Category Archives: personal

I’m Afraid this is a Post about Movies

Posted on March 21, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

This past weekend as I was running in place on the mini-tramp and watching Nosferatu (1922), I began to consider the question what makes a movie scary?

I describe Nosferatu as possibly the scariest movie ever made. I am sure there are many who disagree (not even counting the ones who disagree just to be disagreeable) (you know who you are). However, having seen an auditorium of young children reduced to tears over it, I feel comfortable in calling it a scary movie.

As I ran, I asked myself, am I being scared right now? The answer was generally no. During a few shots I said, “Ooh, scary!” but in fact I was not frightened.

Then again, it was broad daylight. I remember once years and years ago reading the book The Amityville Horror. My sister had read it first. She was reading it one night when I came home from babysitting. As was my habit, I ran home, burst into the house and slammed the door behind me. My sister knew I was expected, knew it was me as I came through the door, and still jumped a foot in the air when I slammed it shut.

She proceeded to tell me every scary thing she had just been reading and made me walk with her to her upstairs bedroom. I came back downstairs and had to spend a good half hour reading the Bible and watching “Highlights from Bing Crosby Christmas Specials” (which I providentially found on the meager cable available in the ’70s) before I dared to go to bed myself. After all, we were the last ones up. ALL the lights were going to be off.

With this in mind, I looked forward to reading the book myself. I started it one evening. Yikes! I finished it the following afternoon. What a disappointment! I know, I should have just waited till dark to finish it. As a reader, I am almost completely incapable of such behavior.

But getting back to Nosferatu, I wonder if I would have been more frightened had I watched it in the dark. I can see where it would have disturbed my sleep as a child. I would have lain in bed and just seen that scary vampire somewhere out there in the dark. The big nose, the deep-set eyes — no sexy savoir-faire for this blood sucker. I’d be watching the wall for his eerie shadow with the long, claw-like fingers. Ooohh.

On this last viewing, however, I noted and admired his scariness, but I was not scared. I was pleased that my interest was caught enough that I ran a little faster and kept running till the dramatic conclusion. But my sleep patterns were not disturbed (at least, I had my usual insomnia, but that’s a whole other topic).

So I had to ask myself: what makes a movie scary? One answer is: that you think it might happen to you. Many people suffer from a fear of birds after watching Alfred Hitchcock’s movie about them. That’s a pretty scary movie by this criteria, because those were perfectly ordinary birds such as you might see anywhere, until… It could happen! Right here! Right now! EEEEEeee!

Monster movies, when one looks at them rationally, should not be as scary, because we know there are no monsters. Or do we? I will probably never see a vampire coming at me, of the Max Schreck or Bela Lugosi variety. But IF I did, it would be scary! This is where having a vivid imagination (as I do) can greatly enhance your enjoyment of a scary movie.

Next time, I’m watching that movie after dark. Maybe on the night of a full moon.

2 Comments

Posted in commentary, humor, movies, personal and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Getting Ready for the Boilermaker

Posted on March 20, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Today I did it! I came home from work, ran, and now I’m writing a blog post about it.

The weather forecast called for rain, but the rain had stopped a while before I left work. Of course, since most of the puddles were of melting snow origin to begin with, I knew I would have a wet run. No matter. The Boilermaker isn’t getting any further away. I was running.

The temperature was below 40, so I put on leggings and long sleeves. The shirt was a birthday present from my sister. It is specifically made for running. It is form-fitting. I looked at my bulges in the mirror and said, “Hmmm.” My sister had also given me a reflective vest. That would cover the bulges and be safe. Of course, it was daylight and I intended to stick to the sidewalks, so I might look like a total geek. Then again, when has that stopped me? The vest had the added advantage of a zipper pouch. I could lock the door and put the key there, so my dog Tabby would be safe too.

Tabby was disappointed that I was leaving her behind, but I reminded her that she doesn’t like running with me (she wants to stop and sniff too many times). I was off.

The day was still overcast and gloomy. Fortunately, I like it that way. The grey atmosphere suited my mood, because, I’ll be honest, I did not feel like running. Till I started actually running and then, well, it got a little better.

But not a whole lot better. Those damn puddles! I couldn’t plow right through the way I could walking in my flood boots. I would have splashed all over myself and then slogged along with sodden shoes. I went around as best as I could. Some areas were better than others, because a lot of the snow had melted and I could run in the muddy grass. I ran over some snow. The shallow stuff was OK, but the deeper banks were dangerous. And the ice. Yikes!

However, I did encounter a few long stretches of lovely bare sidewalk. Aahhh. And many places that at least offered a place to skirt around the water and ice. And in a pinch, there was always the road. Remember, I had on a reflective vest.

I must admit, this was one of the runs where I felt good that I ran more than I actually felt good after the run. Then again, I’m just getting back into it. And I’ve done the math. If I persist and add the recommended ten percent each week, I will be in grand shape for the Boilermaker.

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, running and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Best Laid Plans

Posted on March 19, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought the time had returned when I would come home from work, go running, and write a blog post about it. I put out running clothes last night when I put out my work clothes. I spent the day questioning my choice of running clothes and deciding what I would wear instead (because of how warm it was, not because I’m a running clothes horse).

And then my back betrayed me.

I guess us middle-aged ladies need to treat our bodies differently from how we treated them when we were in our resilient twenties (as if I remember that far back!). In any case, it seemed like a really dumb idea to spend the latter half of the afternoon at work complaining about my back pain, then go home and do something that would probably make it worse.

And any smug people sitting there smirking at me like I’m making up some lame excuse (they won’t openly accuse me of it, they’ll just sit there giving me that look — oh I HATE that look!) (you know who you are)… well, if you ever feel a fraction of my pain, just remember not to take pain relievers on an empty stomach.

Be that as it may, I took a walk instead, with my wonderful husband, Steven, and my delightful schnoodle, Tabby. I wore my flood boots, because some of those puddles are pretty deep. You know, where the snow banks on either side of the sidewalk act as dams (those damn snowbanks!) (get it? I thought it was clever). Steven did not wear his and had to do some fancy stepping to not get his feet soaked. I walked carefully through each one. Less twisting and maneuvering was better for my back.

Unfortunately, the walk was short and not very eventful. Then again, it’s a Tired Tuesday. Let’s see what I can come up with for Wuss-out Wednesday. As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Maybe in my 60s?

Posted on March 18, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

It happened again. I worked on two different blog posts while at work today (on a break OF COURSE) (I always have to say that), and I find I can’t use either one right now. I’m just too tired to finish them properly. So I guess this will be a Middle-aged Musings Monday on why I keep wanting to act like it’s Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

And let us consider Wrist to Forehead Sunday for a moment. It would be nice if we could designate one day of the week to get all melodrama heroine, woe is me. We could swoon onto the sofa, wrist properly to forehead, and wait for somebody to administer the smelling salts. And for the other six days of the week we could have out act together.

And by “we” of course I mean “me.”

Quite frankly, I thought I would have my act together well before I reached middle age. I had it penciled in for my 30s. I was almost 40 by the time I realized it hadn’t happened yet. Then I conceived great hope for 50. Almost four months into my 50s, I’m beginning to wonder.

There are compensations if one takes time to look for them. I am still the same bundle of ridiculousness I was in my teens and twenties — with grey hair and a considerably larger waistline. Oh, there are other differences, I’m sure. I know a few more things, I can do a few more things, I have a husband, I have a dog. However, I thing my overall level of ridiculousness has remained steady.

Only now I think it’s kind of funny. I can sit back, look at my own ridiculousness, and at least get a good laugh out of it. And perhaps a blog post.

Leave a comment

Posted in commentary, humor, Middle-aged Musings, personal and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

Hey, It’s a Nickel

Posted on March 17, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

For this week’s Wrist to Forehead Sunday, I will tell you about the nice walk I took with my schnoodle, Tabby, yesterday.

I was, of course, delighted that the temperature was warm enough to make a walk comfortable. I put on my flood boots to be prepared for all the puddles we were sure to find. Can I just interject here that that is one good thing to come out of my basement being flooded: these rubber boots. They are awesome for walking through puddles. I encourage anybody who likes walking in the springtime to provide themselves with a pair. Don’t wait till you have a basement full of soggy junk to clean out.

In addition to a couple of poo bags (I re-purpose produce bags, newspaper bags, etc.), I provided myself with a plastic grocery bag. Sometimes I use these for poo, although I prefer a smaller bag for my size hound. However, in this case, I had another purpose in mind. You see, money is tight for Mohawk Valley Girl these days, as I suppose it is for almost everybody. I can’t help noticing deposit bottles and cans just lying around sometimes and I think, “That’s a nickel.” I don’t always see them, but I thought I would be prepared.

Yesterday I got lucky a block and a half from home. When Tabby stopped to sniff, I saw a bottle sticking out of the snow. I had to unbury it, then turn it over to make sure it was deposit. It was. Tabby had finished sniffing by this time. I heard somebody laughing from across the street.

“Hey, it’s a nickel,” I told him.

“Oh, no, I was laughing at the dog standing there looking at you. I’d’ve picked it up myself.”

In fact, Tabby was politely waiting for me. We continued our walk. It was a pleasant walk. In addition to exercise for me and my dog, I found five cans. I had to dump Budweiser out of one, and another spilled a little Rolling Rock on my hand. I washed my hand in the snow, being sure to use soap when I got home. Two cans I had to dig out of a bush. Two cans I left lay, because they were crushed.

I had to laugh at myself, especially when I started to do the math. Do you know how many walks we’ll have to take before I have enough nickels to pay for, say, a pedicure? Luckily I love taking my dog for walks. Now if only the weather will cooperate.

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, walking, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Running (in place) Commentary

Posted on March 16, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

My Boilermaker ambitions suffered a setback on Thursday when it was too dreadfully cold to run outdoors. It had also precipitated quite a bit on Wednesday, so there was more ice than I wanted to deal with. So I ran in place on the mini-tramp.

Running in place on the mini-tramp is not as easy as running outdoors on the sidewalk. My knees go higher and the pace is less leisurely. I did not run for as long as I did outdoors. I thought that would be OK, because I intended to run on Friday as well. This would work.

Then Friday I had the most horrendous headache. Perhaps you read my extremely lame blog post. That was a result of the pain. Sorry about that.

Today (Saturday) I woke up with the same headache, only not as bad. I had some coffee, ate breakfast and took some OTC migraine medicine. It seemed to help, but I was a little lightheaded. I decided to take my schnoodle, Tabby for a walk. It was not delightfully warm, but warm enough for walking. I wore my flood boots so I could navigate the puddles with impunity. Tabby doesn’t care if she gets her feet wet.

It was a nice, long walk, but when I got home I was all lightheaded again. I piddled and puttered around for a while, not wanting to run and feeling dreadfully guilty about not running. For one thing, how can I POSSIBLY run the Boilermaker if I don’t train properly? Registration is in one week. I must make an irrevocable decision soon.

On our walk earlier, I had observed myriad puddles, many of them lined with ice. I thought the mini-tramp was safer. It had the added advantage that if the exertion was just too much for me, I would already be home. “Just try,” I told myself (go ahead and quote Yoda at me; just try works for me!).

I actually did pretty good. The DVD I had been looking at while I ran Thursday was still in the machine, so I could continue my viewing of Nosferatu (the old, silent version, possibly the scariest movie ever made). I didn’t feel lightheaded any more. I ran a little further than I did on Thursday. Woohoo!

Of course I felt lightheaded as soon as I stopped running in place. No, I am not capable of running in place indefinitely to avoid feelings of lightheadedness. But I did what I could. Maybe this Boilermaker thing will work out for me.

Tune in tomorrow, when I might tell you all about the walk I took with Tabby.

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, running, running commentary and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Go Jump in the Lame

Posted on March 15, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here I am on Lame Post Friday and once again, I got nuthin’.

How can this be? How many posts have I written about how once I start writing, I just write more? It’s true. I write the blog post every day, and then I write the novel. And then I write more. So how come I’m not writing right now?

I know, writing about not writing is still writing. It just isn’t very interesting. It’s kind of — dare I say it? — lame.

Ah, but Lame Post Friday is for random observations and half-baked philosophy, and I believe yesterday I brought up some half-baked philosophy. A minor confession: I often declare things “half-baked philosophy suitable for Lame Post Friday” merely because I don’t feel like dealing with them on whatever day it happens to be. But when you get to Lame Post Friday and there isn’t a random observation in sight…

I think my question was something along the lines of is there a discernible reason for me to be writing this blog at all? Kind of a silly question, but consider the source (me). I don’t know if it’s half-baked philosophy after all. I write the blog because I like writing the blog. Even on days when I can’t think of a non-lame thing to say.

Leave a comment

Posted in blogging, humor, Lame Post Friday, personal, writing and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

World’s Dumbest Obsession

Posted on March 14, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

I don’t really have anything except that title, which I thought of several days ago, not really intending to use it. I mean, is there any reason to do an entire post about “World’s Dumbest” on TruTV and how I can’t seem to live without it? On the other hand, someone might observe that there is little discernible reason for me to be writing this blog at all. To that person I say, questions of why run into half-baked philosophy, suitable for Lame Post Friday, not Non-Sequitur Thursday (which is today). In other words, nice try, but I’m not stopping.

Where was I? Ah yes, nowhere. I’m sitting in my living room, netbook (I think that’s what it’s called; it was given to me) on my lap, dinner in the oven and “World’s Dumbest” on TV in front of me. I’ve seen this episode before. I’ve seen most episodes before (see headline about obsession).

Tabby got a little miffed at me earlier, when I “ran” on the mini-tramp instead of taking her for a walk. I deemed it too cold out for cute little doggies. It was definitely too cold for me. I walked to a doctor’s appointment this morning from work. That was the longest ten-minute walk I have taken in a long time. On the brighter side, it is supposed to be warmer tomorrow.

Paragraph #3 was the non-sequitur of the post, in case you were wondering.

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

A Toast to the Police

Posted on March 13, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m sure some of my regular readers are interested to hear about the HPD/MPD Wine Tasting which Steven and I attended last Saturday. It was a wonderful event and we had a lovely time.

The fundraiser was sponsored by the police departments of Mohawk and Herkimer, NY. Money raised was to be split between the departments’ Special Response Teams and the memorial for K9 officer Ape. Ape, you may remember, lost his life during the tragic events of last March in Mohawk and Herkimer.

The evening, at Francesca’s Banquet facility in Ilion, was to feature wine, beer and liquor tastings, hors d’oeuvres, a Chinese auction and a 50/50. It ran from 6 to 10 p.m. Steven worked till 6:30, so the event was in full swing when we arrived.

The first table we stopped at was staffed by a local winemaker representing the Crusaders Winemakers of the Mohawk Valley Tasting Event (I foolishly did not make a note of his name). The Crusaders’ tasting is an annual event we have attended in the past (perhaps you read my blog post about last year’s). This year’s will be held April 27 at the VFW in Herkimer (preview of coming attractions). The gentleman at the table poured us a taste of a very good burgundy.

Next we went to the Bully Hill table. The St. Croix I tried there earned my ultimate accolade of “yummy.” Bully Hill is a prominent winery of the Finger Lakes. I’ve never been there, but I hope to make it one day soon. Vintage Wine and Spirits of Herkimer, one of my favorite liquor stores, also had a table. I tried some Cabernet Sauvignon there (always a favorite of mine). I hope they do another wine tasting in the store soon. That’s always good for a post.

We skipped ahead to Finger Lakes Distilling, where I felt very racy sampling some gin. I don’t drink much hard liquor, because i like it straight. That can get you into trouble. Next to Finger Lakes Distilling was Lakeland Winery, from Syracuse. I had some Pinotage, a wine I am not familiar with. I liked it. Lakeland offers Wine Parties, tasting and making. How much fun would that be!

Then we enjoyed a sample from Hummingbird Hills Winery out of Fultonville. The fellow there was a little surprised we knew where Fultonville was.

“Why, we go right by the Fultonville exit when we go to Vermont,” I said. “We may have to make a detour one time.”

“We’re open every weekend,” the guy said.

I was happy to see Ommengang Brewery there. I have been wanting to make a road trip to Cooperstown to visit them. I hear it’s a great place for lunch as well as beer tasting.

I think the Thousand Islands Winery table was the most popular spot. Every time we went over there (yes, we visited the tasting tables more than once), we had to wait for our tastes. It was worth the wait. The wines were good, and the guy pouring was fun.

Really, everybody at the tasting tables was friendly and helpful. Everything we sampled was tasty. We had to tear ourselves away to purchase tickets for the 50/50 and Chinese auction. Somewhere amidst all this tasting and ticket buying, we visited the buffet table for some very elegant hors d’oeurves. There was some good stuff there.

Everybody we talked to seemed to be having as wonderful a time as we were. Here’s hoping the Mohawk and Herkimer police departments make this an annual event.

Leave a comment

Posted in Community Events, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Writing AT ALL

Posted on March 12, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m afraid Tired Tuesday is going to be a regular feature for Mohawk Valley Girl, because, quite frankly, I am. This is what I wrote during the 9 a.m. break at work today. Full disclosure: I mostly wrote it just to get my pen moving and hoped I would come up with something better to publish. But perhaps this will do.

The one thing I have a horror of is staring at a blank page. What happens is that one daydreams one’s time away and where does that get one? I suppose there is something to be said for daydreaming, but most daydreamers are too busy daydreaming to say it (ooh, I just flashed on the Monkees’ “Daydream Believer.” Love those Monkees).

I’m having problems with the blog as well as the novel. I have a few things to write about for the blog, but I just can’t seem to put the words on the paper. I really hate admitting that. I can hear scornful voices saying, “Just write it, you big baby.” And I’m afraid the scornful voices are me.

I read a metaphor once that seems appropriate here. You probably won’t be able to batter down the door by main force. Try another door. And return to the first one every so often and give a gentle tap. It might let you in.

Actually, I feel a little better about myself right now, because I am actually putting words on a page. If I can write at all, I can potentially write something good. Ah, and that leads me into the similarities of writing and running. When I was trying to build up my run time in the army, my goal for myself on a run was to run a little faster than I really wanted to run. Very often that pace translated to “at all.” And, lo and behold, as long as I kept running AT ALL, eventually I improved.

Will it be so with my writing? Hard to say. I guess I’ll wait and find out.

NOTE: During my lunch break I wrote two pages on my novel. I wrote another page while doing laundry after work. Maybe writing AT All helps.

Leave a comment

Posted in blogging, commentary, humor, personal, Tired Tuesday, writing and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →