Tag Archives: blog post

That Darn Doodah Parade!

Posted on July 21, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I said “darn” because it is a family friendly event.

What a week I am having! Rehearsals Monday and Wednesday, a preview performance Thursday, and the Ilion Doodah Parade on Friday! And anybody who is saying huffily, “I see you had Tuesday off. I had something to do EVERY night this week, even Sunday!” can just be quiet. I bet there is somebody else who is even busier than you, only they are not writing a blog post about it.

Where was I? Ah yes, stressing over the Ilion Doodah Parade tomorrow. I am marching with other m embers of the Ilion Little Theatre Club (ILT). Of course most of my summer is being taken up with LiFT Theatre Company of Little Falls, but I must make time for ILT once in a while. For one reason, my good friend Kim is in charge of our participation in the parade. I’m always ready to join Kim for a Mohawk Valley adventure!

My big problem is a familiar one for me. What, oh WHAT shall I wear? Last year I dressed as a pirate. Some folks wore jeans and a t-shirt from a show. Not all of our shows have t-shirts made, but, for example, the Herkimer County Historical Society gave the whole cast of Roxy t-shirts. I, of course, was in Roxy (perhaps you read a few of my blog posts about it; that was in 2015). Well, I’m sure wearing a theatre t-shirt is fine for some people, but I like to be a little more distinctive. OK, I just have to put n a show. I thought you knew that about me.

So I could be a pirate again. Or I could wear the outfit I’m working on for tonight’s preview performance. A co-worker suggested I wear the outfit I wore for Rubbed Out at Ruby’s. There are many possibilities.

Right now, however, I can’t think about it. I have to get ready for my Preview Performance. I wonder if I will have time to write a blog post about it before the Doodah Parade tomorrow.

For more information about the Doodah Parade, you can visit the Ilion Days website at http://www.iliondoodah.com/

Preparing for the Preview

Posted on July 20, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Um, our set doesn’t look like this.

Did I mention I might be seguing into All Tempest All The Time sometime soon? Well, I am once again posting in haste (posthaste, remember?) before hurrying off to rehearsal. We are rehearsing on Benton’s Landing in Little Falls, NY, instead of our usual Sterzinar Park, because that is where we are having a Preview Performance tomorrow. Performance tomorrow! Yikes!

The preview promises to be different from the usual, “Here’s a scene or two, come see the whole show later!” It is a performance “under construction,” according to the Facebook event. The audience will witness and perhaps participant in the rehearsal process in “our most immersive preview yet!”

I still have to figure out my costume. From the waist up, I think I’m set, although I would like a hat. With a feather. I think my character would definitely wear a hat with a feather. From the waist down, well, I’ll think of something to put on that looks halfway period, to be improved upon before actual performances. Come to think of it, I was kind of like that for last year’s preview for Much Ado About Nothing, only without the “halfway period.” I had a terrific top and trusted the audience to ignore my bicycle shorts. I found suitable pants at the Thrift Store at a later date.

So any local readers who are looking for something to do tomorrow, July 20, stop on down to Benton’s Landing in Little Falls at 6:30 for a preview of The Tempest. I’ll be there!

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Posted in community theatre, humor, personal and tagged Benton's Landing, blog post, costume, immersive performance, LiFT Theatre Company, Little Falls NY, period costume, rehearsal, The Tempest, Third Thursday. Bookmark the permalink.

Sad Monsters on Tired Tuesday

Posted on July 19, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I think I have used this in two previous blog posts. Don’t judge me.

Do you suppose I can get away with another post of monster movie pictures with silly comments? I am going to try. I felt all day that I was Trudging Through Tuesday (I once wrote a blog post of that title). Well, at least a trudge can result in some forward movement, and I hope not only movement towards Friday (oh, don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to Friday; I just hope to make other sorts of progress as well).

Where was I? Ah yes, monster movie pictures. The above is a repeat but apropos to the day. I wonder what else I could find…

“Beware… take care!”

Ah, no silly comments on this one. I share this picture my husband Steven downloaded to mark a sad recent event, the death of Martin Landau, who won a much deserved Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood. Steven and I LOVE the movie Ed Wood, and we especially enjoy Landau’s character. In other sad news, George Romero, director of Night of the Living Dead, also died this week. We have this movie on VHS but do not watch it as often as we do other horror classics. I suspect Steven does not appreciate creepy movies as much as I do.

I personally prefer the old-fashioned lumbering zombies to the new-fangled faster ones (full disclosure: I’ve never gotten beyond the trailers for the newer zombie flicks).

I thought a movie picture would be more in keeping with the theme than one of Romero himself. I hope that as a director he would appreciate this in the spirit in which it is intended.

So this is my Tired Tuesday post. In my defense, the Mohawk Valley weather has taken a turn for the hot and humid. My meager brain has melted into a puddle, and I am only good for doing puzzles on breaks at work (and not very good at those, I confess). But I hope you will stay tuned. Soon this blog may go All Tempest All The Time.

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Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged Bela Lugosi, blog post, blogging, Ed Wood, George Romero, horror movies, Martin Landau, monster movies, Night of the Living Dead, zombies. Bookmark the permalink.

I Did the Damn Dishes!

Posted on July 17, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is Wrist to Forehead Sunday indeed. I return to work tomorrow after two weeks off. YES (with eyes rolling), I am GRATFUL I have a job and YES I am GRATEFUL I got a vacation, some people just can’t bear to hear anybody else complain about anything. Sheesh!

Be all that as it may, I need to make a blog post before returning to enjoying what is left of my vacation and my Sunday. I must say, I am really looking forward to next Friday, when it will really be Friday for me. This past Friday, it being the last “real” day of vacation (since I normally have weekend off) (don’t hate), it felt not as delightful as a Friday ought, by rights, to feel. But, again, be that as it may, on with the blog post.

I have long felt that there was no point in trying to get anything done on a Sunday. Some Sunday I lament this, others I embrace the uselessness. Today I actually did a few thing. I took a short run (which, truth be known, I often do, even on the most useless of Sundays), I did the dishes, I did a load of laundry AND folded two baskets of previously done laundry, I laid out three outfits for work (I need five to get me through the week, but I only have so many pairs of work pants) (and I’ve gained weight, so they don’t all fit), I put away the dishes after the air and patience had dried them.

That is more than I have accomplished on previous Sundays. However, as I typed in the preceding paragraph, I realized there are a number of areas where some reader (or the critics in my head) could judge me. For example, why was there a pile of dishes to do first thing in the morning? Why was there laundry previously washed but still waiting to be folded? Why did I not immediately dry and put away the dishes, and where do I get off counting that as another chore and not part of “doing the dishes” as a normal person would?

To any such judgmental sorts, I explain, “Shut up!” mentally thanking S.J. Perelman as I do so. I see now I am over 350 words. I call that respectable for Wrist to Forehead Sunday. I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow for what I hope is not too Melancholy of a Monday.

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Posted in humor, personal, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged blog post, blogging, chores, critics, don't judge, end of vacation, imaginary critics, vacation, work, wrist to forehead. Bookmark the permalink.

What to Watch on Scattered Saturday?

Posted on July 16, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

There was not a whole lot of scatter to my Scattered Saturday today (nor a whole lot of scat either, if you’re into jazz) (which I am). I ran, I wrote, I read, I did not do dishes, I went to an early dinner with my husband, Steven, and now we are about to embark upon the movie watching portion of the evening (as regular readers know, my favorite part) (along with the bra off, sweats on, wine drinking portion of the evening) (which it also is, except for the sweats; too hot). This being the case, I share a picture I downloaded earlier to share on Steven’s Facebook page:

Just another unrealistic body type for us females to aspire to.

I’m pretty sure this is a publicity shot for House on Haunted Hill (1959), one of our go-to movies for just such an evening. I think we will not watch this movie tonight, since we did recently view it. What are our other possibilities? Hmmm….

“You think I’m the murderer? I thought you were the murderer!”

Thinking of Vincent Price usually brings me back to Laura (1944), a stylish noir, as one reviewer described it, and another of our favorites. Price plays, unusually enough, a leading man type, not a creepy murderer type. This is another of our go-to movies.

Nothing to worry about, everything is fine.

I finish with one last shot of Price, in another of our go-to movies, House of Wax (1953). Price does play a creepy murderer-type in this one.

So we have several suggestions right off the cuff for the movie watching portion of our evening. What to watch, what to watch, what to watch (yes, you have to say it three times). Tune in tomorrow, on Wrist to Forehead Sunday, and perhaps I’ll tell you.

Just a thought: would you be more apt to describe this post as Slacker Saturday? I’m thinking, maybe.

First Post-Boilermaker Run

Posted on July 14, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Did anybody think I would just stop running after the Boilermaker 15K? I have crashed and burned after running it in the past (I even wrote it on my calendar a couple of times: Monday, Crash; Tuesday, Burn). But I wanted to keep it up this time. I had actually meant to start running again Tuesday or Wednesday, but, well, you know how it goes sometimes (and if you don’t, what planet do you live on? I’d like to visit). So Friday was GOING to be the day.

When I woke up around 4 a.m., I felt SO ready to run. I was going to sleep a little more (hey, I’m still on vacation), then I was going to get right to it. I might not need any coffee first. I drank a little water (I always keep a bottle by the bed) and relaxed.

An hour an a half later, when Steven said he was getting up, I not only did not feel like running, I did not feel like getting out of bed. It being my last real day of vacation (I don’t count the weekend, since I normally have weekends off) (YES, lucky me, don’t hate), I stayed under the covers for another 15 minutes or so. This worked out, since due to a slight malfunction, coffee wasn’t ready till I got up anyways. Additionally, it was raining. I was off the hook! I don’t have to run in the rain!

Of course, I knew I COULD run in the rain. I’ve done it before. Also, the rain would probably stop. I had some coffee and awaited events. After a cup and a half, I did not see drops in the puddles, and I felt a little more ready. After all, this was the first run after a 15K and four days off. I decided I did not have to run more than 20 minutes.

Off I went dodging puddles and patches of mud still left from the recent flooding. I ran down German Street and pondered where to go. No hills, I promised myself. Perhaps a Dead End Run. That is where I cross German and run up and down all the dead end streets as I work my way back. Being me, I changed my mind about that three or four times, but ended up doing it.

I did not run all the dead end streets. That would have been a much longer run than anticipated. As it was I ended up running 33 minutes. Again, being me, I debated about that, too. Should I run past my house to the end of the street and back? Continue around the block? Make it 40 minutes? 35 minutes? I decided 33 was a fine number, so I ran a little way past the house.

I’m thinking this is not much of a Running Commentary, since I have not offered a lot of observations and, well, comments. However, it is Lame Post Friday and my last real day of vacation. I’m going to call it a post. Happy Friday, everyone.

Late Post, But Here Are Some Zombie Pictures

Posted on July 13, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am late making my Wuss-out Wednesday post (yes, I really wussed out this time). Never mind why. It’s a long story and makes me look bad. Instead, how about a few pictures of zombies, as suggested in comments of a recent post. I don’t watch as many zombie movies as I do vampire movies. However, one must acknowledge zombies as the scary monsters they are.

So that’s what happened to Veronica Lake.

I believe this is from Night of the Living Dead, which we have on DVD but rarely watch. I find it more creepy than scary, and a little sad, especially at the end. Still, it is considered a classic, so I pop it in when I can talk Steven into it.

I feel a little like this, only without the bright eyes. I do not feel particularly bright these days.

I found this in my search for zombie pictures, and to me it is apropos. Of course, I believe in making Halloween last all year long. In fact, I just set my DVR to record several scary movies on TCM, including the delightfully creepy Mad Love, starring Peter Lorre, whose horror credentials are impeccable. Another find on my search took me in different direction.

I guess I can’t stop running after all.

I must confess, I have not gone running since the Boilermaker. At first I felt too tired, then it got too hot. I suppose these are lousy excuses (as most excuses are, but, hey, I’m only human) (and not an un-dead one at that). I think I must begin running again, though, with a thought to taking part in a Zombie Run in November. That sounds like fun.

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Posted in humor, personal, Wuss Out Wednesday and tagged blog post, Boilermaker, horror movies, lame post, movies, running, scary movies, zombies. Bookmark the permalink.

Various Vampires on Tired Tuesday

Posted on July 12, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is Tired Tuesday (don’t judge), and I am resorting to my new favorite thing: downloading monster pictures from Facebook and writing stuff about them. For one reason, I am mysteriously able to download on my own Facebook account once again. I downloaded this one purely to test my machine:

He’s a pleasant-looking fellow.

It is a 17th or 18th century vampire burial. I downloaded it from Murder, Madness and the Macabre, one of my go-to Facebook pages. After downloading that, I thought I would make this a vampire day and clicked around looking for more. I went to The Golden Age of Monster Movies, always a good sources.

A new shot of my favorite guy!

Naturally I wanted to include Nosferatu, which, regular readers know, has my vote for the scariest movie ever. I haven’t watched this one in a while. Perhaps tomorrow I will give it a view.

Vampires can be scary in color, too.

Christopher Lee is the favored Dracula of many. I do love the Hammer horror flicks of the 1960’s and ’70’s. I only recall one vampire flick with Lee (perhaps you read my blog post about it). I must seek out the other ones.

You didn’t think I would leave out Bela, did you?

What post about vampires would be complete without Bela Lugosi? Oh, I’m sure others have written them. I may have written one myself. I suppose your better bloggers would be writing scholarly commentary, comparing and contrasting the various vampires, perhaps including some of the blood-sucking lore and history of the legends. And here we come to the ugly truth about me. No matter. It is Tired Tuesday, and I have made my blog post. Now I must prepare for rehearsal for The Tempest (which I mentioned in yesterday’s post). I must shake off my tiredness and act!

I hope I don’t meet up with any vampires.

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Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged Bela Lugosi, blog post, blogging, Christopher Lee, Hammer horror films, monster movies, Noseratu, pictures, vampires. Bookmark the permalink.

Love that LiFT

Posted on July 11, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about an update on The Tempest? For anybody just tuning in, that is the play I’m in with LiFT Theatre Company of Little Falls. I just got back from rehearsal, where I was mortified not to know my lines better. Still, I’m working on it, as are we all. The week before last, I took a few pictures of rehearsal, which I have not yet shared. I thought today I would repair that omission (that’s an expression I love: “repair that omission”).

Here is a wide view: You can see Canal Place, Little Falls Antiques Center, and The Shops at 25 West.

Weather permitting, we rehearse at Canal Place in Little Falls, where some of the performances take place. LiFT is something of a traveling theatre company, performing at various venues in the Mohawk Valley. Little Falls Antique Center and The Shops at 25 West are nearby.

You could read “CANAL PLACE,” if that guy’s script wasn’t in the way.

There are a couple of picnic tables and several stone benches we hang out on when we’re not on stage.

Rehearsals are fun. When we’re not on stage, we run lines or discuss blocking, characters, or costumes. OK, sometimes we also just chat. After all, nobody’s perfect. When we have to use the restroom, we go into Little Falls Antique Center. When we need refreshment, we patronize Ole Sal’s Creamery, an excellent establishment.

Stone Mill is the home of an Inn, Ole Sal’s Creamery, the Antiques Center, a Black Box theatre and more.

I guess I haven’t given you much of an update, but I think the pictures are kind of fun. We’ll that a win on a Monday. Regular readers will recall that today is the day after the Boilermaker 15K, which I ran. I’m still a little tired. Lets call this a Muddled Monday and drive on.

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Posted in humor, Muddled Monday, personal and tagged blog post, Boilermaker, LiFT Theatre Company, Little Falls NY, pictures, rehearsal, The Tempest, theatre. Bookmark the permalink.

Post Race Post

Posted on July 10, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was going to title this “To Dress or to Blog?” but I did not want to invite unkind comments about how nobody wants to see me naked. Also, it would not be clear that this is yet another post about the Boilermaker. Which I just ran. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! (That was a triumphant laugh, by the way.)

So this is not going to be a great post. I ran. It was not easy for an overweight woman of my age who, as it turns out, perhaps did not train enough. However, I finished without resorting to walking. Full disclosure: towards the end, my run could not catch up with some of the walkers. I will write more about the run later. For now my purpose is merely to publish something, so I can get on with celebrating my triumph as soon as Steven gets home from work.

For anyone just tuning in, the Utica Boilermaker is the best 15K race in the nation, possibly in the world. It seems as if the entire City of Utica as well as the surrounding area turns out to run, volunteer or cheer folks on. Runners come from all over the world, including elite runners from places like Kenya as well as those who run for fun and fitness from places like Syracuse and Rochester. I believe folks come from farther afield, but I did not encounter any of those today.

My challenge now is to find a cute outfit to put on such that Steven will realize that the best way to celebrate is to take me out somewhere nice. Or I could just sit here in my bathrobe, which I put on after a delicious shower, and he will probably make me a grilled cheese sammich. I do like grilled cheese. It is good to have options. Tune in tomorrow, on Mental Meanderings Monday, which I will either tell you what I wore or describe in greater detail my triumphant Boilermaker run. Happy Sunday, everyone.

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Posted in humor, personal, running and tagged blog post, blogging, Boilermaker, lame post, not writing, running, utica boilermaker, Utica Boilermaker 15K, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

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