Category Archives: random observations

A Lame Post Indeed

Posted on June 16, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Time for another Lame Post Friday. Random observations and half-baked philosophy. Ought to be an easy day. And I just don’t feel like writing one.

So I started writing a cooking post about some salad I happened to make on Sunday, and I just don’t feel like writing that.

So I sit, pondering how could I write yet another I Don’t Feel Like Writing post. I can’t do it. For one thing, some wise ass reader (you know who you are) will ask me do I want cheese with that whine and think they are clever. Listen, twinkle toes (I love calling people twinkle toes), I first heard that joke in the ’90s, and it was old then.

But it gives me an random observation worth at least a little half-baked philosophy: other people’s complaints always sound like whining. I bet I’ve made this observation before. Could that be because I complain a lot and people are always telling me to quit whining? Say it ain’t so! (They used to say “Say it ain’t so” in the army a lot. One drill sergeant once started chanted, “Say it ain’t so, say it ain’t so,” like it was the chorus of a rap song. The Drill Sergeant Rap. Somebody ought to write that.)

So now that I’ve written a paragraph with which I am not totally displeased, I don’t feel like whining any more. I mean, I don’t whine! But, yes, I’d like some cheese.

This less than 300 words. A lame post indeed. Then again, it’s Friday. And I’ve had some Mohawk Valley adventures today! So stay tuned, for something considerably less lame. Happy Friday!

Leave a comment

Posted in half baked philosophy, humor, lame, personal, random observations. Bookmark the permalink.

Unsafe Lame Change

Posted on May 17, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, I am doing a lame post on a Wednesday. I feel it is the wrong thing to do, but I thought of that title while at work today, and, you know, it kind of fits with the wrong thing to do.

I am less than one week away from posting every day for one year. Do I think something magical is going to happen if I meet this goal? Yes, I suppose I do. Please, nobody shatter my illusions. Let me just keep going for now.

This being a Lame Post, I do have a random observation to share. As I parked in the parking lot at my place of employment this morning, I noticed a car with the windows all fogged up. I did not try to peek in at the edges, but I just couldn’t help but wonder how they got all fogged up. Yes, you can snigger, I do mean to imply something naughty.

Then I thought, maybe I can get Steven to drive me to work some morning and we can do something naughty to steam up the windows before I go into work. Wouldn’t that be nice? I could go into work with my hair all disheveled and a big smile on my face. Actually, I have messy hair and a smile many days, but now it would be for a good reason.

Imagine my chagrin when I came out to my truck to go home and the windows were entirely fogged. It was an extremely humid, rainy day. So I guess nobody was doing anything naughty. Alas. At least, I don’t think anybody broke into my truck during the course of the day for the sole purpose of doing something naughty. If they did, that might be one for World’s Dumbest Outlaws.

And speaking of World’s Dumbest, I am missing tonight’s episode as I type this. But I see I am almost up to 300 words. A respectable number of words, if not a particularly respectable post (Lame Wednesday? Naughty things? Not respectable, I’m afraid). It was kind of fun to compose. And I’m one more day closer to my goal. Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, lame, personal, random observations. Bookmark the permalink.

I Should Write a Better Lame Post

Posted on April 28, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

For two Fridays in a row my Happy Friday Mood has eluded me. Two Fridays ago I did not feel completely cheated, though, because I spent all day Thursday enjoying a Happy Because Tomorrow Is Friday Mood. Then again, that raises the question (note: it RAISES the question, it does not beg the question; that means something entirely different): how many good moods per week is one allowed? Stand by for some half-baked philosophy.

For those of you just tuning in, I’ll just mention quickly that this is Lame Post Friday, my day of random observations and half-baked philosophy. For regular readers (hi, Aunt Mary!), sorry if I bore you by repeating it.

Some people seem to be in a good mood all the time. Others not so much. Some people seem to be in a really, really rotten mood all of the time, they are so ill-used. And here is a not so random observation: most people do not find others’ bad moods nearly as well justified as their own. “Look at him — he’s got nothing to complain about!” is the basis of many a satisfying conversation.

I can’t say whether my Happy Friday Mood has deserted me again this week, because I feel I am writing this too early in the morning. I must give my coffee a chance to kick in. I remember one Friday when I had gotten up early but come in to work at regular time exclaiming brightly to a boss, “I’ve had five cups of coffee! You gotta get some work outta me before I crash!” I don’t think I actually crashed that day. It was a good Friday (but not, you know, Good Friday).

The preceding was written in my notebook before starting work at five this morning. Um, and by notebook, I mean a spiral job with paper, not a fancy little computer. I would have to say, not a true Happy Friday Mood, but not a bad mood. I got a few good laughs out of the day. And here is some more half-baked philosophy for a Friday: as soon as you start to tell yourself you should be in a good mood, you are asking for trouble.

Ooh, here is material for a blog post all by itself: the evil word “should.” As soon as you tell yourself you “should” do something, what do you want to do? NOT THAT! ANYTHING BUT THAT! It works for everything! I should run. I’m too tired, it’s too cold, I don’t have to run if I don’t want to. I should do my blog post. I don’t have anything to say, this blog is stupid, my computer is too slow. I should write something better even on a Lame Post Friday. Oh, don’t go there; this whole thing will come to a grinding halt.

You know, I’m wondering now if I could use that to my advantage. For example, I should eat more ice cream. Hmmm… I guess it doesn’t work for everything.

So there is my Friday Lame Post. Heavy on the half-baked philosophy, light on the random observations. Happy Friday, everyone, and may you all be in a happy mood, regardless of whatever you should be doing.

2 Comments

Posted in blogging, half baked philosophy, humor, lame, personal, random observations. Bookmark the permalink.

Insert Lame Headline Here

Posted on April 7, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Welcome to Lame Post Friday, where once again I shall try to entertain with random observations and half-baked philosophy. Full disclosure: I’m sitting at my computer with my fingers on the keyboard, hoping something pops into my brain.

I just went back and re-read my Lame Friday Post from the day after Thanksgiving (it was a rare Friday I had off, as is today, so I thought it might help). I ended with a bit of half-baked philosophy I’d like to expand upon if I may (of course I may, it’s my blog; I just felt like adding “if I may”) (I’m in kind of a silly mood, you may have noticed).

I remembered the saying “No life is wasted; you can always stand as a bad example to others.” I’ve always taken comfort in that saying. Don’t be like me, everybody! But then I got to thinking, to really make my bad example useful, don’t I need to actually show it to people? Wouldn’t it be more helpful if I exposed all my stupid mistakes, via blog or memoir, so others could learn? EEEEK! I don’t want to do that! People will just have to observe me all on their own, if they’re interested. If I ever write my memoirs (doubtful; I write fiction), it’s going to be all lies. Any friends and family reading this, if you want me to make up some good ones about you, let me know.

Well that didn’t take up much time. I did have a random observation the other day. When I was walking Tabby, I think I saw a bona fide crazy old lady (my computer is telling me bona fide is wrong, but I just looked it up in the dictionary. Stupid computer!). At least, I didn’t stare, so I don’t know how old she was. Then again, I call myself a crazy old lady but to some I’m just a young pup.

I was walking Tabby, wearing my own crazy old lady hat, when I saw walking toward me on the opposite side of the street a lady who looked like she was wearing a similar hat. When she got a little closer, I could see it was wide brimmed like mine, but a nicer shape and a bit fancier. The lady was dressed all in black, right down to her high heeled boots. She strode down the road, grandly ignoring a perfectly good sidewalk. Her chest was out, her head was high. Normally when I meet other pedestrians or runners, I call a greeting or remark, but I felt a little intimidated by this woman. She looked neither left nor right, and I didn’t even feel that I should be taking a closer look at the hat, as I was. I put my eyes front too and kept walking.

Oh, speaking of calling greetings to people, here is another observation. Walking Tabby yesterday, I saw a lady with a baby carriage crossing at a four way stop. I was just reaching the corner as she was halfway across, and Tabby stopped to sniff a promising post. The car going one way stopped, the truck going the opposite direction kept going! She was still in the first half of her cross when he went by, but still! I yelled, “The nerve of that guy, not stopping for a baby carriage!” The lady didn’t say anything, but the toddler in the carriage gave us a friendly wave and yelled, “Hi!” Of course I waved back.

OK, two observations, one philosophy. I say that’s not a bad Friday. I’ll get off the computer now, and seek out some Mohawk Valley adventures so I can come up with a non-lame post for Saturday.

Leave a comment

Posted in half baked philosophy, humor, lame, personal, random observations. Bookmark the permalink.

Flustered Friday

Posted on March 24, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh Friday, sweet Friday. What a cliche to be so happy it’s Friday.

I’ve felt flustered all week, and I believe it has shown in my blog posts, most notably in a digression on time management and missing my turn onto Washington Street. What is flustering me about that today is that such silliness would have been perfect for Lame Post Friday. But I wrote them during the week and left them in willy nilly as written (I do like the term willy nilly. For one thing, it rhymes with silly). That’s what I get for not editing. I should say, for not editing sufficiently. One can’t help but do some editing between between page and screen (um, computer screen. I don’t write for the cinema screen. Or even the screened in porch).

That leads me to ponder writing in general and writing for blogs in particular. There is a prominent school of thought in writing that says our first inspiration is usually the best. Keep that inner critic quiet; write exactly what you think at the time. The ultimate expression in this school of thought is free writing. You just write. Don’t stop the pen for any reason.

I have never been able to do free writing, not for one day ever in my life. Sometimes I start writing and my pen does not stop moving for some length of time. But if I say to myself, “Don’t stop,” my brain dries up. I can’t think of a thing to say.

I think I’ve talked about this in a blog post before. Probably one day when I was writing about not writing. It’s all very well to say that writing about not writing is still writing, but apparently I do not have much to say about not writing.

But I digress.

Wait a minute, how do I digress on Lame Post Friday? This is the day my mind is allowed to flutter hither and thither (is it thither or tither? Or is the proper expression hither and yon?). Random observations, remember?

What I was about to observe about blog writing is that willy nilly spontaneity seems to fit right in. Many bloggers just write what they feel, composing at the keyboard and letting it go. It’s a great form of self expression. Of course, it doesn’t have to be that way. Other blogs are thought out, tinkered with and polished. That’s a great form of self expression, too.

I don’t really know where I was going with this.

But I wrote it on my break at work, and after work I am typing it into my computer. I’m busy and flustered and 80 to 90 percent whelmed, so I’m letting it stand. It may be ridiculous, but this is my post for today. Thank you for playing.

Leave a comment

Posted in blogging, humor, lame, random observations, Uncategorized, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Lame is a Many Splendored Thing

Posted on March 17, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

“Dr. Chumley, my mother used to say to me, ‘In this world, Elwood’ — she always called me Elwood — she’d say, ‘In this world, Elwood, you must be oh, so smart or oh, so pleasant.’ For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.”
-Elwood P. Dowd in the play Harvey by Mary Chase

I think it would be nice to live by this quote. Of course I don’t usually. I’m usually still caught up in the oh, so smart mode. But I’m working on oh, so pleasant.

Here is a random observation that veers into half-baked philosophy: it is just as easy to be nice as not most of the time. For example, if somebody you don’t like says “good morning” in a pleasant tone of voice, you can smile and say, “good morning” back. It’s not that hard. Apparently for some people it is.

My next random observation veers into middle-aged musings (you see how well I can multi-task): when you’re in your late 40s, you will have pain. Today it’s a muscle spasm in my shoulder, making it difficult to turn my head or use my right arm (and yet I’m writing this. How dedicated am I?). It’s actually adding a little interest to my morning. As I hold myself stiffly, I’m pretending I’m the guy with the deformed hand in The Brain that Wouldn’t Die (a fun movie with or without robot heads).

Although, as I think about it, I realize you can have pain at any age. There are headaches and period cramps and sore muscles from athletic endeavors. I remember a friend of mine who suffered from migraines saying, “I wonder what it would be like to go a whole day with suffering any pain.” A guy looked at her and said, “I often go a day without pain.” Well, some people are blessed, that’s all.

A woman at work who dislikes me was maneuvered by circumstances into smiling at me. I was walking down the hall more or less level with a management type. She smiled at him then turned her head in my direction, probably not knowing who it was. She was still smiling and I was past her before she had time to stop! Ha! She can’t say good morning, but for one teeny tiny second, she smiled at me! Hey, point and laugh if you must: I take my joy where I can find it.

Incidentally, the woman did have chances to give me dirty looks later (at least, maybe they weren’t dirty looks at me; maybe she was in a fowl mood and I was in her line of vision), which led me to a Christian thought. If Jesus could forgive people who crucified him, how much more should I forgive somebody who merely gives me dirty looks.

Well, I do love Lame Post Fridays, where I just sit down and write whatever comes to mind. If you’ve been entertained, yay! If you’ve been bored, thank you for bearing with me. The nice thing is now it’s the weekend, and I have various Mohawk Valley adventures planned. Stay tuned!

Leave a comment

Posted in commentary, half baked philosophy, humor, lame, personal, random observations. Bookmark the permalink.

Lame Old Song

Posted on March 10, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

So, it’s Lame Post Friday, the day for random observations and half-baked philosophy. I didn’t write anything at work for reasons… well, for reasons involving work and I don’t like to blog about work, so never mind (long story; not very interesting).

I had a random observation earlier this week: I looked out the window while on the cell phone with my husband and saw a girl dressed in black shirt and pants, and bright yellow sneakers. It looked cool, even from a distance. Now I want bright yellow sneakers. I have a pair of running shoes with bright yellow laces, but I think it is time to expand my horizons.

Another random observation that veers into half-baked philosophy: when somebody says, “I’m asking you nicely,” they’re usually not. I think what they mean is that they can get a WHOLE LOT MORE nasty than they’re being, if you don’t do what they’re asking you “nicely” to do. I’m just saying.

“I’m just saying” is one of my favorite expressions. It’s probably one of those phrases that show up on pundits’ lists of overused sayings, like “at the end of the day” or…. OK, I can’t think of another one. I’m sure I use a good many of them myself but only notice when others do it. I won’t apologize for that bit of hypocrisy, though, because I believe many are guilty of it (ooh, more half-baked philosophy!).

My only other observation is that my headline really has very little to do with today’s post. As usual, I was just looking for something I could stick the word “lame” into and make a kind of a play on words. I spend a great deal of time thinking of sayings and song lyrics using the word “same” and that’s what I came up with today. If you feel I should have some comeuppance for such, well, lameness, you’re in luck: I’ve given myself an earworm for the rest of the night. Happy Friday!

Leave a comment

Posted in half baked philosophy, humor, lame, random observations. Bookmark the permalink.

Lame Rant

Posted on January 28, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, here it is Lame Post Friday, my day when I take it easy by blogging about random observations and half-baked philosophy. And let me tell you, today I am feeling pretty damn lame.

A voice in my head says, “WHAT do you people WANT of me?” With a wrist to the forehead, of course. Every day I make a post. Every day I try to think of something to entertain or inform. I CAN’T TAKE THE PRESSURE!!!

OK, take the wrist off the forehead and stop being so self-dramatizing. This blog posts every day because I challenged myself to post every day for one year. Nobody is holding a gun to my head. The worst thing that will happen if I fail my challenge is that some of you will point and laugh (you know who you are). I must remind myself, it is my own damn fault if I am stressed over the daily postings so I need not complain to you, dear reader(s).

Then again, I always say, go with your strengths (half-baked philosophy?). One of my strengths, apparently, is being self-dramatizing (random observation?). And can’t drama be entertaining? How about that wrist to the forehead? Isn’t that Academy Award caliber acting? No? OK, I’m back to what do you people want of me.

The fact is, I’ve had a tremendously horrible day and I’m feeling quite limp and useless. Tomorrow I plan a whole blog post detailing my travails (I will say: also self-inflicted, but what are you going to do?). I’m not up to it today.

For today, you get a singularly lame post. Live with it, as I must. Happy Friday.

Leave a comment

Posted in blogging, commentary, half baked philosophy, random observations, rant. Bookmark the permalink.

Bear with Me

Posted on January 14, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

This has been a kind of a Week of Lame. I even called a post Mid-Week Lame, and, come on, a post about my drive into work? But now it’s Friday when I’m allowed to be lame. Some might argue that I have used up my weekly allotment. To that person, I would explain, “Shut up” (with thanks to SJ Perelman and if you don’t know that one, ask me and I will give you a polite explanation).

Wow, it’s easy to write! Look how much I just now sat down and wrote. Why do I sometimes have problems with these blog posts? But I digress.

I thought of the title “Bear with Me” earlier in the week when I had nary an idea for a blog post. Then I thought, “I could even say I saw a bear on the way home from work. Get it? Bear with me!” And that made me think of the Dr. Seuss book To Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street.

“That’s the ticket,” I thought. “I can come up with all kinds of things. I’ll never lack a blog post again!”

Then I thought about how the story ended and I thought, “Never mind.” I won’t expound on that, though, in case you haven’t read the story. I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. By the way, if you haven’t read it, what are you thinking? Get yourself to your local library and read every Dr. Seuss story they have. You won’t be sorry.

I can talk about how the story begins. The narrator, walking home from school, observes a not very exciting horse and wagon on Mulberry Street. Well, here is where I differ from that young man. I think a horse and wagon is a fine thing to notice and talk about, even if you might see one every day (not so usual these days, of course, although I do see the occasional Amish buggy). Or for example a pick up truck and little red car, which I in fact did talk about yesterday.

So no bears on the way home. I believe they are not indigenous to the Mohawk Valley. No horse and wagon either, nor yet an Amish buggy. In other words, I’m low on random observations. What’s the other component of Lame Post Friday? Ah yes, half baked philosophy. Well, I think I covered that with my contention that a plain horse and wagon is a fine thing to blog about.

I think that’s that. As soon as I type this in and hit “publish,” it’s wine o’clock. Happy Friday, everyone.

2 Comments

Posted in blogging, commentary, half baked philosophy, humor, lame, random observations, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Post-Thanksgiving Lame

Posted on November 26, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Thank goodness it’s Friday and I can legitimately do a Lame Post. I am not up to anything else.

I don’t have any random obversations about Thanksgiving. And I don’t believe I did anything to celebrate the day that rates any kind of mention. Oh, Steven and I did bring Heidelberg Bread, made in Herkimer, NY, from grains grown in New York State. Of course, the hit of the day was my Uncle Tom’s pumpkin bread, baked, I believe, in his North Syracuse kitchen. So much for Thanksgiving.

I have one random observation that has been knocking around my head for a couple of weeks now. I’ll share it with you, and you can judge its lameness for yourself. I heard this credited to Nancy Reagan and a few others: A woman is like a tea bag: you never know how strong she is till you put her in hot water. I think that is kind of a dumb thing to say. I mean, take a look at a used tea bag. According to that saying, put me (a woman) in some hot water, I’ll end up soggy, squished up and useless, but the water will taste pretty good. Some people just should not attempt metaphor.

And that’s all I got. Pretty sad for a holiday weekend I actually have off. But give me a minute, I’ll try to come up with something else… Maybe I could think of a better comparison for a woman. A woman is like a bottle of wine. If she ‘s good quality, she’ll get better with age. Otherwise, she’ll turn to vinegar, which you can still use to make salad dressing.

I don’t know who originally said No life is wasted; you can always stand as a bad example. I take great comfort in that thought. So I feel that this blog post is not wasted. It can stand as a bad example. And I will try to do something Mohawk Valley-ish by the end of today, so I can have a better post for tomorrow.

Leave a comment

Posted in blogging, humor, lame, random observations. Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →