The Post Is Longer than the Run

Posted on April 2, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

It was not a long run. It is never a fast run. But I am going to call it a run.

I just posted that as my Facebook status and thought it might make a good lead for a Saturday Running Commentary Post. So here I sit, prior to shower (ew!), sipping my recovery beverage (chocolate milk, yum!), blogging (a silly verb, to be sure).

When I said I ought to go for a run, my husband, Steve, said, “If you want to.”

“I don’t want to,” I confessed, but as usual I was glad I did.

It was still dark out, so I wore my reflective vest (road guard vest, we used to call them in the army) that my sister Cheryl gave me for a long-ago birthday (thanks, Cheryl!). Another good thing about the vest is that it has a handy zipper pouch for tissues. My nose runs better than I do, especially on chilly mornings like today.

The temperature wasn’t too bad, although I was glad of my hat and gloves. I ran up to German Street, turned right and headed to Main. I wanted to run down Main Street to check the hours for the can and bottle return place.

A deserted Main Street is a little spooky in the dark. I like that. I continued down to Basloe Library and ran through the little park to the Prospect Street parking lot. I detoured to the library door to check their hours too, although I already knew when they open.

I crossed Prospect so I could enter where it says “Do Not Enter” on the last block of Bellinger Avenue. I like to pretend I’m a rebel, although actually left side facing traffic is the proper way to run. Emerging onto Bellinger Street (yes, there is an avenue and a street, don’t get me started), I turned left and ran to and through Meyers Park. The park is closed from dusk to dawn, so once again I felt like a rebel.

I enjoyed watching the sky as I ran. It was not completely dark when I started and it gradually lightened as I went. As I left the park, it was pale grey with patches and streaks of blue. Was the grey clouds and the blue sky peeking through or vice versa?

My modest goal for the run was 20 minutes, but I wondered if I shouldn’t try to improve myself a little more. After all, I might want to run a 5K or something. Last week I had run for 22 minutes, just over a mile and a half. I decided to not worry about how long I ran (my usual criteria) but to go for 1.75 miles. I made it In 25 minutes. Yay me!

As I walked my cool down, I observed that the grey sky was almost entirely clouds, with most of the lighter blue patches being contours of same. It was kind of fascinating to look at, almost like an Escher picture.

Wow, this blog post is over 500 words! I guess I do run on.

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Steve Is Up, And I Have Coffee

Posted on April 1, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I started to make a post last night but thought, “I can’t make another Throwback Thursday Post! I had a headache anyways (had one all day) so went to bed early. Now it is prior to five on Friday morning, coffee isn’t done yet, cable is on the fritz, my husband is still in bed, headache in abeyance (pray God that continues!), and any blog post at all seems like a pretty good thing to do.

By the way, you may have noticed that I said “five in the morning,” NOT “5 a.m. in the morning.” Remember that: you only have to say “a.m.” OR “in the morning.” You do not have to say both, and indeed it is incorrect to do so. The weather people keep saying things like, “tomorrow morning at 5 a.m.” and I shout at the television, “You said ‘in the morning,’ you don’t have to say ‘a.m.’ ! ”

I do not shout very loudly; I’m not a maniac, after all. Still, it amazes me that a society that insists on saying “merch” and “the fam” because they can’t be bothered with saying “mercandise” and “the family ” (I believe I wrote a blog post on the subject) does not mind putting in the extra syllables to say “a.m. in the morning.”

Well, that rant got me to 200 words. I guess I’ll throw in a picture to pep things up and have some coffee.

Can’t wait to see this!

And it’s April 1. We have that going for us.

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More Mid-week Music

Posted on March 31, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

At work yesterday a co-worker told me that Matt Grainger was playing at Fratello’s. I guess my Wednesday night thing has become pretty well known, at least in my immediate circle. Yes, my husband, Steve, and I went out and enjoyed food and music. We had a great time.

He’s awesome!

This picture is from a previous performance (no, I have not yet upgraded my WordPress site to allow new images; I really should get on that). We rocked out to the tunes, mostly chair dancing. However, at one point I was dancing my way back from the ladies’ room, and a woman got up and danced with me till the end of the song..

While we listened, we enjoyed good food. Steve got the shrimp basket he had been hungry for since I came home and mentioned Fratello’s. I decided on antipasto salad. I have leftovers for my lunch today. Yum! We also indulged in a glass of wine.

Fratello’s is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-8484. They are open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 to p.m. Sunday. You can follow them on Facebook to keep updated on their food and music.

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Was It a Self-Indulgent Run?

Posted on March 30, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I would do a Running Commentary Post. For one reason, I went running. As I freely admit, what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the term. However, I was out on the sidewalk moving my feet and putting in effort. I feel I deserve some credit at least.

It was a pretty afternoon with bright sunlight and bare pavement. The temperature was less inviting, but I put on leggings, long sleeves, gloves, and a knitted headband. This would be fine. I set out with modest goals and high hopes of meeting them.

I had reckoned without the wind. Where did that come from? And did it have to be right in my face? Apparently it did, because it seemed to change direction almost every time I did. I don’t think I felt it at my back the entire run. I know this is not logical, but how do you explain it? We all know I do not run fast enough to create my own wind resistance.

The best I could do was to keep plodding along as best I could. I decided 15 minutes would be acceptable. It was more than a mile. Stop judging me! I told you in the first paragraph I run slow! My cool down walk was also shorter than usual, eight minutes instead of ten.

As I walked my cool down, I told myself I could feel good about getting out there at all. Then, being me, I questioned whether I was being self-indulgent or at least unambitious. Was I, in essence, giving myself one of those despised Participation Trophies? As I type this in now, I feel these questions are best left for Lame Post Friday, the proper home for half-baked philosophy.

In the meantime, I have made my Tuesday post on Tuesday. At the risk of being self-indulgent, I say, “Yay, me!”

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Late Post, Little Point

Posted on March 29, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I started to write a blog post while on break at work. It was not a very good one, so I stopped working on it and worked on a cryptogram puzzle instead. Now I am home and tired as I can be, yet I still want to make a blog post.

And that was when I decided I was too tired and gave it up. Now it is Tuesday morning, and I have enough time to finish this post or make my lunch. Maybe for both?

Me with my rough draft.

So here’s a late Monstrous Monday Post. If I make it short enough, I may be able to fix my lunch. And write the post card I just now remembered I meant to do.

Who me? Have a glass of wine?

Full disclosure: I did not have a glass of wine yesterday. I almost put “did not enjoy a glass of wine,” but that could have meant I had the glass; I just didn’t enjoy it. What a sad Monday that would be!

It seems this is a rather pointless post. Reading over what I have so far, I have no ideas for a headline. Headlines are hard. That last sentence brought me to 199 words. So at least it isn’t a short post. I hope you all had a more productive Monday.

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Another Stroll Down Memory Lame

Posted on March 26, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello and welcome to another Late Lame Post Friday post. I started to post something yesterday, but it was dumb. I saved it, in case I can return to it later and un-dumb it, but for now I gave it up. I wonder if the coffee is ready.

Well, here is an aggravating discovery. Not everything is saved in my Media Library. Before I returned to making this post, I looked at my On This Day in Facebook. I saw a blog post featuring a wonderful picture of the Little Falls Theatre (LiFT) production of The Tempest. Regular readers may remember I referenced that play in Thursday’s post. Which was also late. Oh dear.

Kids these days!

Since I tempted you with The Tempest (see what I did there?), I returned to the disgraced Media Library and found another picture. It is not as fabulous as the other one. For one reason, I am not in it (I definitely flatter myself that time). The above photo is Prospera, right, telling her daughter, Miranda, the facts of life.

A backstage shot.

I might as well run with the Tempest theme and re-share the pictures I have. I forget these two characters’ names, but they were not nice to my character. In real life they were pretty awesome.

“Stay Shakespeare, my friends.”

I close with my friend Tucker impersonating The Most Interesting in the World. I think Tucker could give that guy a run for his money.

I guess I am coming up with a lot of reasons to re-visit the past: Wayback Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, and now Memory Lame. I need to start having some new adventures!

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I Would Feel Spunky If I Could Do Shakespeare Again

Posted on March 25, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last night, I told myself all I needed to do was make a Throwback Thursday Post. How hard could that be, I argued. Choose a couple of pictures, peck in a few words… that is, on my Tablet. Then I thought about how finicky my Tablet has been concerning my WordPress Media Library, and I was so tired anyways… So here I am, prior to five Friday morning, on my still-hanging-by-a-thread laptop, ten-finger typing, and waiting for coffee.

I must admit, I am enjoying the ten finger typing, and the coffee just showed up (Steve really is a very satisfactory husband). Let us see what I can do with the Media Library.

Adorable, yes?

I looked at March 2017 (the laptop behaving beautifully for the moment) and found this sweet picture of our dearly missed pooch, Spunky. I SO miss having a dog! My ambition is to get my house cleaned up and repaired so we can adopt another doggy friend. It is difficult as tired as I am these days, but I encourage myself to work a little at a time.

I MISS this!

I was looking for another canine photograph, but I can rarely resist a Theatre Throwback. This was an early rehearsal for The Tempest, as presented by LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company in 2017. Too long ago! A few of us were meeting in early 2020, scheming how to bring Shakespeare back to Little Falls, but, alas, COVID intervened.

There’s no people like show people!

Here is a picture of one of our meetings, held at Meeples Mug House, which is also sadly departed (totally understood the proprietors’ reasons, but still sad).

Well, that was pretty easy, getting over 250 words (I may be over 300 by the end of this paragraph!). My headline suggested itself after I found the second picture. Does jumping subjects like this make this also a Non-Sequitur Thursday post? Discuss amongst yourselves.

(Yes, over 300 words. Teehee)

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Yes! More Music!

Posted on March 24, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is a week of returns! Tonight my husband, Steve, and I returned to our favorite Wednesday night thing of going to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY for food and music!

I had a cheeseburger, adding sauteed mushrooms and onions. Steven enjoyed a shrimp basket. And we grooved to the tunes of Mark Nanni!

He is multi-talented.

Full disclosure: this is a picture from a previous night when we heard Nanni. He plays guitar, keyboard, and accordion. We were loving it!

On previous Wednesdays we have been waited on by our favorite bartender, Toni. Tonight we had Kayla, who was also a delightful server. I admired her butterfly pen. She said she was into fun pens, and I said Toni was, too.

“She has a llama pen,” Kayla said.

“We gave it to her!” I said. I mentioned Toni’s mermaid tail pen.

“She stole it from me!” Kayla said. Now the truth comes out! Oh well, I have been known to filch a writing implement or two in my time.

We had a wonderful time. I was happy we returned to our favorite Wednesday night thing.

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-8484. They are open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 to p.m. Sunday.

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Oh Yeah, I Ran

Posted on March 23, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am uncomfortably aware that I have not posted since Friday (Saturday actually, since the post was late, but you see what I mean). The fact is, Saturday Running Commentary should have made a triumphant return. I ran on Saturday! And it was great! And I ran again on Sunday! And it was not so great!

Still, we could have had a triumphant return on Saturday, because we did not know then how Sunday was going to turn out. Perhaps it was not what others might consider a triumph anyways. To me, since I had not been running since January, any step was good. I set myself a goal of 20 minutes and ran for 24. Later I took a 20 minute walk. I was back on the road to fitness!

Sunday I felt less fit. I managed to run but let myself off the hook at seventeen and a half minutes. Still, I told myself, after two months off and being sick…

The problem was, my runs had irritated the fronts of my thighs so that going up and especially down stairs was torture. I whined and cried in a most unbecoming fashion. Monday I discovered a terrible shin splint in one leg. Any walking was rendered hideous. I had to say, what the hell, body?

I have stopped and restarted running any number of times since the late ’90’s. I have never suffered such pain. Could I be feeling my age? SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!

The shin splint was in abeyance today, so I tried to run again. I had to remind myself that I LIKE to run. I guess parts of the run were OK. I continued for a mere 17 minutes. As I started my cool down walk, a voice in my head kept saying, “Where is it written that I have to do a ten minute cool down walk?” This voice has questioned me before. I had to admit, she has a point.

I see I have blathered on for over 300 words (and my autocorrect seems to think “blathered” is not a word). I say pretty good for a Tired Tuesday. I hope I can continue to run. For one reason, it gives me something to blog about.

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Lame Is As Lame Does

Posted on March 19, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Have I used that title before? No matter. I typed it in and it stays. This is my sadly usual late Lame Post Friday post. I make no apologies but merely mention it in the interests of accuracy.

I have not had coffee yet but I think my lovely husband Steven is getting me some now. And, yes, I call him lovely largely because of the coffee. Ahh yes, here it is: the magic elixir that makes morning possible.

As I type this (one letter at a time with the stylus; I really must get a new laptop) (I certainly am a stickler for accuracy this morning), I contemplate the day ahead. I really want to do something other than sit around and watch movies. Of course that is a pleasant way to spend a Saturday or any available day, but today I want something more.

Here is a funny thing I add for entertainment purposes: when I typed in “that is a” my predictive text suggested ” horrifying thought.” I find that highly amusing. One woman’s pleasant is another’s horrifying thought. I can think of a few horrifying thoughts but will strive to stay positive.

My positive thought for this morning is that I will find something blogworthy to do today. Yes, I have a history of writing posts on arguably non-blogworthy subjects. However, I am no hand at argument. On the brighter side: I am over 200 words. Bring on Saturday!

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