I Prefer It When People Live

I lying in bed with my Tablet hoping to muster brain enough for a Tired Tuesday Post but skeptical about my ability to do so. My Life Makeover is so far not so good. I left work with a wanging middle-age backache so did not go running. My back felt better after relaxing on the couch, but I cannot feel that knitting and watching true crime television advances me toward any of my loftier goals.

On the brighter side, we discovered a new to us show on Oxygen called Murder for Hire. I know the show has been around for a while, because I recall hmphing that they stole our name. You see, when we used to have a business doing interactive murder mysteries in the North Country, we called ourselves Murder For Hire. Ah, memories.

Anyways, the show on Oxygen is pretty good. I like the stories when they con the would-be murderer with a cop acting like a hit man and the prospective victim lives. Despite my obsession with murder and mayhem, I prefer it when people live.

I think I will use that last sentence for a title. It gives my post a kind of a Non-Sequitur feel, thus raising it above your average Tired Tuesday Post. Or do I flatter myself?

Not Monsters, Makeover?

It has been a kind of a monstrous Monday. Nothing that bad happened, but my allergies are acting up, and my brain felt like a leaden lump. It does not feel particularly un-lumpish now, but I like to make a blog post.

I went for a short run after work, which I almost never do on a Monday. One reason I went was that it was not raining. I thought it was supposed to rain almost every day this week, although it is possible I misunderstood the forecast, bearing in mind my lumpy brain.

My other reason for running was more philosophical. I want to give my life a makeover but have little idea of how to do it. Vague notions of master plans swirl through my brain (especially at times when it is feeling less like a leaden lump), but concrete steps are elusive. Today I thought to myself: Just do one thing different.

So I ran. Not very far, not very fast, but I did it. And I feel like the same old lump. Was I expecting miracles? I guess not. However, I was hoping for a Running Commentary Blog Post. Can what I have typed in so far count?

Let’s just call this a Monday Middle-aged Musings Post and drive on. I’ll keep you posted on my makeover, whether it turns out to be a Master Plan or Just one Thing Different a whole bunch of times.

Svengoolie, Can You Help Me Now?

Hello and welcome to another Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post. I suppose it could be a Scattered Sunday, though, because I have been all over the map.

I went on a long run this morning, did some house cleaning, grocery shopped, and mowed the lawn (no small task with my non-power mower and wimpy muscles). However, as is often the case, the highlight of my day was sitting in front of the television knitting.

He is the man, yes.

I enjoyed not one but two episodes of Svengoolie on my DVR. One was a Roger Corman movie with the rather unfitting title of The Undead. The other was a made-for-tv movie from 972 called Gargoyles.

In between Svengoolies, we saw House on Haunted Hill (the original William Castle/Vincent Price version) and Murder By Death, two of our go-to silly movies.

Aaand it seems my Tablet will not allow me to download pictures of those movies. No doubt I am too technologically ignorant for these things. In any case, I am soon switching over to Snapped, my usual Sunday thing.

I really need a wine glass with the logo.

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that I must reorganize and revitalize my life so that Monday does not bear down on me with swoon-inducing force. Unfortunately, I have few ideas on how to accomplish this. I guess all I can do is pick up my knitting and drive on. At least I have made my Sunday post on Sunday. As always, thank you for tuning in.

“Hey, Kid…”

OK, It’s a late Saturday Post (Saturday Evening Post?). I guess it’s a weekend thing. Judge me if you are so inclined.

Our luncheon with friends didn’t happen, but Kim came over and we had pizza and a few laughs. I was in sweats by then but feeling bad about not getting dressed up with fancy hats. So we improvised.

Every day is Halloween!

This was the first time I wore my spider fascinator, which I picked up at a garage sale to benefit H.A.L.O., the local cat rescue organization (just to give them another plug).

And a bottle of rum?

The the pirate hat was purchased for a Halloween costume in Georgia, back in the early 00’s. Waste not, want not, I always say.

As a Facebook friend said, “And we have a winner!”

I acquired this hat more recently at a church rummage sale. An elderly man working at it kept modeling the hats to entice me to buy them. It worked. I think this looks like one worn by the character Ilsa Lunt in Casablanca. Ingrid Bergman has got nothing on Steve!

As always, when I see striking hats, I remember the Roger Miller song, “Hey, kid, where’d you get the lid? Where’s you get a hat like that?” I just loves me some Roger Miller.

Do I Do the Weekend?

I feel it is unbecoming when I do not have the mental wherewithal for even a Lame Post Friday Post on Friday. Additionally, I am out of bed prior to 5 a.m. on Saturday after five days of strenuously wishing I could sleep in. In other words, I am not doing this weekend thing right.

However, self-recrimination is tiresome. I watched a couple good episodes of Dateline, finished knitting a scarf and started another, and generally relaxed myself.

Oh, and I did a load of laundry and spent a very little time tidying my living room. Every week I have a plan to do at least a little cleaning every day, thinking I will eventually attain a clean house. Then I do a very little not every day and feel stupid. Still, I continue to hold the hope that this week will be different.

So maybe this week my week begins on Friday. I did a little yesterdaym I can do a little more today. It! Could! Work! (That is Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, one of my favorite movies.)

I see I am approaching 200 words. I believe this post is sufficiently lame to qualify for a late Lame Post Friday Post. I’ll try to make Saturday’s post on Saturday, but no promises.

I Don’t Have an Alibi

I am spending the evening watching 20/20 on OWN, and apparently it is New York State Murder Day. First we saw an episode about Cal Harris, accused of killing his wife in Owego, NY, and now it is an episode about Nick Hilary, accused of killing his ex-girlfriend’s son in Potsdam, NY. I lived in Owego as a very little girl, and I lived in Potsdam as an adult, so these episodes are of great interest to me.

I have seen other shows about both cases, but you never know when one of them will show something new. I don’t always remember everything anyways. Of course I share my opinions and questions with Steven as we go. “Why did that witness wait so long to come forward?” “What about those fingerprints?” and my usual, “He totally did it!”

Mostly, I am happy the episodes specify the towns involved. So often these true crime shows talk about “a small town in upstate New York,” as if there is New York City and the rest of the state.

So this is my Thursday blog post. If only I could think of a punchy but not quite related headline, I could bill this as a Non-Sequitur Thursday Post. Think, Cindy, think!

A Little More Little Falls

I am going to attempt a Wordless Wednesday Post, utilizing some recent photos I took but did not use. After all, waste not, want not. I do not expect to be particularly successful, because one thing I rarely am is wordless. No matter. I just want to make a blog post.

It’s nice to plug a local business.

I took this last Saturday at Ironrock Brewing Company in Little Falls, NY.

Cheers!

Yes, I usually do take a picture of my friend Kim on our outings, which often involve wine.

Ironrock is located near the canal, so Kim and I walked across the road to admire the water.

You can see the antique shops.
I don’t know what this building used to be.
Is this a retaining wall?

We did have a fun time in Little Falls last weekend. As for this blog post, I guess it was not wordless, but perhaps it was not a waste.

A Very Little Yard Work

I took a short (very slow) run, thinking I might make a Running Commentary Post. Then I came up with something better. In lieu of my cool-down walk (I just love that expression “in lieu of”), I mowed the front lawn with my non-power mower and pulled up a few weeds and unwanted items.

In the course of doing this, I noticed I have a Johnny Jump-up! It is only one little bloom, but I was delighted to see it. I immediately decided to take a picture, although I finished my mowing and pulling first.

I hope I get more!

Naturally I took a few more pictures.

These are tulips, which is very exciting for me, because we have not had this many previously. We usually get one and feel happy with that, because we did not plant it.

Any guesses?

I was not sure if this was a flower or a weed, so I let it live. Does anybody know what it is?

I hope they are OK!

I spent a little time pulling up green stuff surrounding my peonies. I believe I sacrificed some daisies, but I also believe we have plenty of daisies. Last year something ate my peonies before they bloomed, or somebody came and took them all away. I hope for fragrant blossoms this year.

I did not do a whole lot, but I thought it was not too bad for after a run on a Tired Tuesday. No doubt I will share more pictures as the season progresses.

Monday Mug Memories

Lately I have been pouring myself a travel mug of coffee to sip on my 20 minute commute to work. I like to drive up through Ilion Gorge, admire the scenery, enjoy whichever CD I am listening to, and have a sip or two. Usually there is enough left over for me to bring in to my place of employment for a few more sips while I wait for my shift to start and, for example, start to write a blog post (see what I did there?).

Today I am using my favorite travel mug. I do not remember where I got it. It was probably acquired from a long-ago roommate. The logo of the business it came from is not quite peeled off, but I am pretty sure I did not get it directly from there. These are the mysteries I ponder on a Monday morning.

I do have one story about the mug that I can share. The mug came up missing at one point. This did not worry me unduly, because I have many travel mugs. I could always pick another favorite.

Then one Thanksgiving at my parents’ house in Rome, NY, I spotted it. My Uncle Tom, who had also been a guest at dinner, was filling it with coffee for his trip back to North Syracuse, as my parents had invited him to do.

“THERE’S my coffee mug!” I exclaimed.

Uncle Tom was immediately sorry he had selected that mug from the ones in my parents’ cupboard, but I hastened to reassure him. I was, in fact, delighted to have him use my mug to make his drive more enjoyable. It was also very fitting that he should take my mug, as I pointed out to him, because my husband, Steven, and I had acquired not one but two travel mugs from his daughter, our cousin Mary Beth, when in a similar situation.

Eventually I got my favorite travel mug back, so I was not forced to pick a new favorite. It would be OK if I did, and also if another relative or friend ended up taking it away with them. I feel travel mugs, like coffee, should be shared.

And that is my coffee in a travel mug story for the day. I am making the post late for a Monday blog post, but I am calling it a Monday Memories post anyways, just to be alliterative.

Two Walks, a Few Pictures

I just took a short walk to the post office, to mail a letter to a friend but also to wake myself up. I had my phone with me and took a couple of pictures. I did a similar thing yesterday, so how about a Sunday Snapshot Post. I just made that category up. Do you like it?

I gotta plant a flowering tree in my yard.

I hadn’t meant to take pictures, but then I thought, blog post. Then I saw the flowering tree. I also tried to get a shot of the delicate green tree behind it.

I love trees.

It was on my way home that I went for a shot of a downed branch.

We have had a few windy days.

Further down the street I admired a magnolia tree.

I want one of these, too.

My other two pics are from yesterday’s walk. Again, I had not meant to take pictures, but the lone dandelion among the growing cultivated flowers caught my eye.

This guy has more peonies than I do.

Another flowering tree caught my eye too.

It’s pretty!

I like making these Pedestrian Posts with pictures. And I L9VE going for a walk. It certainly brightens my day.