Category Archives: Uncategorized

Christmas Carol Rant

Posted on December 26, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’ve actually ranted this rant a number of times. Most recently I went off on this stuff Christmas Eve, then said to my nieces they didn’t need to read my next blog post; they’d just heard it. The next day one niece asked if I had indeed blogged about it. I had not. So here it is.

I love Christmas music. I think it is one of the best things about the best time of year. I love Christmas music so much, sometimes it makes me cry. That said, I really REALLY HATE what some singers do to Christmas songs.

I like peppy, happy Christmas songs. I can be-bop to Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” all day long. I don’t like ballads in the best of times. And what I really can’t stand is a drawn out, slowed down ballad that you have no idea when it is ever going to end.

Singers, like all of us, can be self indulgent. Sometimes they indulge themselves with long, drawn out notes in ballady, emotional songs (my computer is telling be ballady is not a word, but I think it is descriptive). Sometimes they sing as if they are being paid by the hour, adding syllables where none existed or making the syllables that are there last way beyond their natural life.

I studied music in high school. I know that the different shaped notes mean you hold them for specific lengths of time: this note lasts a quarter beat, that note lasts two beats. How long a beat is may vary, but within those confines we have a specific rhythm which the songwriter intended. This is comforting to me. It means that a song, however many verses it may have, will eventually end. There is one — only one that I know of — symbol which placed over a note means you can hold it a little longer. This symbol usually is placed on one only one note in a song, often the last note. Many singers behave as if this symbol is over every damn note in the song.

I hate it! You never know when the song is going to end — you never even know when you are going to get to the next line! I listen to the song saying, “Get on with it! Go to the next note already!” I imagine there are songwriters turning over in their graves, or at least cringing as they cash their royalty checks.

This happens in music all the time, but I tend to notice it most often at Christmas. I believe it springs from a number of factors: I listen to music more at Christmas, and many Christmas songs tend to lend themselves to this sort of emotional self-indulgence. Christmas is an emotional time (hence my crying over Christmas songs).

One may ask, why am I being such a Scrooge or Grinch about this (choose your favorite fictional reference)? This person would say to me, “Let the singers sing how they want to sing! Some of us like to hear it that way!” Oh well, to each his own as the old lady said when she kissed the cow. If you like that sort of thing, listen away. You have plenty of opportunity. For myself, I will make some more mix tapes of my favorite peppy, happy tunes and dance and sing the rest of this Christmas time away. Happy days, all!

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A Sweet Tableau

Posted on December 20, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

When we last left our heroine (um, that’s me), she had gotten to church and found it was the day of the children’s Christmas Pageant (OK, enough with the third person; how pretentious). (You know, I think I started another post in a very similar fashion. Oh well, I like it, so at least one of us is happy)

It is always nice to go to church at Christmas time. There are poinsettias on the altar. People in the congregation wear their Christmas sweaters. We sing Christmas carols for some of the hymns. My church sings every verse of every song. The church I grew up in did not do that. Two verses and done. Sometimes during the six verse songs my throat gets a little sore, but in general I like it.

Actually, the music made me feel sad at first, because the church organist died this year. He was a truly sweet man. He never missed a Sunday if he could help it, and he always had a smile and a kind word. Apparently we don’t have a replacement organist yet, but a couple of strong voiced parishioners led the singing. Also, a young man played violin for two songs, and a young lady played the flute for one. Very talented young people around here.

The Christmas pageant was in place of the homily. Of course I usually enjoy Father Paul’s talks, but there’s just nothing like live theatre.

It was a very traditional pageant. Two girls who read very well narrated. The various characters came forward at the proper times and took their place in the tableau. Then two girls each played a song on the organ. My favorite characters were the littlest angel and the littlest shepherd. The angel couldn’t have been more than two or three (I can never guess ages accurately). A pig tailed red head, she was wearing a one piece pajama with wings attached. I think the littlest shepherd was her brother, maybe a year older. As he came forward, he went into the pew with his father to sit back down. His father directed him back toward the altar with the others.

I really enjoyed our pageant. I’m sure many other churches were enjoying similar spectacles. Isn’t Christmas great?

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Pre-Thanksgiving Lame

Posted on November 24, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Either I’m tired of writing about our Saturday adventures, or I’m in Friday mode.

Actually, I’m fortunate to be in any mode at all other than a time warp. For me it is Friday, Thursday and Wednesday. With a little bit of post-birthday let-down thrown in (oh, I like writing these lame posts; so self-indulgent).

Friday, obviously, because I have tomorrow off (and the long weekend — woohoo — but more about that later); Thursday, because it is payday; and Wednesday, because of the crossword puzzle in the newspaper. See, there are a couple of fellows at my work who do the crossword puzzle in the Utica OD on break. Sometimes I butt in and help them. The puzzles get more difficult as the week wears on, so some weeks they don’t even need my help before Friday (and, yes, some days I am no help at all anyways). It is rather a joy on Friday to help with a challenging puzzle at lunch and have to continue during the two o’clock break. Such a triumph when we finish it.

I’d like to add a thought about my delightful four day weekend. Some people would tell me to quit gloating, because they have to work. To those people I would explain, with a nod to S.J. Perelman, shut up. (Actually, I rarely tell anybody to shut up, because I don’t like being told that myself. But it is an old S.J. Perelman line: “‘Shut up,’ the policeman explained.”)

I worked all weekends when I had a retail job, and many holidays when I was in the army. And, yes, it kind of sucked hearing the 9 to 5ers gloat on a Friday (or that November Wednesday) (or even Tuesday). But I really didn’t blame them. And I hope nobody blames me.

And while I’m rattling on (lame post, after all), I’m sure there are people who work, and/or have worked, longer, crappier and more hours than me. Sorry, guys. There are people who work way less than me, or even not at all (you know who you are). I can’t control these things!

I guess I say all this to cover my butt. To obviate the need for anybody to jump in and say, “Well I work blah blah so shut up!” (in that squeaky tone of voice people use when imitating a generic annoying person). And maybe I feel a little guilty for being so gleeful about my imminent four day weekend, and I don’t want to. I guess all I can say is, don’t hate me because I’m beautiful. And maybe I’ll get lame again when it’s really Friday. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Walk in the Woods

Posted on November 8, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sunday was our dog, Tabby’s birthday. I suggested we celebrate with a walk on the Nature Trail at Herkimer County Community College (HCCC).

I was introduced to the trail a few years ago by a then student of the college. We would meet once a week and walk. We had meant to branch out and explore the canal trails as well, but we never seemed to get around to that.

Steven worked till two on Sunday, and we both wanted coffee after that, so we headed up the hill to HCCC shortly after three. It was an utterly beautiful day with bright sunlight. The temperature was a little cool, but we had jackets, I wore a hat, and Tabby, of course, sported her all natural fur coat. No worries about Tabby keeping warm anyways. She was so excited she jumped around enough to keep three dogs warm.

We parked near the gymnasium and walked past the tennis courts and ball fields. Tabby must have remembered the trail, because she eagerly pulled me in the right direction. A sign in front of the trail’s entrance told us that dogs are welcome but must be on a leash.

The trail is not very extensive, but it goes into the woods far enough that you can lose your way if you’re not careful. It loops around a few times as well. The wood chip trail was a little obscured by fallen leaves, but we could also see posts to follow.

I soon started in with my usual walking in the woods jokes.

“If you see a wolf,” I warned, “don’t tell him we’re on our way to visit Grandma.” A little later: “If you see a house that’s all gingerbread and candy, don’t eat it.”

“But what if I’m hungry?” Steven asked.

He had a good point. I’m not much on gingerbread, but what if the trimmings were chocolate? “OK, you can eat some, but if an old lady comes out, don’t talk to her.”

I started making these silly jokes some years ago, when I was in the army attempting to learn how to read a map. After the third or fourth fairy tale reference, a fellow soldier complained, “At this rate, I’ll never make any new friends in the woods.”

I know, I should get some new material.

Steven made a Blair Witch Project reference, “Let’s follow the stream!”

I played along. “OK, we’ll go this way.” The opposite direction. Anyone who hasn’t seen the movie or doesn’t remember: They’re lost, they agree to follow the stream, they totally don’t. Steven and I both point out, while a witch could probably easily mess with a compass, it would take a real bad ass witch to change up a whole stream.

Tabby ignored all our jokes and enjoyed her birthday walk very much. Steven and I enjoyed it too, as well as the view of the countryside when we emerged from the woods and headed back to our car.

I’ve blogged (such a silly verb) many times about running up to and around HCCC. Sometimes I forget to mention that it’s good for walking, too. Check it out.

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Breakfast and a Movie

Posted on November 7, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

I begin this post with a plug for a local business which I have plugged before, Philly’s Breakfast House, 309 S. Caroline St., Herkimer.

Steven and I both had to work on Saturday, but our schedules were such that we were at least able to go out to breakfast together. Philly’s is a real hometown diner: friendly atmosphere, prompt service, good food. I had a Phils-a-wich — egg, cheese and sausage on a hard roll. Steven had eggs over medium with bacon and sourdough toast. It made my shift at work a little easier to get through.

Fast forward to early evening. I had a couple hours till Steven was expected home, so I decided to continue my extended Halloween by viewing a movie Steven is not overly fond of: Carnival of Souls.

The reason we even have the movie is that it is part of a two DVD set we purchased because it included The Brain that Wouldn’t Die. That is a movie we discovered back in the olden days when we were renting movies for our first VCR. I do love a cheesy horror movie (although I hate cheesy reenactments on crime shows, and I have no claims to being a Great Cheese Lady).

Carnival of Souls is a black and white low budget flick from 1962. I wouldn’t call it cheesy, although I suppose it has its moments. What it has in spades is atmosphere. It is weird and creepy.

The movie begins rather scarily with a drag race gone wrong. A car full of young girls plunges off a bridge. After hope of even finding the car “with this current and all this sand” (they mention the current and sand more than once) is fading, a lone survivor totters out of the water.

It seems she plays the kind of huge pipe organ you sometimes find in churches. Rather than take time to recover from her traumatic experience, our heroine drives through the night (with one scary little interlude) to her new job playing the organ at a church.

To her it is just a job, although her mentor at the organ factory warns her that she must put her soul into the music. When she tries the organ at the church, the minister says he believes he has hired an organist that will stir his congregation’s souls. Just so we don’t forget the title of the movie, I guess.

The movie makes copious use of organ music in maintaining the mood of weirdness and doom. I think my television needs a better sound system, because I kept upping the volume for the dialogue and lowering it during the musical interludes.

Soon strange things are happening to our heroine, ranging from the unsettling — as when suddenly nobody can see or hear her — to the frightening — when she keeps seeing this strange man. He looks a little like Bill Murray in Goth make up. I wouldn’t want to meet up with him. Things get more confusing — for her and for us — as the movie wends toward its creepy conclusion. Naturally I won’t tell you anything about that.

I’ve heard that the movie has something of a cult following. That could be. I admire its unsettling quality, and how they are able to do a lot with a little to create mood. It unsettled me. When it was over, I looked for an episode of “World’s Dumbest” to cleanse my mental palate.

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Random Observations

Posted on October 29, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

On Thursday I thought, “I don’t have to do anything Mohawk Valley-ish tonight: tomorrow is Lame Post Friday!” Today (Friday), I realize that, lame or not, I still have to actually write something. What the blankety-blank am I going to find to talk about?

I’m eating an egg and olive sandwich. I blogged about making egg and olive and how it turned out soupy. I fixed it by adding two more eggs, and now it’s pretty good.

Something I always wonder about is why they say you can’t have your cake and eat it too. When someone says, “Have some cake,” don’t they expect you to eat it? I may have mentioned this before. If so, sorry for repeating myself.

The Ilion Farmer’s Market is NOT closing for the season but runs all winter long. It is Friday and Saturday at Clapsaddle Farm on Otsego Street. I want to go there today and buy some pickles. I hope they have the garlic kind.

The sun seems to be shining for the first time in a few days. I hope it refrains from raining this evening, so I can take my dog for a walk.

And there’s another odd expression: “The sun is trying to peek out.” The sun does not really move much; we all know the earth rotates to create the appearance of sunrise and sunset. The clouds move in front of the sun. The sun has very little to do with it. In fact, I believe about a million miles separate the clouds from the sun. I would be very surprised to find out the sun considers the matter at all.

I have no half baked philosophy for today. It’s kind of too bad, because my usual Happy Friday Mood has eluded me for much of the day. I think some philosophy may have helped. After all, as the great Donald Westlake once said, “My philosophy is you have to be philosophical about it.”

And there’s your Friday post. See ya Saturday.

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Why I’m Staying in the Mohawk Valley

Posted on October 19, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Doesn’t that title sound like a composition your teacher assigned you in school? Kind of like “What I Did on My Summer Vacation,” a theme which, incidentally, I was never, ever assigned, although I penned a few other topics which I was convinced were immortal. But I digress.

I know I’ve waxed eloquent about the area’s people, businesses, weather, community, etc. (and by “waxed eloquent,” I mean “went on and on”), but I think it is a topic worth re-visiting. And since I have not done anything specifically Mohawk Valley-ish lately, here we are re-visiting it (actually, it’s kind of too bad, because now I think I could do a pretty amusing post on Crap We Wrote in School).

So let’s re-iterate some of the things in the Valley I’ve praised before. The people are nice. I intend to take my dog for a walk later, and I fully expect to encounter at least a few people who will exchange smiles or hello’s. We may even pet each other’s dogs. On the walk I will be enjoying the autumn Mohawk Valley weather. Sweltering summer (which some people like) is past, freezing winter (which I kind of like) is not here yet. It is very pleasant, and the fall foliage is still showing color.

Friday I may go to dinner with my husband, to celebrate our anniversary. We have many choices. I’ll probably do a blog post on whichever we pick. Saturday, I’m sure, will offer at least one community event. A church rummage sale, a fall fest or maybe even something haunted. I’ve been too busy to read the paper, so Saturday may be a little last minute.

I intend to stay in the Mohawk Valley, because I enjoy all these things. However, the real reason I intend to stay in the Mohawk Valley is just this: every time I leave, the weather in other places SUCKS! We went to Vermont and watched a soccer game in the pouring rain (actually, I thought that was kind of fun, but Steven did not enjoy getting soggy). We went to Cranberry Lake and huddled in the cabin watching it — again — pour (again, still a fun weekend; we visited a friend). In between those jaunts we stayed in Herkimer where it was — you guessed it — SUNNY! It was a beautiful weekend! We loved it! I think the message is clear.

I can see a few of you shaking your heads and even opening your mouths to say, “It rains here, too.” For heavens’ sake, I know that. I even wrote a couple of posts a few weeks ago about wanting a rainy Sunday. It’s not the weather. The weather is merely a symbol: Going away from home does not work for me. My blog posts are less fun. I’m less fun.

I see my path clear before me: No more weekends away. From now on I spend my time in the Mohawk Valley, being Mohawk Valley Girl (you just knew I was going to end with that, didn’t you?).

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Snapped Judgements

Posted on October 18, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

I know, this blog is supposed to be about the Mohawk Valley. I get out and patronize a local business, attend a local event or visit a local attraction and write about it as best I can. A couple of times a week I count local walks or runs. And of course there’s the weekly Lame Post, about which the least said the better. Even two posts in which I wrote about watching monster movies on TCM (hey, why aren’t they showing scary movies for Halloween month?) I tried to inject some local color.

That long-winded paragraph is by way of being an apology of sorts because today I’m going to write about my favorite TV show: Snapped.

Snapped is a documentary crime show on Oxygen (or is it called OH! now? I can’t keep track of these cable stations). They profile women who kill. They cover a pretty broad spectrum: abused wives who kill in self defense, ladies who are too religious to get a divorce (don’t get me started), ordinary wives who just want the insurance (with or without a double indemnity clause. Double Indemnity is one of my favorite movies). It isn’t all wives; sometimes it’s a daughter killing her parents or step-parents. Usually because she thinks she Juliet and didn’t read the play so doesn’t realize Juliet kills herself. Sometimes the woman is found innocent, sometimes guilty. Often they have the woman herself appear, proclaiming her innocence, and I sit there say, “You totally did it!”

What I don’t like is when they have cheesy reenactments. Reenactments are almost always cheesy. Most of the time they are not needed. Just tell me they argued. I don’t need to see two actors gesticulating at each other. I know what an argument is. The only time a reenactment is helpful is when it is something hard to picture. For example, the lady who demonstrated for the cops how she tripped on a book while putting away her husband’s gun, causing her to accidentally shoot him while he napped on the couch. Actually, that may have been a videotape the cops made of her explanation. If I was a cop, I would want to videotape such a thing.

My favorite way to watch Snapped is one episode after another, which is the way Oxygen usually shows them. My only problem is, I’ve seen them all (except for the “So New” episodes they keep promising me), sometimes several times. Still, it’s my guilty pleasure. I must indulge.

So here is something you can enjoy: in and out of the Mohawk Valley. Check you local listings.

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Yet Another Post About Running

Posted on October 12, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have been remiss about running lately, which is too bad, because a good run — or even a rotten run — is usually good for a blog post. I did manage to run both days this past weekend (no three day weekend for this working girl).

Previous weekends I’ve gotten out of bed, into the sports bras and out the door. This method has the advantage of not giving myself time to think of good reasons not to go running. I am rather ingenious at coming up with seemingly unassailable excuses (I just love that word “unassailable”).

Saturday, however, I sat around in sweats and had a couple cups of coffee with my husband. I’ll tell you what (and I posted this as my Facebook status that day): running after coffee is the Way to Go (I also clarified that I mean going running after you drink coffee, not pursuing coffee down the street, although that too would be motivational) (I just had to include that, because I felt so witty when I thought of it) (or do I flatter myself?) (But I digress) (Too many parenthetical comments?).

I felt pretty terrific. I did not run any hills, nor did I run as far as I had been. Back under the 30 minute plateau for me. But I thought after five days off, I wouldn’t kill myself. I did stop to pet one cute dog, by the way.

Sunday I tried the post-caffeine athletics again. I ran up the hill by Vally Health Services. It is not a huge hill compared to my beloved Herkimer County Community College (HCCC) challenger, but it’s hill enough to say so.

After the hill, I ran by the high school. I like to run by the high school on a Sunday and think, “Ah, what if I would have gotten my teaching certificate?” The school is usually pretty quiet on a Sunday.

I ran over the little bridge toward the parking lot/street I like to run down, because sometimes angels leave coins to encourage me (do I have to explain that again? Are there any new readers today?).

Sunday some game or event was going on. I saw parents and kids making their way toward the field. I tried to look athletic. I hoped nobody noticed me stop to pick up a penny (encouragement!). Then I realized nobody was paying the least bit of attention to me. A relief and a disappointment. I ran on.

I saw a cute little dog with no leash.

“Hi, cute little dog,” I said. “Where’s your person?” She was sitting on a nearby porch. I waved and said good morning. I’ve seen that dog before.

I do enjoy my runs. The Mohawk Valley weather is crisping up nicely. I must run up the hill to HCCC soon to enjoy the view while the leaves are still colored. That’ll be a good reason for another post about running.

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More Adventures in Rummage

Posted on October 9, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

Saturday I went running and made my blog post, then rewarded my ambition with trips to two rummage sales for $1 a bag. I was even environmentally responsible enough to bring my own bags.

I hit the one at my own church, Christ Episcopal on Main Street in Herkimer, first. The ladies there were pleased to see me. My church is great. If you don’t make it to mass for weeks, nobody scolds you. They’re just happy to see you when you do show up. They applauded my foresight in bringing the disposable bag, although I wondered if it wasn’t a bit too big for $1.

“I might end up fitting $2 worth in here,” I said.

I right away found a Norman Rockwell tin. Perfect! Steven loves tins and he loves Norman Rockwell. I grabbed a couple of Christmas tins, too. We like to put Christmas gifts in tins. “Put a present in a present,” is what Steven says.

As I poked through a box of books, a church lady reminded me of the book sale slated for the first weekend in November. I had been glad to hear about that, since I have boxes and boxes of books I really don’t need to read again. This, of course, is in addition to shelves and boxes of books that I do intend to read again. Or read for the first time. As they say, so many books, so little time. Anyways, I was even more inclined to grab a few books now, because if they turned out to be not so great, I could happily donate them back to the book sale.

When I went to pay for my finds, I showed them a (blank) I hadn’t put in the bag on account of its being delicate. I told them that (blank) collects (blank), so this would be a good Christmas present. Sorry about that silly sounding sentence, but (blank) sometimes reads my blog, and I want the present to be a surprise. Unless he or she picks up on the subtle clues and now knows what he or she is getting. Oh dear.

One lady put my find in a separate bag for protection, and they all mentioned things they or one of their loved ones collect. Collections are always such a good conversation starter. I told them Steven collects frogs.

“Didn’t we have a frog? Yes, here it is!” A lady picked up an adorable little frog made of shells glued together.

“You can tell him we were thinking about him,” another lady said.

I did not save the frog for a Christmas present, so I am able to mention it in the blog. Steven liked it, by the way.

I also returned to the rummage sale at Herkimer Reformed Church, on the historic four corners (just can’t resist mentioning those four corners again). I found a couple more true crime books, a thermal carafe, and a video of Grammar Rock. Do you remember School House Rock, those little educational videos they used to show in between cartoons on Saturday morning? Back when Saturday morning was the (pronounced thee) time to watch cartoons, because there were no networks dedicated to such a thing? Oh dear, I am old. Who cares? I was happy to find the video.

I drove home with my treasures. Time enough to walk the dog and clean the house a little before Steven returned home. Then we would set out for the day’s real Mohawk Valley adventure.

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