Category Archives: personal

More than Half a Boilermaker

Posted on July 3, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have been dreadfully tired all day.  After I made my late Saturday blog post, I went for a long run.  The Utica Boilermaker 15K is one week from today.   Yikes!  I figured this would be my last really long run before that, so I tried to get ambitious about it.  Last Sunday I ran just over an hour, 4.77 miles, which I calculated to be half of 9.3 miles, that is 15K.  I just pulled out the calculator app on my Tablet and found I could have stopped at 4.65.  Mental math while running is not my strong suit, although I often use it to distract myself.

Wow, what a long first paragraph.  I guess I am doing everything too long today.

As usual, I entered.

This was the only picture I could find of a place I ran this morning.  I went into the residential area behind Valley Health Services and ran up the longest uphill loop.  I went up a couple of shorter hills as well.  My idea was to run for five miles, and I made it.

Along the way I petted two nice dogs and refilled my water bottle at the spring.  Those were times I actually stopped but not for an appreciable amount of time.  I felt at a couple of points that I wanted to stop running and walk, but I pushed through.  I feel reasonably ready for the Boilermaker but I confess not eager.  Blame that on the Sunday Afternoon Blues.

I question my run.

This is a photo from October 2020.  I was doing a challenge of 37 minutes of exercise for 37 days to raise awareness of diabetes.  I posted a selfie of Facebook after each session.  You can see why I rarely take selfies.  I share it today, because this is probably about how I looked after today’s run.  I was even wearing the same glasses.  I just wanted to include another picture in the post.

I suppose I have made better Running Commentary Posts, but we all know some blog posts are better than others.  I will try to do better as the week wears on, but with All Boilermaker All The Time, no promises.

 

Leave a comment

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

Music, Wine, and Scenery, Yes!

Posted on July 2, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, it is another late Saturday blog post, but at least it is prior to whatever time I was posting last Sunday (don’t remember, but it was later than this).  I had a wonderful time yesterday, but it was such a lot of car time to get to it!  Worth every mile, but it wore me out.

Not the best lighting, but you can read it, I think.

My parents, sister Cheryl, and I went to Geneva, NY, to the Inspire Moore Winery, to hear Big Blue House.  What a great band!  What a beautiful setting!

My pictures of the band didn’t come out so great, either.

When we arrived, a guest artist had joined them for a couple of numbers.  I stupidly did not write down his name, but I loved his harmonica and vocals.

At one point, a guy in the band reminded us that the open space in front of the band was there for a reason.  He didn’t have to tell me twice!  I got up and started dancing.  If Steven had been there, he would have gotten up, too, so I guess I was dancing for the both of us.  I was soon joined by three other ladies, and we all four loved it.

After they sat down, another song I couldn’t resist played and I was dancing by myself again.  An older man started crossing the area, and I danced around him, thanking him for dancing with me.  He said he was looking for his wife and did not bust a move, but I think he was amused.  Later I saw him slow dancing with his wife.  When they finished, I went over and said, “Sure, you wouldn’t dance with me!”  We had a nice conversation.

Just to share another picture of the winery.

I had other conversations with other people, including a couple cousins and my sister Vicki, who had driven up from Pennsylvania with her husband.  I also tasted some wine and enjoyed a glass of dry Rose (how embarrassing that I do not know how to put the accent on the e).

Lots of gorgeous scenery.

The afternoon came to an abrupt end with a loud rumble of thunder.  The musicians quickly unplugged their instruments.  The downpour started almost immediately.   One aspect of my personality which I particularly enjoy is that I laugh at bad weather.  When I am getting rained or snowed on, I find myself laughing.  I laughed as Dad and I walked to the car.  We drove back to pick up Cheryl and Mom,

I was happy to finally make it back to Herkimer, although I felt too tired to articulate a blog post.  However, I think I did OK with it this morning.  Or do I flatter myself?

 

Leave a comment

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

Whine Today, Wine Tomorrow

Posted on July 1, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I do not know why I am so tired.  I did not go running after work, because I was concerned about air quality issues.  I also did not run errands as I had intended to do nor did I do the laundry and other household chores.  I feel even more tired after listing the things I was supposed to do.

So I am thinking this is not merely a Lame Post Friday post, I am having a Lame Friday!

Have a bloody good day!

I thought I would throw in a picture before I got too bogged down.  A little vampire always brightens my day.

Tomorrow I am getting together with family at a winery for good music and good times.  I have nothing to wear (see previous paragraph about not doing laundry), the wrong gel for my hair, and no gas in my car.  These are problems which can be solved in the morning, I hope.

Perhaps this could form part of tomorrow’s ensemble.

Now I am just looking for random pictures to fill up the post.

Who, me? Drink wine?

Perhaps I am still tired as a result of yesterday’s migraine.  These things can take a toll on a woman my age (by the way, I have been referring to myself as “a woman my age” since my mid-30s).

In the meantime, I have made it to over 200 words with this nonsense.  I hope you are all having a delightful Friday, and thank you for tuning in.

 

Leave a comment

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

Maybe The Blog Post Should Have Stayed Absent

Posted on June 30, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday was a true Blogger’s Sick Day.  I even called in sick to work, which I rarely do.  It was a migraine.  You know, one of those headaches where the only thing you can do is Have a Headache. It makes for a long, singularly unproductive day.

Now it is Friday morning, I am sipping coffee, and feeling tremuluosly happy NOT to have a headache.  Who knew the absence of something could feel so good?  Oh wait, I knew it, from previous migraine-free days.

Steve had a Get Out of Jail Free Card.

I threw in a picture to pep things up.  Here is my late husband Steven outside the 1834 Jail on Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners,  which regular readers know is one of my favorite places to walk or run by.

One of my all-time favorite couples.

Since I am apparently doing a Throwback Thursday Post,  here is a shot from July 2017 of our friends Jim and Phyllis at Gerber’s 1933 Tavern.  Phyllis sadly passed away in 2021.  I will never be done missing her, either.  One must treasure the memories.

And here’s all four of us.

What a weird post this is turning into.  I begin being happy my headache is gone and move on to being sad Steve and Phyllis are gone. There is a lesson or profound point in there somewhere, but I have had insufficient coffee to articulate it.  I guess I’ll bill this as a Non-Sequitur Thursday Post and drive on.  I hope to see you all later when I attempt a Lame Post Friday post.

 

Leave a comment

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

Wednesday Once Again

Posted on June 29, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was pretty sure I would go to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort for music and food tonight, but I pretended to myself that I was debating.  At last I agreed with myself that if I did the dishes I could go to Fratello’s as a reward.  Judge me if you choose for neglecting the dishes (never mind how long it has been);  I have to take my motivations where I find them.

The real lure to Fratello’s was that Mark Nanni was playing.  He is the virtuoso who plays keyboard, guitar, and accordion.  Another listener once dubbed him Billy Bad-Ass (I may have mentioned that in another blog post).  It is certainly the truth.

He is da man!

 

Nanni puts a bluesy-jazzy sound on many of the tunes he plays.  I greatly enjoyed it.

Here’s the thing:  while I listened and enjoyed my food,  I was taking notes on the music and my interactions with other patrons.  Right now,  I do not have the motivmotivation or mental wherewithal to include these things in the blog post. Is that not typical for a Wednesday?  I find the energy to do something blogworthy but lack enough energy to make it a blog.

Go figure.  However, I see I am over 200 words. Perfectly fine for a Wuss-out Wednesday Post.  Happy Mid-week, everyone!

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Wuss Out Wednesday and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

What Kind of Tuesday?

Posted on June 28, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was thinking it would not be a bad time for this blog to go All Boilermaker All The Time.  The race is less than two weeks away (too lazy and brain dead to count the days).  I ran nine days in a row, ending Sunday, did not run yesterday, then ran today.  I thought I might try for a Running Commentary Post.

For the past two weeks I have had Two Mile Tuesday.  It seemed reasonable to do that again today.  However, for some reason I was TIRED.  I know, Tired Tuesday is not unusual for me.  But I did not sleep badly last night.  I worked a reasonable amount of hard at work today.  I guess I’ll blame the humidity, although that felt worse yesterday than today.

The struggle is real.

In any case, I left work questioning my ability to make it a Two Mile Tuesday.  How about Twenty Minute Tuesday, I thought, while a little voice in my head voted for Two Minute Tuesday.  After I got home, I thought, I don’t have to get right ready and run.  I can sit down for a few minutes.  Big mistake.

However, I did get myself off the couch and into running clothes. It doesn’t have to be long, I told myself.  It doesn’t have to be fast (as if it ever is!).  It just has to be.  After putting some laundry in the washer, I set out.

I thought after a day off, my body might feel a little better about things, but the first part of the run sure was thunky.  Luckily I know how to persevere.  I changed my mind about where and how far to run several times.  Just make it a mile, I thought.  We’ll turn at the library (I was headed down Main Street).  Then I ran past the library to Park.  A mile isn’t really very far.  Maybe a 20 minute run.

As I ran through Meyers Park, I thought I probably could make it two miles.  Of course, I knew from previous runs that each block is not nearly the percentage of a mile you might expect it to be.  I continued to persevere.

I hit two miles around 26 minutes.  By this time I was wondering if two miles was nearly enough with the Boilermaker 15K looming so closely.  So I went a little further.  By running past my house three times (the neighbors, if they pay me any attention at all, must think I’m a crazy old lady) (my blog readers have known that for a while), I ran for a full 30 minutes.

Of course now I am even more tired than I thought I was, but I have a good reason to be.  And a longer blog post than my usual.  If you have read the whole thing, I thank you for staying tuned.

 

2 Comments

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

In the Midst of a Monday Malaise

Posted on June 27, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I ran for nine days in a row and did not run today.  I feel a little bad about that, especially since the rain that threatened never materialized.  I could have at least mowed the lawn.

Don’t mind me, I am in the midst of a Monday Malaise.  Isn’t that a nicely alliterative phrase?  Hey, that rhymed.  Perhaps I am not as brain dead as I had feared.

Who, me? Get dramatic over Monday?

Here is another image stolen from Dracula’s House of Halloween.  I wanted a change from Frankenstein’s monster saying, “No like Monday!”

Most of my day has not been particularly monstrous, but as the evening progresses I am slipping down a depressive slope.  I suppose it is nothing to worry about; we all have our ups and downs.  However, this particular down is making me SO disinclined to do any of the things I ought to be doing.

Such as making a non-whiny blog post.

Well this is the way it is.  Whatever we may have accomplished (in my case not much, but never mind that), we continue to fret over what we have left undone.  Oh, I know:  you probably checked off every item on your to-do list and even got a jump on tomorrow’s (you know who you are).

I forgot where I was going with this.  However, I see I am over 200 words.  Enough of this nonsense!  Perhaps I could find a good monster to close with.

“I still don’t know why she wanted me to be in this blog post.”

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, Monstrous Monday, personal, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Just Time for a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post

Posted on June 26, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am up later on a Sunday than I usually am, because I like to go to bed early on a Sunday, but I thought I might just make a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post before turning in.

One reason I am up later is that I met two long-time friends (tactless to say old friends, but we ain’t none of us very young) for dinner at Carmella’s in New Hartford, NY.  Carmella’s was doing such a booming business, I hardly think they need a plug from Mohawk Valley Girl, but there it is nonetheless.

They are the best!

I had a great meal and a great time visiting with two friends who I met through my late, dearly missed husband Steve.

It was in fact, the second night in a row for me dining out.  Last night my bestie, Kim, and I had a great meal at Yetty’s in Herkimer.  I declared the bartender, Piel, my new favorite person.  He graciously agreed to a photograph.

Isn’t he the cutest?

I gotta say, I love being older, because I can enjoy these young people and say so without their thinking I am coming on to them.  I can just be everybody’s Aunt Cindy.

Oh goody, that is over 200 words. Sufficient for a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post.  Time to worry about going to work tomorrow.  Or not.  That is, not worry.  I plan to go to work.

Back off, Creature! I have a few more hours left!

 

Leave a comment

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

Sit Down Saturday?

Posted on June 24, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am having a moment.  Not a bad moment, but kind of a blah moment.  It is in fact a rather strong bout of Don’t Wanna Do Nuthin’.  So I thought to myself, well at least you can do a blog post (did not feel inclined to call myself Shirley today).

I woke up about 3:30 this morning with a bad headache.  No, I did not tie one on last night, so stop tsk-tsking at me (you know who you are).  I am out of acetaminophen but thought maybe more sleep would help with the result that I got up at six, which regular readers know is sleeping in for me.

Weekends are my days for long, challenging runs.  I had neglected to put on coffee last night so I decided to run first.  I ignored my usual weekend running plans and made up my mind to a short run.  Thirty minutes tops.  Maybe even twenty.  Or fifteen in a pinch.

It turned out to be in a pinch,  I ran for just over a mile in a little over 15 minutes (once again too lazy to get the Garmin and check.  I drank my chocolate milk recovery beverage but never got the oomph to fix breakfast till a couple of hours later.  Sorry, body.

I forgot where I was going with all this.  Lame Post Saturday?  No matter.  It is over 200 words, and my Saturday Post is done on Saturday (no matter what my WordPress timestamp may say).  If only I had a peppy picture to close with.  Maybe a monster.

You go, girl!

I stole this from Dracula’s House of Halloween, one of my favorite Facebook pages.   I did drink all the coffee, but sadly there is no longer anybody in my house to strangle me over it.  On that melancholy note,  Happy Saturday,  everyone.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Saturday Running Commentary, Slacker Saturday, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Lame, Lame, Go Away

Posted on June 24, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

The title might have been more apropos if it had rained a little more today.  I was counting on a big old thunderstorm to give me an excuse not to run.  Then I felt so tired, I just decided not to.  Six days in a row, with yesterday’s being three miles,  I argued with myself, surely that is enough (sometimes I call myself Shirley when I am arguing).  Additionally, this was my own challenge to me, to see how many days in a row I could run.  Wouldn’t this just mean I could run six days in a row?

As it turns out, I can run seven days in a row.

There I was, lounged on the couch, still in my dirty work clothes, too tired to even take my bra off, never mind taking a shower, however good it might make me feel.  I couldn’t believe how tired I felt!  Eventually I stood up and made it upstairs.

“I can’t do anything,” I said.  “But if I could do just one thing, maybe I could take a shower.”  Just take a shower, I repeated to myself.  Just take a shower.

After some contemplation, I followed my original plan, which was to throw in a load of laundry and go running while it washed.  For one reason, all my spandex running shorts were dirty, as well as all my favorite weekend clothes.  I put on a pair of just regular shorts and a t-shirt, and somehow made it out the door.

Just a little overgrown.

I felt the  post could use a picture.  This stretch of sidewalk is on the block I live on.  I usually run on the other side of the street, to avoid the pricker bushes.

Today’s run was rough.  I huffed. I puffed. I thunked along.  I made it for twenty minutes, which kind of surprised me.  I had thought, just run one mile, which I have been doing in 13 or 14 minutes.  Just run for 15 minutes.  20 minutes?  Oh no, I couldn’t.

My first mile was 13 minutes and change.  I couldn’t possibly keep going for another seven minutes! Then it was only six minutes.  I could make it six minutes.  Couldn’t I?

So I ended up running for 20 minutes, about a mile and a half (too lazy to go get my Garmin and find the exact number).   I walked a shorter cool down than usual but gratefully drank my full chocolate milk recovery beverage. The shower felt oh so good.

And this blog post is running oh so long.  How inappropriate for Lame Post Friday.  I guess I’m better at running my mouth than running my body.

I like it too, lame posts and all.

2 Comments

Posted in humor, Lame Post Friday, personal, running commentary and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →