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Lame Thoughts Running Through My Mind

Posted on July 28, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

This was me! And it could be again!

So I was sitting here trying to think of something to say for my Lame Post Friday post, and I remembered something I wanted to check: the Falling Leaves 14K in Utica, NY.  Regular readers may know that I did not run the Boilermaker 15K this year, although I have run it in the past.  I have never run the Falling Leaves but have always wanted to.  In fact, there was one year when I was seriously thinking about it.  That was when I found out it was 14K, not five or ten as I had thought.  I believe I wrote a blog post detailing my chagrin.

As I have been running lately, I have been keeping the race in my mind’s eye.  During a run, I often figure in my head how soon I will be running how long if I increase by 10 percent weekly.  For one reason, doing the math distracts me from running.  For another reason, setting goals can be helpful.  I would like to set the Falling Leaves run as a goal.

But can I make it?  I missed my 10 percent increase last week.  Well, one cannot always meet the ideal (oh, I suppose YOU can?) (you know who you are).  When is this race anyways?  September, I knew. I seemed to think it was around the 14th.  The closest Sunday to that (I know it’s on a Sunday) is the 16th.  Oh dear, I have a murder mystery on Sept. 15 (at the Herkimer Elks Lodge; I’ll write more blog posts about that as I get more details) (preview of coming attractions).  I don’t want to run a major race the day after a murder mystery!  This race is only 1K shorter than the Boilermaker.  The day before the Boilermaker, I drink Gatorade, eat pasta, and go to bed early; I don’t kill anybody.  I just do not have that kind of energy at my age.

The little devil on my shoulder said, “Hey, you may be off the hook. You can just run what you feel like running and do the Falling Leaves next year.  What a good plan!  There could be no possible objection.”  So I checked.

Sept. 23.  The week AFTER my murder mystery.   Why, that even gives me another week to increase by 10 percent!  IT! COULD! WORK!  (That is a quote from the movie Young Frankenstein, for the uninitiated).  The cost of registration does not go up till Aug. 28.  That gives me plenty of time to make an irrevocable decision.  But I think it’s looking good.

Incidentally, the picture above is me running the East Herkimer Fire Department 5K Race last October.  I plan to run that one, too.  I am in fine shape to run a 5K.

 

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Waste Not, Want Not

Posted on July 27, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

As I have mentioned many times, when I run, I narrate in my head, as if I am writing my running commentary as I go.  Sometime later, when I sit down and type in my Running Commentary post, I never use all the good stuff.  I usually remember it later and say, Damn!  Well, since today is Non-Sequitur Thursday, I’m going to share a couple of stories from different runs that did not make it through my porous mind into the post that day.

During a recent run in what I call The Suburbs, I had a nice canine encounter (that is an expression I just now made up, “canine encounter,”  do you like it?).  “The Suburbs” are not really suburbs, of course.  I don’t think Herkimer is large enough to rate real suburbs. It is a nice, hilly residential section behind Valley Health Services.  There are no sidewalks, which I prefer to run on, but there is not much traffic.

Regular readers know that when I run, if I see a nice dog, I always ask if I can pet him or her.  On this particular run, I met a lady walking two cute little ones.

“Can I pet your dogs?”

The lady said that the boy dog would let me, but the girl might not.  Sure enough, one dog walked right over, wagging his cute little tail.  I tried to greet his sister, too, but she backed off.  He was an adorable black and white dog.  He reminded me of our much missed Spunky.  Considering the resemblance and since I do not run with a camera, I’ll share a picture of Spunkman.  I think illustrations add punch to a blog post.

How I miss my poocher!

The nice dog I petted did not have Spunky’s underbite.  I ran on, turning here and there, choosing some hills and avoiding others.  Soon I saw that I was approaching the lady and her two dogs again.  I thought I would not bother her by asking to pet them again.  However, as I got closer, my little black and white friend started walking towards me.

“He says, ‘I’ll take more pets!'”  the lady said.

“I’ll give you pets, you friendly fellow,” I said.  I love dogs!

I can’t believe I left that little story out of my running commentary that day.

The other story concerns a cool-down walk.  Regular readers know I always walk around the block, drinking water after a run.  I usually take about ten minutes.  I figure, my metabolism is all kicked up from the run, so I burn more calories walking around the block than I would otherwise.  Also, it feels awesome to walk after a run.  Well, I was about a block and a half away from home when I saw a folded piece of paper on the sidewalk, so I picked it up and unfolded it.

Well, who doesn’t?

I brought the note home and gave it to Steve.

“I think your girlfriend dropped this before she had a chance to give it to you,” I said.

He did not deny it.

 

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A Few Monsters to Cheer Us Up

Posted on July 24, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Monstrous Monday.  I am dead tired and quite frankly inclined to give the blog a miss for tonight.  However, I will feel sad if I do that, and I’m already kind of blue.  Maybe a few monsters will cheer me up.  I was looking on my monster pages on Facebook for something new and discovered this.

What a stylish poster! It doesn’t remind me of the movie at all.

I have Night Tide on a DVD collection, along with The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, The Atomic Brain, and Carnival of Souls.  I must confess, Night Tide is my least favored of the collection.  But maybe I need to give it another watch.  I haven’t done a move write-up blog post in a long time.

Alas, this discovery did not lead me into a theme for this post.  Instead, I found a picture I liked of horror icon Christopher Lee.

I think he looks hurt and confused. I often feel that way on a Monday.

I did not notice which Mummy movie this was from (perhaps The Mummy?), but I know it was a Hammer Production.  I like Hammer horror films almost as much as I like the older ones.

“Isn’t this where the party is?”

Speaking of older monster movies, why don’t we close with my favorite guy, Nosferatu from 1922.  And I see I am over 200 words.  I find that quite sufficient for a foolish post such as this. Happy Monsters — I mean, Happy Monday, everyone!

 

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Post Parade Lame Post

Posted on July 21, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

This IS a Lame Friday Post, and a Very Late Lame Post.  Yes, I participated in the Doodah Parade. It was a lot of fun.  After it was over, a few of us went to the Asteroga Ale House for drinks and food.  Now I am home and I must confess, not the least bit inclined to make a blog post. How appropriate for Lame Post Friday, is it not?

I had not thought I would be able to make the Doodah Parade.  For one reason, I had a doctor’s appointment I thought might last too late.  As I drove to the appointment, I noticed how people had already set out chairs to watch the parade.  They had left those chair unattended. How small town is that?  They left those chairs believing nobody would bother them before the parade!  Later on, somebody told me it must be just for the parade, because any other time, people would just say, “Ooh, look, free chairs!”

So I was delighted when my doctor appointment was over in time for me to get home, shower, and get into costume.  I wore my wizard dress with my witch hat.  Somebody took a picture of me, but I don’t know if it came out. I took a few pictures myself.  If I sufficiently bestir myself, perhaps I will share them tomorrow.  Once again, no promises.  I’m just happy I typed in a few words while it was still Friday.  As always, thank you for tuning in.

 

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More Doodah Dithering

Posted on July 20, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

No, I could not think of another “d” word for my alliterative title.  Anyways, this is a fine Non-Sequitur Thursday post when my headline reflects what the post is actually about.  I’d better throw in a picture of a monster.

I’m glad I don’t have to fit him for a pair of glasses.

I was going to go for Nosferatu, since he is my favorite, but then I saw this fellow looking just about as flustered as I feel.  He is from The Brain that Wouldn’t Die.  For the uninitiated, he does not posses the titular brain. In fact, we never see him till near the end of the flick, an excellent technique in a monster movie.

Now I’ve gotten right off the subject of the Doodah Parade, but just to bring you up to date:  I decided not to participate after all.  My lame excuses (how embarrassing to be lame before Lame Post Friday!):  I don’t have time to get a costume together, I’ve gone back on overtime so 10-hour day on Friday and possible early shift Saturday, I have a doctor appointment Friday afternoon which may last inconveniently late.

Of course as soon as I messaged my friend Kim, who is in charge of our float, begging off, I began to feel guilty and regretful.  After my shower, I tried on the fancy dress I thought might make a good costume.  It’s a little tight but would do in a pinch. I started thinking of other possibilities.

I cast a spell on you!

This, regular readers (if any) may recall, was my Wizard for the March of Dimes costume.  It’s awfully dark colored.  I wonder how hot it would be.

I am NOT saying, “To be or not to be.”

I’m the one on the left, in the yellow tights.  That would be a cool-looking but hot-feeling costume. Anyways, I don’t have all the parts in my possession, as some were borrowed from the LiFT collection.

Do you suppose he’s watching a parade?

I threw in the picture of Nosferatu just to mix things up a little.  I think monsters make a blog post fun.

I’m third from the right, in blue and maroon.

One final thought: I wore this ensemble for a murder mystery.  I think the blue throw is striking.  I could wear it with shorter pants in the hot weather.

So I’m thinking IF my doctor appointment gets done in time, and IF I’m not too tired from getting up at 3 a.m. and working in the heat, MAYBE I will get home, shower fast, put on something costumey, and join the parade.  But no promises.

 

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Can Hercule Poirot Solve My Doodah Dilemma?

Posted on July 19, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is Wednesday, isn’t it?  It’s that day when you want to be happy that there is only one more day between you and Friday (if you are fortunate enough to have weekends off, which I do and I am grateful for) (don’t hate me if you don’t), only you’re not, because you just realized you ARE going to do a theatre thing on Friday that you thought you were not going to do, so you only have one day to get a costume together.

Yes, it’s always drama with me.  It’s not even a real theatre-y thing I have to do: merely, Ilion Little Theatre is marching in the Doodah Parade as part of Ilion Days on Friday, July 20.  I don’t even have to march: my friend Kim said I could ride in the truck.  I don’t even have to wear a costume.  I could wear my t-shirt from Roxy, a play I was in a few years ago (perhaps you read some of my blog posts about it).  However, I am the sort of person that when I CAN wear a costume, I DO.

What to wear, what to wear, what to wear?  Something bold enough to show up as a costume from the truck, but something light enough to not kill me in 88-degree weather.  Maybe a hat.  Maybe an umbrella.  I’d like to wear my tiara, but I don’t have a fancy dress.  I have one day to get to a thrift store!  How do I get myself into these things!

In the meantime, I just spent some two hours sitting crocheting and watching Murder on the Orient Express (1974) with my husband, Steven.  I can’t even begin to tell you how delighted I was that I could work on an afghan in comfort, in between hot flashes, even if I had to have the fan on me to do it.  At least I can pep up my Wuss-out Wednesday post with a picture.

Hercule Poirot tells them what’s what.

This was the first star-studded Agatha Christie romp Steven and I enjoyed together, back in the 1990’s.  He had seen it in the theatre when it came out in 1974.  We need to see the newer Kenneth Branagh version.  Perhaps I’ll write a blog post about it when we do, although I usually write about older movies, preferably the cheesy sort.

In the meantime, I see I am close to 400 words.  That’s respectable for a blog post, especially on Wuss-out Wednesday.  Anyways, now that the movie is over, I have to get back to having my panic attack over what I’m going to wear to the Doodah Parade.

 

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Something of a Running Commentary on Tired Tuesday

Posted on July 18, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here we are on Tired Tuesday, and I feel as if I just can’t write a thing.  Well, obviously, I just wrote that stupid sentence, as well as this one.  That doesn’t prove anything, because I can just backspace them out and once again be staring at a blank screen.  Crap.

It was almost as hot and humid at my work today as it was yesterday, so I left feeling pretty much as melted (but yet no smaller, it’s no fair).  However, I managed to go running.  I did not ambitiously get right out as soon as I got home. First I sat on the couch, drank a glass of chocolate milk, and looked at the computer.  I had made up my mind to give it a miss and try again tomorrow.  Then I said, oh, what the hell.

As I ran, I thought I would make a Running Commentary post.  I know I just did one on Sunday, but I thought I could get away with it.  Anyways, I like to narrate in my head as I go. I never include all the stuff I come up with, which is probably just as well, because it would make some pretty long posts.  Today I went pretty slowly.  I figured I could make it a short run: 20 minutes.  I could make it for 20 minutes.  Could I make it for 20 minutes?  Sometimes 20 minutes is a long time and not just when you’re at work.  Why couldn’t I get one of those second winds you hear about?

Eventually I realized I was going to make it for 20 minutes, or a little more.  I turned the corner and was headed towards my street.  Suddenly I felt pretty okay and thought I could run further.  I could pass my street, and the next, then run up Main Street and over German back home.  Woohoo!  This is what a second wind feels like!  I felt less second and more windy when I actually got to Main Street, if you know what I mean.  The beauty part was, I still had to run back home, so my run was going to be a decent amount of time. Also, I like running by Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners.

My run ended up being 30 minutes.  I felt pretty happy about that, and my cool-down walk felt pretty darn good. And now I have managed to wrote a blog post.  Not a great blog post, but I think it’ll do for Tired Tuesday.

 

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Severed Heads on Melting Monday

Posted on July 17, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I promised myself a Monstrous Monday post, and I felt it would be better to get new (to this blog) monster pictures.  After quite some time of puttering around Facebook looking for them, I found not a monster, exactly, but what one might see as monstrous.

Some people just don’t like to sleep alone.

This is a shot from one of my favorite movies to watch on a Severed Head Sunday, which alas, I did not have yesterday: Straitjacket with Joan Crawford.  I sure do like movies that feature severed heads.  I looked for more pictures.

She’s giving him the side eye.

Another big favorite of mine: The Brain that Wouldn’t Die.  The sad thing about the movie is that the head wanted to die, but the obsessed boyfriend would not allow it.  These mad scientists always think they know best.  It took me a while to find a third photograph.  I tried to think of movies that featured severed heads and thought of Sleepy Hollow, or, as I like to call it, The Headless Everybody.  But all I could find was pictures of Johnny Depp looking sultry.  So I tried Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, with another of my favorites, Bette Davis.  Charlotte is more contemporary with the pictures I’ve shared thus far.

Very atmospheric, isn’t it?

I could not find a picture of the severed head, but I’m not really surprised, because in the movie the head is more often talked about than seen.

So this is my Monstrous Monday post.  Foolish, you say?  In my defense, it has been meltingly hot all day, and I have been at work for the first time in two weeks.  And if you’re going to ding me for whining, just go away.  I will too.  Perhaps we can meet again tomorrow on Tired Tuesday.

 

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What Do You Want from Me on Slacker Saturday?

Posted on July 15, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I realized as I wrote my blog post last night that I was NOT having a Lame Post Friday, which I almost always do.  I was just so excited to write about the cheese play and use the pictures I took.  So now I feel free to make a Slacker Saturday post.  At least I’m making the post on the day I’m publishing it (according to my real calendar, not my WordPress timestamp, apparently).

The cheese play, Where’s the Cheesecake?, when very well.  We got a lot of laughs.  I had a little bit of cheese at the Little Falls Cheese Festival, but it was so warm, I did not want to stay long.  We went to Ruggiero’s Trattoria, sat at the bar in the air conditioning, and had a couple of drinks and a slice of pizza.  Then we came home and I fell asleep on the couch. We’ve been watching movies ever since.

It doesn’t sound like such an exciting day, does it? Well, I enjoyed it.  Oh, we also took a short walk to the post office and back to mail my weekly post cards. As I went into the post office, I ran into the man who is going to direct Fallen Angel, the play the Herkimer County Historical Society is going to put on at Ilion Little Theatre.  I told him to talk to Steven (who was waiting for me on the sidewalk) about auditioning.  So I may have some theatre news about that on a blog post soon (preview of coming attractions).

I see I am over 200 words.  Phew!  That’s enough for a blog post!  Thank you for tuning in, and I hope to see you all on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

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Feet and Friends on Non-Sequitur Thursday

Posted on July 13, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, after making yesterday’s wuss-out post this morning, I did not run out and have any Mohawk Valley adventures to write about, so I will make this a Throw Back Thursday, with Non-Sequitur overtones.

 

Not my usual footgear, but sometimes it works for me.

This is a picture from last June, but it is similar to what I wore on my feet today.  I tore up my toes on the bottom of my sister’s pool yesterday afternoon, so I slathered on some antibiotic ointment and covered them up.  I still went running.  Um, not with socks like these.  I made sure I found a good pair of running socks and wore my best running shoes. But I’m not writing a Running Commentary, so let’s see what else I can throw back to.

I wasn’t in this scene.

Last July I was in rehearsals for The Tempest with LiFT, Little Falls’ Theatre Company.  It seems odd not doing Shakespeare this summer, but I don’t know that I could have handled it anyways.  As you may have noticed by my continued foolish blog posts, I am not having a good summer.  But let me not whine about my petty problems but find another picture in my Media Library (you know how I love my Media Library)

A toast to good friends!

Another good memory of last summer was a delightful lunch Steven and I had with our friends Jim and Phyllis at Gerber’s 1933 Tavern in Utica.  What could be better than find times with friends?

One of my favorite spots.

The 1933 Tavern made me think of the 1834 Jail in Herkimer, located on the Historic Four Corners.  I run by these corners on many of my runs.  But, once again, I am not making a Running Commentary post.  Happy Thursday, everyone.

 

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