Tag Archives: blogging

Have You Missed Me? Or the Monsters?

Six days! It has been six days since I made a blog post! What the hell, me? This is a monstrous situation!

Artist’s depiction of my troubles getting the better of me.

How’s that for a melodramatic caption? I actually do not feel that I am being eaten alive by giant insects. I do not imagine they would find me to be an appetizing treat, but of course I don’t know these things. I am really just trolling my Media Library for monster pictures so I can post something, anything.

“Could I be of help?”

No, I am not ready for the Grim Reaper! But it was a pretty cool decoration at the Halloween party we went to at the Herkimer VFW last October.

They would surely starve to death around here!

I do like to share this poster when I am feeling brain dead. Will my brain ever revive? Will I ever go back to making good blog posts and posting on a regular basis? Will I ever upgrade and start posting new pictures? For the answers to these and other burning questions (and a few luke-warm ones as well), stay tuned to Mohawk Valley Girl.

And So It Begins

I got an email last week about a table reading for Love’s Labour’s Lost by William Shakespeare, the play to be presented by LiFT, the Little Falls, NY Theatre Company during the Canal Days this August (ooh, that was a long sentence).

Full disclosure: My friend Kim told me about it first, and I went searching through my emails till I found it. I have four email addresses and sadly do not check them all on a regular basis. Be that as it may, I am really excited to be starting Shakespeare again.

Of course there is that little voice in my head that says, “What are you thinking? You’re tired all the time. Your brain does not function at the capacity it once did, and you still haven’t found time to clean the damn house! How the hell are you going find the oomph to be in a play?”

To that voice, I explain, “Shut up.”

I wrote the above on Monday, because I was too excited to wait till the read-through to start blogging about LiFT and Shakespeare. We had the read-through last night, and it was FUN! There were people I have worked with before and have not seen in a while. There were new to me people (I mean, they weren’t brand new people) (I don’t think), and people who were new to the threatre. The more experienced people assured the newcomers that they would catch right on and have a lot of fun. Indeed, as we read, they certainly seemed to.

Now I have a great motivation to accomplish the elusive WordPress upgrade and share pictures of this new cast as we rehearse another Shakespeare play. No time to write more! I have to start learning my lines.

Has It Really Been 11 Years?

Yesterday was my blogiversary, if that is a word (my autocorrect seems to think it is). Eleven years of being Mohawk Valley Girl (here is a Freudian predictive text: my Tablet suggested “self-indulgent” after “being”). I think ten years is a pretty good run, and I believe I was over that when I fell apart and began posting so sporadically (as usual, too lazy to go back and check).

I suppose it would be nice to do a State of the Blog Post or even a Look Back, remembering my not so humble beginnings (although I suffer from low self-esteem, I have never been what you might call humble). In fact, it would have been nice to post at all on my actual blogiversary. Instead, last night I began a kind of a whiny thing then gave it up and watched Dateline. In the interests of Waste Not Want Not, I include it here:

I was going to attempt a Monstrous Monday Post, but I was simultaneously trying to get answers to questions about my WordPress account. I find myself completely unable to do so. I daresay it is, as usual with me, a case of Operator Error. However, I also have to find fault with WordPress. They say that if I do not stay on WordPress, they will email me an answer, but I have yet to receive an email answer to any of my questions.

I suppose I only ask stupid questions anyways. They say there is no such thing as a stupid question, but that is just not true. However, that discussion will require a whole other blog post to answer.

I was just “talking to an expert.

That is where I left off. As you see, I did not even put the end quotation marks. When I reach a frustration level, that’s it.

Quite frankly, I suspect WordPress of using computer generated answers with a face tacked on pretending to be a person. What answers I have been able to get have that generic, not-really-listening quality. Of course automation has been the wave of the future since, well, most of recorded history. I use the automated check-out at the store sometimes myself.

One could argue that WordPress has millions of bloggers and individual attention is impossible. One could further argue that since I am still on the free level of blogging, it is not worth WordPress’ time to talk to me. To the second argument, I would point out that at the bottom of every post I make is an ad. I do not profit from the ad, but I suspect WordPress does, so free blogger though I am, I am not entirely a drag on WordPress’ bottom line.

I will add that I have always been reasonably happy with WordPress. I am aware that I am whining. It would probably be a good idea to just make the upgrade and either leave my questions unanswered or trust that amswers will eventually make themselves known.

In the meantime, I see I am over 500 words. Wow! What a long whine! Uh, I mean Post. Thank you to all my readers (if anybody read the whole thing), especially any that have been with me since the beginning (Hi, Aunt Mary!).

Remember When I Used to Plug Local Businesses?

As the oomph to blog daily continues to elude me, I interrupt my non-blogging days for what I hope will be a decent Throwback Thursday Post. I only hope my Tablet and Media Library will cooperate.

Sing it, Phil!

This is throwing back only to last December, and to a time when I was making more posts about authentic Mohawk Valley Adventures. It is, in case you did not recognize it, local musician Phil Arcuri rocking out at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY. We do still occasionally indulge in our Wednesday Night Thing.

So pretty!

This picture was taken a little longer ago, but Houle Flower Farm in Little Falls, NY may be looking similar these days. I must take a drive out and check.

Good dawg!

Ooh, here’s another local business I might like to go to again, the Saalty Dawg Saloon in Ilion, NY.

Will I go to these places again soon? More importantly, will I begin blogging about them on a daily basis? Will I figure out the WordPress upgrade and finally start posting new pictures again? For the answers to these and other questions of varying interest and importance, stay tuned to Mohawk Valley Girl. That’s me still, I hope.

Who, Me? Whine About Not Posting?

Once again I have let days elapse without making a blog post. The question now is can I make a Tired Tuesday Post without whining too much? I guess another question is how much whining is too much? If the answer is “any whining at all is too much,” I am in big trouble.

At the risk of whining too much (and sharing too much), I will share that I have been having a hard time doing much of anything these days. I make it to work. I manage to get one or two things done: a run, a load of laundry, a few fun things. But major and minor projects remain unfinished and un-worked-on. What the hell, me?

As I type this post (one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet), I am trying to have a conversation with “Ask the Expert” on WordPress. I am still hesitating on my upgrade and hope to get questions answered. So far I am not having much luck.

I am anxious to upgrade, because I keep wanting to share more pictures. However, I want to make sure the upgrade is right for me before I spend the money. Additionally, and perhaps more to the point, I worry that with my current lack of blogging reliability, it will not be worth the money to upgrade. Will the upgrade perhaps inspire me to return to my daily blogging ways? Can I take that chance?

I suppose I will take the leap soon and we will all see what the result will be. In the meantime, I am over 250 words. Let us not calculate how many of those were whining.

Shakespeare, Here I Come!

I have been very sporadic about posting lately, and for that I apologize. In my defense, I have no defense. Explanations are tiresome. On with the blog post!

I mentioned recently that LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company is doing Summer Shakespeare again with Love’s Labour’s Lost (perhaps you read my blog post about it). Auditions are this Saturday, May 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Little Falls Community Center, 524 W. Main St., Little Falls, NY. Auditionees (yes, it is “auditionees” not “auditioners;” I googled it) need not prepare anything, which is good news for me, because I cannot memorize a Shakespeare monologue in two days and I do not remember any of my speeches from past plays. A regular monologue I could perhaps make up as I went along, but Shakespeare talk is not easily ad libbed (and if you can do it, I would like to hear it) (added note: my computer is underlining “libbed,” but what else is the past tense of “ad lib”?).

Alas, my friend Kim is out of town. Kim and I got to be such close friends riding back and forth to rehearsals of Much Ado About Nothing, my first Shakespeare experience. Maybe she can get a separate audition.

Any local readers who are the least bit interested in theatre, Shakespeare, community, friends and fun, are highly encouraged to audition. For more information, you can visit LiFT’s Facebook page. See you on the stage!

Operator Error on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

I am trying to post more often and feel I can manage a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post. Or maybe not. Quick, put in a picture to pep things up.

Everything’s coming up rose`?

This is not the picture I was looking for, but it takes FOREVER to scroll through my Media Library. A problem with WordPress or with my Tablet? Or is it, as is often the case with me, Operator Error? However, the above picture is appropriate, because I did enjoy a glass of rose` earlier. The accent is wrong, but I do not know how to put on a proper accent. That is definitely Operator Error.

I know just how you feel, dear!

After searching the Media Library once again, the best image I can find is our skeleton Bonita having a wrist to forehead moment of her own. What can I do? The internet defeats me.

It seems odd to me that after over 10 years of writing this blog, technical difficulties are causing this much problem. I have clicked of the Ask The Expert option on my WordPress site, but apparently I did not do that right either. What the hell, me?

In any case, I think I have eked out at least 200 words from this nonsense. I will try again tomorrow. Maybe before I start on the rose`.

304 Lame Words

I have been missing days and days of posting! When I do nothing, I have nothing to post and feel bad about it. When I do something, I still do not post and feel even worse. What the hell, me?

I thought I could at least manage a Lame Post Friday post. For one reason, it is actually Friday. I know in the recent past I have made Lame Post Friday posts early Saturday morning, so I could congratulate myself that I am ahead of the game. If only I had posted more than once since last week. I could beat myself up about that.

But enough with the beating myself up (and why does autocorrect think “hough” is a word? That is what it put when I left the “e” off “enough”). It does not improve my behavior and it does not burn calories. Why does it not at least burn calories? Life can be so unfair!

This is becoming a rather ridiculous post, even for Lame Post Friday. Every time I make a post about not making a post, I worry that it will be worse than making no post at all. But how can that be? Nobody is obligated to read my posts. People can read it or not as they choose. However, nobody can read a post not written. So there’s that.

There is also this: if I want to be a writer, I need to write. Good posts, bad posts (Oh, what the hell, autocorrect? You change “bad” to “and”? Bad is a word!) (And “wod” is not, so why did you let that stand when I left the “r” out of “word”?) etc.

So here is my latest post, judge it however you choose. But I am approaching 300 words. I am going to call it a win.

Running Into Bad Attituesday

Today is definitely Bad Attituesday. My attitude is TERRIBLE! At the same time, I realize all my problems are petty, foolish, and for the most part due to Operator Error. So nobody needs to shame me.

But never mind all that. I went for a run and hoped to make a Running Commentary Post. The run, I must confess, was more of a trudge. That’s OK, though, because I used to have a feature called The Tuesday Trudge.

I have been having the damnedest time getting back into running, but I do not despair. Saturday and Sunday I ran for just over two miles. Maybe not so great compared to others or even to what I used to be able to do, but you can make yourself crazy with comparisons. I did not run yesterday, because, well, Monday. I was feeling discouraged today (long story, not very interesting) so went in search of endorphins.

And I did not find any. I ran slow. I ran thunkily (autocorrect does not think thunkily is not a word, but I stand by it). However, I ran up a small hill. Go, me! I ran perpendicular to the hill up to Herkimer College (HCCC to natives). I saw another runner going towards it. I was all set to yell something like, “Go, you! Up that hill!” but he turned off. I did not blame him, but I promised myself I would run up that hill again. Just not today.

At one point, I reminded myself how sometimes my runs do not start to really feel good till at least 20 minutes in. That was a problem, since I have not been able to achieve 20 minutes in a week-day run for some time now.

I can’t say today’s run ever felt terrific, but I did keep going for 21 minutes, over a mile and a half (yes, that is a very slow rate; we have already established that I am a slow runner, you do not need to belabor the point). As I said, no endorphins yet, but one must work up to these things.

On the brighter side, I am over 350 words. That is pretty good after missing four days. Perhaps I can improve my blogging, my running, and my attitude.

Yes, Wednesday is Still a Thing

So I had a true Wuss-out Wednesday yesterday and did not post at all. These things happen, of course. What happened was this:

I came home from work and said to my husband, Steve, “Four words: Phil Arcuri at Fratello’s.” That was all it took to get him off the loveseat and into respectable clothes.

Since the music would not start till six, I took the time to go for a run. At no time do I run either very far or very fast, but yesterday was even worse than expected. For one reason, I had underestimated the wind chill and not dressed appropriately. Yikes! But I persevered for what I considered the bare minimum. Then I showered and put on a cute outfit. It was time for fun!

We found a handy parking space and seats on the bar. Phil came over and said hello. He is such a great guy! The bartender, Gino, took good care of us. Steve got popcorn chicken and we split a 12-inch garlic bread with mozzarella. I hesitated over which chicken salad I wanted.

“Grilled chicken is more sensible,” I said, “but the Buffalo chicken is so delicious.” Gino suggested I get the Buffalo Chicken Salad with grilled chicken. Genius! I added black olives and asked for parmesan-peppercorn dressing. The beauty part is I would have leftover salad for lunch on Thursday and Friday.

We did not have long to wait for the music to start, and did we ever enjoy it! We chair danced, sang along, and applauded each number. Phil sang hits from Jimmy Buffet, Johnny Cash, the Beatles and more. I was delighted when Gino requested “Mustang Sally,” one of my favorites.

Sing it, Phil!

I suppose I only could have written this last night, but when we got home I watched Dateline instead. Sue me.

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. You can follow them on Facebook to find out their music schedule. It’s not just on Wednesdays!