Pre-Rehearsal Monsters?

Posted on January 25, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I typed in the headline with a question mark, because I am not sure how well this is going to work out. I have a mere 17 minutes before I have to get ready and go to rehearsal for Game Show, the play Steven and I are in at Ilion Little Theatre (I mention for those who had not read it here or had forgotten).

Aaand that was a far as I got. And here is a Freudian typo: I wanted to use multiple A’s for “and” but at first typed “assnd.” Because I feel like an ass. I have made blog posts in 15 minutes or less. It can happen. Then I got the One More Thing disease, so we were not early for rehearsal. Never mind that: I put Monsters in the title, I am going to put monsters in the post

Me, studying my lines.

One reason I was unable to make the post before rehearsal yesterday is I started on this sick headache, which, incidentally still plagues me this morning. I took my temperature: not running a fever, not COVID. Anyways, it is my only symptom. I only mention it, because, you know how it is: when you have a head- or some other kind of ache, it tends to dominate your thoughts.

I’m not ready for a coffin yet.

Rehearsal was not as enjoyable as it may have been, due to my headache. However, I managed to be off book. I guess it is not that impressive; I have very few lines. Now I have to learn everybody else’s lines. For one reason: I will know more betterly when my lines are coming (yes, I know “more betterly” is not proper English; it is a silly thing I like to say). For another, when somebody forgets their line, sometimes I can say something in character that helps them remember or at least keeps the scene going.

Steve is no longer invisible.

The Steve in the above caption does not refer to my husband Steve but to a character in the play. I think I mentioned that we were down an actor. One fellow had to drop out due to personal reasons. However, we had a replacement last night, and I know he will do an excellent job. As a side note: in this play the director and two actors are named Steve, as is a main character in the play. We’re lousy with Steves!

I see I have talked more about the play than the monsters, but I think that is all right. Additionally, I am over 400 words. How did that happen? It must be the coffee.

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Don’t Swoon: Eat Some Pie!

Posted on January 24, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

This will be a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post, because I am SO in a mood to swoon upon a chaise lounge, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead. The headache that plagued me this morning faded, but I got very little of use done.

Oh, wait, one thing we did: my husband Steve and I made a chocolate pie. It was a pretty easy recipe. Yet I think to tell it will be marginally more entertaining than to continue to whine about headaches and uselessness.

Steven had a craving for pie, and his favorite is chocolate. We had a ready-made crust in the freezer. We thought we did not have any chocolate pudding, but I pointed out we have some mincemeat I recently found for 50% off at Hannaford (with an expiration date of like 2023, score!). Then Steve found a box of chocolate pudding mix in the cupboard. Awesome!

The first step was to put the crust out to thaw at room temperature for 90 minutes. So much for instant gratification! We watched a DVR’d episode of Svengoolie to help pass the time.

I loves me some Svengoolie.

After about an hour, I started making the pudding. We took turns stirring, because you are supposed to stir it constantly. Then we let it set to cool and thicken. Soon it was time to bake the crust. I had foresightedly preheated the oven while we made the pudding. It only had to bake for ten minutes, then I put it in the refrigerator to chill.

It took longer to chill than we had hoped, but eventually I was able to put the pudding in the crust and put the whole thing back in the fridge.

OK, we did not wait till it was thoroughly chilled to have a piece. It was still yummy, especially with a good dollop of Whipped Topping. Steven had a second piece a couple of hours later.

I guess this doesn’t make too bad of a blog post. Maybe I’ll have a second piece of pie myself. Or it might make a tasty breakfast. Yum!

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Not Really a Blog Post

Posted on January 23, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Once again, I had such a good Saturday that I did not make a blog post. This is not really a blog post, either, but more of an apology for not making a blog post yesterday.

We did everything on the agenda I outlined on my Lame Post Friday post. We had a fun time at each event. I need to write blog posts about them.

For right now, however, I have a headache. Too much red wine? Falling asleep on the couch and getting a crick in my neck? Cold air and sinus problems? Any number of other headache causes?

And here’s a weird thing: my Tablet is underlining “neck” but not “crick.” I always thought crick was not a real word. Oh, the Tablet underlined it in the previous sentence. These are the things I ponder on a Sunday morning when I am not really making a blog post.

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Lame Will Tell

Posted on January 22, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello and welcome to Lame Post Friday, my day for random observations and half-baked philosophy. I fear I don’t have much of either in mind but do not despair of coming up with something reasonably entertaining for my readers (if any).

Cheers from Mohawk Valley Girl.

I looked through my Media Library looking for a picture with wine, because I have been enjoying a glass. Hey, it’s Friday. The picture above was taken at Waterfront Grille in Herkimer, NY. I may be stopping by there tomorrow (preview of coming attractions) for a meet-and-greet recruiting event for Kiwanis. I was a member of the Kiwanis Club in Potsdam many years ago. It might be fun to join again.

Here is a random observation: I have somehow changed my WordPress so that after I type in a paragraph, it goes grey. Only the paragraph I am currently typing is black and easily visible to my old eyes. It is annoying. I guess that is what I get for clicking on things indiscriminately. I am SO technologically un-savvy.

Just a random snow picture.

Here is a picture of snow from 2020. It looks remarkably similar to the snow that is outside now. I show it to emphasize that all Mohawk Valley Adventures are weather permitting. I hope I will be admitted a few tomorrow. As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

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Shout-out for Shoes

Posted on January 21, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I do not have a good excuse for making my Thursday post on Friday morning, but at least I woke up a little earlier today. Never mind that, on with a Throwback Thursday post.

Steven making with the feet.

I wondered what I was posting a year ago (although that is not throwing back very far, it still counts). A check of my Media Library reminded me that I am usually going to Melfe’s in Ilion, NY, for work shoes. I like to go in January, because they give you a free t-shirt or hat. I was wearing the hat I got from Melfe’s yesterday. Melfe’s also offers sneakers, nurses shoes and other footwear. I was totally going to purchase a supportive pair of thong sandals, but summer got away from me and I never made it back.

A quality selection of safety footwear.

I guess this post has turned into a shout-out to a local business, but that is all right with me. After all, one of the main purposes of the blog is to tout the good things about the area, and Melfe’s is certainly deserving of the tout. The service is great, the selection is quality, and I have two more weeks to get in there and get my shoes and free t-shirt. I hope they still have my size.

Melfe’s is located at 64 Central Ave., Ilion, NY, phone number 315-894-4049.

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In Haste, Late, and I Need Coffee!

Posted on January 20, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I overslept! What a stupid thing to do! Talk about a Wuss-out Wednesday! This is a late post to begin with, and now it is going to be even more foolish than usual. If you can imagine such a thing (I can, but then I have a vivid imagination).

In my defense, I had rehearsal last night. I guess if that is going to be a defense, this blog is in for a lot of late, foolish posts in the near future. Until the blog becomes All Game Show All The Time. Game Show, for those of you just tuning in, is the play at Ilion Little Theatre that Steve and I both have parts in.

Last night’s rehearsal was a little less fun for me than Tuesday night’s, but you’ll have that. We are blocking right now, which I find the most boring portion of rehearsing any play. Blocking, in case you don’t know, is when the director tells the actors where they are supposed to move and when. Boring, but necessary. I have worked with a couple of directors who have not worked it out or, worse yet, just let the actors free to move where and when they please. Believe me, as rehearsals progress, you run into a lot more problems.

But I did not mean to digress into the mechanics of rehearsing a play. It might make a good blog post, but it is a subject that needs more time than I have right now, and, for me at least, should not be tackled before coffee. Speaking of which, my dear husband just handed me a mug of same. I’ll sign off now.

And I’m over 250 words. Phew!

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Could Be Why I’m Tired

Posted on January 19, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I missed posting again yesterday. In my defense, I had a lot to do. When I was battling the ice on my windshield (how was there suck a big chuck? what the hell, nature?), I broke a windshield wiper. Crap! At first I thought I could snap it back on, but it is still dark when I leave for work, and I couldn’t see what I was doing. All I managed was to break a piece off. Typical me! I could not get the piece back on either the wiper or the arm. Grrr!

I went into the house for some light, and Steven went to put on pants and shoes to come help me. With great if misplaced effort, I wrestled the piece back onto the wiper blade. Now I was in business! Unfortunately, when I got back outside, I still could not get the wiper back on the arm. Fortunately, it was the passenger side.

By this time, Steven had made it outside. However, I had determined the cause hopeless and said I would drive to work with one wiper.

“It isn’t precipitating,” I pointed out. “I’ll get a new wiper on the way home.”

Steven was helpful, however, because he moved the trash and recycling containers, which were at the end of the driveway, because of snowbanks from Monday’s storm. He also undertook to move them back after I was gone. This was nice, because otherwise I would have had to leave my car in the street and move them back myself, unless I forgot all about them and backed into them (would I do a thing like that? Um, yes, I would and have).

I did encounter some precipitation on the way to work, but my driver side wiper sufficed. After work I stopped at AutoZone in Herkimer, NY (where I live). I don’t usually plug chain stores, but the young man that helped me was so nice! He recommended the all-weather blade that he uses (not the most expensive one), put it on my car for me, and used his bare hands to clean out some of the ice that was collecting under the edge of the hood. Sweet!

In addition to these adventures (which I see have taken me over 300 words to describe, Score!), I also had rehearsal. Before rehearsal I had to stop and purchase yarn for crochet and knitting purposes. You see, my part in the play is small; I must keep myself occupied or I will get in trouble (me, get in trouble? Say it ain’t so!). I guess I’ll just bill this as a Tired Tuesday post, hope my readers will overlook it being late, and drive on (Freudian typo: I put “dive on” instead of “drive on.” Guess I’ll dive into Wednesday!).

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I Wish I Was Invisible

Posted on January 18, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is time once again for a Monstrous Monday Post. It has been a semi-monstrous day, but I will not elaborate on that. For one reason, I am pecking one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet, and the device is being rather uncooperative. Predictive text is not the least bit attuned to what I might be trying to say, and autocorrect is a bitch.

Never mind all that, let me find a picture of a monster to brighten our day.

He really disappears into his character.

Here is Claude Rains as The Invisible Man. He is a real actor’s actor. Bette Davis loved working with him. They never did a horror movie together, alas.

A peek into the creative process.

I couldn’t find anything that related to the first photo, but here is a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a William Castle production. Castle is the guy with the cigar. The seated fellow is Vincent Price. I don’t know who the ghouls are, but I love their outfits.

Another fashionable ensemble.

I can’t find another good movie monster in my Media Library, so here is a picture of our skeleton Bonita in her 2020 Halloween outfit. The black tulips are from a murder mystery.

I am afraid this has been a rather disjointed post, but you’ll have that, especially with me. I’ll try for more Mohawk Valley Adventures as the week progresses, but no promises. Still, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

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I’ll Give You a Pizza My Mind

Posted on January 17, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about another cooking post, because quite frankly, I ain’t got much. I did leave the house today, but only to go grocery shopping, and it was not memorable. I spent most of the afternoon knitting and watching Snapped.

I almost didn’t cook anything, because I sat on the couch feeling Too Damn Tired. However, once I got out to the kitchen and got started, it wasn’t too bad.

My plan was to make flat bread pizzas. I had purchased whole wheat tortillas for the purpose. I started by chopping up some rainbow peppers I found on sale at the grocery store. I put them in a frying pan to saute, adding some sliced fresh mushrooms.

While they fried, I peeled and crushed some garlic. After it sat for 15 minutes, breathing or whatever it’s supposed to do (I read somewhere that’s how it reaches its full cancer-fighting potential), I whirred it in the blender with some oil, basil, and oregano. I spread this mixture on the flat bread in lieu of sauce.

In addition to the peppers and mushrooms, I topped the pizzas with pepperoni, black olives, and mozzarella. I sliced the olives and grated the cheese while the garlic breathed.

I baked two pizzas at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. They turned out yummy. I have not been cooking much lately, because I have been too lazy. Uh, I mean tired. I kind of miss chopping, mixing, stirring, etc. Perhaps my recipes are not the most exciting of blog posts, but at least it makes a change from whining about how I don’t have enough to say. As always, I thank you for tuning in.

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Saturday Soup

Posted on January 16, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Oh dear, I missed another Saturday post. Part of the problem was that I didn’t actually do anything. It was too cold to leave the house, so I did not go running or have any Mohawk Valley Adventures. Full disclosure: I stepped out on the porch twice, putting my weekly postcards on the box for the mailman to pick up.

I did make a pot of chicken soup, so perhaps a cooking post would work, although it wasn’t much of a recipe. I’ll give it a try.

I had a rotisserie chicken from Hannaford which I had been taking meat off for my lunch salads. My mom told me that my sister Diane made soup with the remains of her rotisserie chickens. I messaged Diane and asked her how she did it.

“Boil the crap out of it and pull the meat off, throw out the bones, and add vegetables,” were the instructions. I could do that. Kind of.

I did not have any vegetables, but I had onion and garlic (oh well I guess onion counts as a vegetable), so I added those plus some spices. I also did not have any noodles, so I cooked some ruffles. It turned out pretty tasty. Next time I hope to have a stalk of celery and perhaps a couple of carrots to add. I don’t care for cooked carrots, but Steven likes them.

In the meantime, I am over 200 words. Score! Now let’s see if I can make my Sunday post later today.

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