In lieu of my usual Monstrous Monday, I thought I would make the Scattered Saturday post I did not make on Saturday.  We did a few things before we tasted wine (that is what I made my blog post about on Saturday, in case you did not tune in) and, anyways, I don’t have any new monster pictures (note to self:  find some new monster pictures).

It was quite cold in the morning, so I opted not to run outdoors.  After considering going to the Mohawk YMCA when it opened at eight, I decided to run in place on the mini-tramp.  I watched a Snapped On Demand while I did (regular readers may recall I also did that on Sunday. That may be my weekend thing for the winter).  After a shower and calling my Mom and Dad (I have called them on Saturday morning for many years now), I wrote a few post cards to my regular people.  Steven and I spent a good amount of time discussing our plans for the day but it took a while to come to any conclusions.

Steven wanted to get his beard trimmed and decided to try Custom Cutz in Herkimer (where we live).  They took him as a walk-in, although we had to wait a few minutes.   I used the time to make a few notes on the murder mystery I am writing for Morning Star Methodist Church in April (preview of coming attractions).  We were also amused by two little boys getting hair cuts. The first sat very still with a solemn look on his face.  The second seemed a little more ticklish.  He kept scrunching up his face and trying to brush off little pieces of hair.  I can certainly identify with that!

When we left the barber shop, I suggested we stop into Pete’s Tavern for a beer.  After all, it was after noon and Pete’s is only a couple doors down from Custom Cutz.  We enjoyed a draft.  I did a scratch off lottery ticket but did not win anything.  We only stayed for one, because we were headed for the wine tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor, which I wrote about on Saturday.   I guess I already mentioned that.  What do you want from me on a Monday?

 

 

 

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Now I Am Out of Oomph

Posted on January 14, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here I sit, on my couch, looking at a Snapped On Demand and hoping to make a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post before I completely run out of oomph. It might be touch and go.

Even a small graphic might help pep things up.

I began today fired with ambition. After some coffee, a look at Facebook, and a few games of solitaire (with a deck of cards, as God intended), I ran in place on the mini-tramp for 33 minutes.  I watched another Snapped On Demand while I ran.  Then what could I do?  Laundry?  Go to the grocery store?  Have a Mohawk Valley adventure suitable for an article in Mohawk Valley Living magazine?  The possibilities seemed endless.

Eventually Steven and I went to a late breakfast at The Knight Spot in Frankfort, NY, which I may write about.  I took a few pictures just in case.  Either way it was an excellent breakfast.  After that we stopped at Valley Wine and Liquor, because we both enjoy a glass of wine on a Sunday (and other days, don’t judge).  Back home, I put in a load of laundry and we settled down to watch a movie.

As Ben Manckiewicz observed in his pre-movie commentary, things starts with a bang.

We watched Bette Davis in The Letter, which I recently recorded on DVR.  That is a really good movie.  After that I wanted a shorter flick so suggested Bride of Frankenstein.

Any girl could be a little nervous on her wedding day.

And that brings us to the present moment.  I’m kind of wishing I had paused my episode of Snapped while I typed this, but one can’t always think of everything.  The important thing is that I am approaching 300 words, and I call that more than respectable for a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.   I hope you are all having a lovely end of your weekend.

 

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I Should be Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Posted on January 13, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s been a while since I did a post on a wine tasting, although I have been to a few. Today my husband, Steven, and I went to a nice one at Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer.  I took notes, so I will try to write a few words.  Full disclosure:  one reason I am doing it is that Lana, the lady pouring, said she was going to check out my blog (it came up in a conversation).

Beringer Wines were featured in the tasting.  I have tasted them and liked them before.  Additionally, the Facebook event promised dry wines, my favorite!  The tasting started at noon, and we made it there by one.  Lana was pouring for a lady but she happily included us in what she was pouring, Bourbon Barrel Chardonnay.  I tend to like Chardonnays that are aged in stainless not oak (I don’t really have that much wine knowledge, but I retained that tidbit after I discovered that I liked some Chardonnays way more than others), but this Bourbon Barrel stuff is something different. I liked it.

We went on to a Bourbon Barrel Red Blend, which I liked but was not particularly struck by.  I liked the Bourbon Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon better.  It was different from your usual Cab Sauv.  I say “Cab Sauv” not because I am trying to sound like a real oenophile (I pronounce it oh-nee-oh-file) but because I am too lazy to say all the syllables.  The Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was even nicer.  I did not make a note of what that was aged in.

My favorite of the day was The Waymaker, a red blend from Pasa Robles.  It contained Malbec, Syrah and Petit Syrah.  We bought a bottle of that and may even save it for a special occasion.  No promises, though.

Lana noticed I was taking notes.  I said I always did.  Steven said it was because I have a blog (I told you in came up in a conversation).  Lana was pleased to hear this and said she had one too.  She made a note of mine.  I stupidly did not make a note of hers.  However, if she reads mine and hits “Like,”  I can easily find her.  Oh dear, now if she reads this she will feel obligated to hit “Like” even if she didn’t like it.  Oh well, maybe she will Like it.  I like to think I have a fairly likable blog.

Valley Wine and Liquor, located at 326 S. Caroline St. in Herkimer, NY, has tastings almost every weekend.  You can Like them on Facebook to keep informed.

 

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