Tag Archives: blogging

In My Defense, It’s Cold!

Posted on February 1, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here’s a new feature: Saturday Misadventures. It is for those numerous Saturdays when I do not have Saturday Running Commentary but instead type down a few paragraphs of what I did instead of write a good blog post.

When we got up this morning it was one degree out according to our thermostat. I don’t know where it gets this information; the thermostat came with the new furnace. I would get one of those jobs with the big numbers to hang on the garage like my parents have, but I don’t have a window handy for looking out at the garage. If I’m going to open the door anyways, what do I need a thermometer for?

Come to think of it, I did open the door, to get the newspaper (LOVE my newspaper deliverers!). Yikes! I made sure to replace the doodads under our door meant to keep the draft out (with indifferent success). Still, it was above zero. What could I possibly complain about? Got you there: I am not complaining, I am OBSERVING!

I wrote some postcards, but a walk to the post office was clearly ineligible. I know my dog would eagerly jump and bark if I picked up the leash, but I do not want a frostbitten little pooch. I’ve been limiting her outdoor activity to short business meetings in the back yard.

Still, I could not stay home under the blankets as was my inclination. I had to put air in one tire and I had to gas up. And I had to leave my vehicle in the street, because I leave for the theatre after Steven gets home tonight. I’m in a play, remember (see yesterday’s post, among others). As the temperature rose to 2 degrees, my hopes rose proportionately.

As it turns out, for no good reason. I did not do anything blogworthy. And my brain is too frozen to remember any of the blogworthy things I did previously but have not written about yet. I feel properly ashamed of myself, but I must not repine. I have a show to put on later.

Hope to see you on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

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May I Remind You: It Is Non-Sequitur Thursday

Posted on January 30, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I am staring at the clock deciding what time I must leave to go to final dress rehearsal for the play I am in at Ilion Little Theatre.

And I have the dreaded Type A Sentence Then Backspace Over It disease. What’s a blogger to do? What I usually do, I suppose. Grit my teeth, type and leave it there! When one is determined to post every day, any words are better than no words at all.

The critics in my head are poised to argue this, of course, but they do not have a leg to stand on, metaphorical or otherwise. Critics, please note the subordinate clause that precedes the contention praising “any words.” Now they will go on to suggest that I become determined to post something good every day, but I shall not listen. I must hit publish and run.

I have been having a devilish time of it for the past day or so. When I went to put in my contact lenses last night, one ripped. This has never happened to me before. I was not aware until this morning that half of that contact remained in my eye. As an explanation, I can only offer that bit of philosophy that has helped me through many a tribulation: shit happens.

Do you know how hard it is to get a partial contact lens out of an eye? Well, I finally managed it. I will just add: I do not usually wear contact lenses. For my purposes, glasses suit me better. But I keep some one-day disposables around for specific purposes, such as being in a play.

What a dull post. I should have gone into details of my horrific eye-poking experience. Too late. I have some tea to make (for a prop) and other dramatic concerns to deal with. Tomorrow is opening night. Perhaps I will write my post late and tell you how it goes.

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You Could Have Saved Me Some Brownies

Posted on January 28, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I do not have rehearsal tonight. One might think that this is my golden opportunity to write a “real” blog post (please note the correct use of quotation marks). One who is familiar with Mohawk Valley Girl will know how unlikely that is, especially on a Tired Tuesday.

I am back on overtime at work. How I love overtime. Working a ten hour day gives me a good excuse to slack on everything else. Oh I know, you probably worked a 12 hour day, stopped at the store, shoveled the driveway, cleaned the house, did three loads of laundry, cooked dinner and baked brownies from scratch. You probably also don’t have time to watch television, but I bet you know who was the last person to get laid, killed, engaged, gossiped about or voted off on whatever show everybody is watching this season.

Yes, when I am tired I have arguments with imaginary people who scorn my life.

My job is really not that onerous. I don’t mind going to work. I am grateful for my job and the overtime. Sometimes I even manage to write a blog post while working a ten hour day. Not, however, when I am in a play. We have two more rehearsals and then WE OPEN!!! That’s THIS FRIDAY NIGHT!!! I spent most of my breaks studying my lines. I used the part of my brain not needed for my job to think about my character. I must, I positively must be ready!

So, sorry about the Tired Tuesday blog post. And sorry in advance for Wuss-out Wednesday and Non-Sequitur Thursday. As we all know, I will offer no apologies for Lame Post Friday. I hope I still have readers by then.

But just to give the play another plug (that’s probably really why I’m so tired, but who can analyze these things?): Busybody at Ilion Little Theatre, 13 Remington Ave., Ilion, NY. Jan. 30, 31, Feb. 1, 6, 7, 8; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1 p.m. Sundays. For more information visit the website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org. You can also like Ilion Little Theatre Club on Facebook.

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Scattered Saturday

Posted on January 25, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I rarely post this late in the day on a Saturday, but these things happen. I shall go on to do what I often do on a Saturday. That is, list the activities in which I indulged other than writing a blog post.

This morning I went to Coffee and Conversation with a Cop at the Baptist Church in Herkinmer, NY. I mean to write a blog post about it, but I wanted to do something better than composing at the keyboard and hitting Publish as soon as I complete at least 200 words. I don’t know when I think I’m going to do that, as I am entering that bear of an exciting week in the play I am in, Production Week (it doesn’t have to be capitalized, but I wanted to make it seem important) (which it is, but mostly to the people involved with the play).

Another problem which has been exercising my mind is what to write about for an article for Mohawk Valley Living, the wonderful magazine which has been so gracious as to publish my writing. As I drove the Cop event, I remembered Guitar Group at Basloe Library. I love Guitar Group! I have not gone to listen to them in a long time. That might make a good article. If not, at least I would cheer myself up with some good music and get a blog post out of it.

I gassed up my vehicle after the Conversation (I mention it because I am listing my activities after all). I purchased a Sobe vitamin drink as well, because I had neglected to bring a bottle of water and I was thirsty.

Imagine my chagrin when only one gentleman showed up for Guitar Group. The librarians did not say it had disbanded, but apparently nobody showed up last week either. I purchased five paperbacks at their sale (five for a dollar, can’t beat it), so the stop was not a total loss, but I was quite disappointed.

When I got home I realized I had a dreadful sinus headache. I called my Mom (no, not to tell her I had a headache, although that did come up in a conversation), looked at Facebook, did some puzzles in a puzzle book and waited for Steven to come home for lunch, which he did around 1:30.

After he went back to work I took a nap. I slept for over three hours. What a bum! I feel kind of bad even admitting I did such a thing. I’m sure many people would huff, “I wish I had time to take a nap!” Then again, those people probably don’t have time to read a silly blog either. I think I needed the sleep.

I felt pretty terrific when I got up, which is unusual after a nap. Usually I feel sluggish and groggy until coffee makes it all better. After I was up, drinking some water and thinking about my blog post, I realized I have that vague, sicky headache that means a cold or worse. SAY IT AIN’T SO!! Fight it, Cindy, fight it! I’m drinking an Airmune (that’s the generic of Airborne) and hoping for the best.

I hope I have not rattled on for too long, but I wanted full disclosure. I warn you, this blog might be All Busybody All The Time for the next week (that is the play I am in) (I did mention that I’m in a play, right?). I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

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Brevity is the Soul of Lame

Posted on January 24, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

The Law of Inertia applies to writing. To those who do not remember 8th grade Physics (I think my school just called it “Science”) (and I’m pretty sure 8th grade is when I learned this, although I could be wrong), the Law of Inertia states that an object at rest tends to remain at rest while an object in motion tends to remain in motion until worked on by an outside force.

A writer not writing tends to continue not writing. Or in my case, a blogger who spends several days composing last minute foolishness at the keyboard tends not to handwrite in her notebook during breaks at work.

That is what I handwrote in my notebook earlier today during a break at work (my computer is underlining “handwrite” and “handwrote” but I am going to pretend that they are words). You see, I knew it was Lame Post Friday, when it will not matter (per my own self-imposed rules) (which you may have noticed are subject to change) if I go the Foolishness at the Keyboard route. But yet, I wanted something more. After all, in the past I have written my lame post prior to typing it in. Now I anm trying to remember one so I can one make one of those pingback thing. Hmmm, nothing is coming. Well, you know what I mean.

What happened was, I wrote those two paragraphs then felt guilty for not studying my lines. You know, for that play I’m in. Also, it cannot be denied, looking at words somebody else wrote is much easier than coming up with words of my own. However, difficult though it sometimes is, I LIKE coming up with words of my own. This post is now over 250 of them.

250 words is not a long post. I’ve been reading other blogs and I know many run longer. However, they say brevity is the soul of wit. And it you can’t be witty, it is best to be brief. There, that covers me either way. Happy Friday, everyone.

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Oh Crap, I Gotta Write a Blog Post!

Posted on January 23, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is Non-Sequitur Thursday. I usually like to skip that if I’ve just had a Wuss-out Wednesday, which of course I had this week. However comma, sometimes these things happen (“however comma” is an expression I got from a sergeant in the army. I like it better than “but, however”) (I think “but, however” sounds like a redundancy and thus improper English, although a mean English teacher taught it as correct).

I am completely ready for my rehearsal tonight. OK, not completely ready, but I’m dressed. I have on all three skirts. My director wanted my character to be layered (let’s see what the real drama-ramas amongst my readers make of that elliptical remark).

Just as an aside, I am back on overtime at work. For my checkbook’s sake I say, “Woohoo!” Regarding the matter of sufficient sleep I say, “Oh, crap!” But one does what one must with as good a grace as one can muster. Actually, I do very little in my life with actual gracefulness, which is one reason this is not a video blog.

Today’s title is something I actually said just before I decided to use it as a title. My husband laughed at me. It is true that I often say that I cannot write a post, then I go right ahead and do. Like, um, you know, I just did.

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This Time We’ll Blame Phyllis

Posted on January 18, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I pretty much knew I would not have Saturday Running Commentary today, because I am not running very much in this hideous winter weather. I had a number of other possibilities, and yet here I am, the time getting later and later, and my blog post still yet unpublished.

Just a side note: my typing is going slowly, because I have Band-aids on both my index fingers. I don’t know what it is, some winter skin or something, that my fingers are getting all dry and splitting. It is quite painful. Just thought I would complain about it.

I have been busy all weekend. I went to Melfe’s Shoes on Friday, so I would not have to on Saturday (I mean to write a full post about that). Saturday I walked Tabby to the post office in the frigid cold, went to the Thrift Store and the laundromat, and went adventuring with my friend Phyllis. There are several blog posts in there. So I guess we can consider this paragraph a Preview of Coming Attractions.

The problem was Phyllis and I stopped for just one glass of wine at the end of our adventuring. I could blame Phyllis. She does not mind being held up as a bad example. I believe she is rather proud of being a corruptive influence (my computer is underlining corruptive, but I’m pretty sure it is so a word). I don’t suppose it matters.

The point is: it is late on the day Saturday and if I don’t hit Publish, I will not have a blog post for today. So this is it. See you Sunday.

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Still Blaming the Play?

Posted on January 15, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just glanced back at the last week or so of posts and I see that I have been wimping out since last Monday. Oh dear. Not a Mohawk Valley adventure in a week? Say it ain’t so! However, the reason I have been so remiss is that I have been preoccupied with the play I am in (which I believe I have mentioned at least once). Ilion Little Theatre is a major Mohawk Valley asset. I think I have also mentioned the Mohawk Valley weather. So I have not completely lost my local focus.

Just to give an update on my writing: I seem to be over my Writer’s Block and am in the middle of huge case of Writer’s Blank. Seriously, I can’t think of a damn thing to say.

That is what I wrote before rehearsal. For once when I had nothing to say, I actually, truly — dare I say literally? — had nothing to say. I don’t have a great deal more to say now, but apparently I am capable of typing out more words. Maybe not good words, but as I often say, one can’t have everything.

The weather continues icily cold in the Mohawk Valley. Bill Kardas said it was going to get up into the 20s today (that’s the weather guy on WKTV. I don’t really know him; I just wanted to sound like a name-dropper). It did not feel like 20s to me. In fact, the cold this morning gave me a migraine. I took a couple of pills for it. They were over the counter, but they still doped me up somewhat. I believe that was the cause of my earlier Writer’s Blank.

So I guess I can only offer apologies for Wuss-out Wednesday (that sounds more planned than Blogger’s Sick Day, doesn’t it?) and, as always, try again tomorrow. Thank you for playing.

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Not Whine, WINE

Posted on January 11, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sorry, kids, it’s Wrist to Forehead Saturday. I know, it’s supposed to be Saturday Running Commentary and Wrist to Forehead Sunday, but I worked this morning instead of going running. Wait a minute, that means Friday was not Friday but yet Saturday becomes Sunday? I make no sense.

The fact is, I feel that I am too cold to write a proper blog post. I have to laugh at myself because of that. I say to myself, Really? with that raised eyebrow look that puts a wealth of skepticism into that one word. Truly, I am too cold? What, I ask myself, what about all those blog posts I wrote all summer when I was too damn hot to write a proper blog post? Should it not follow that I can write MYRIAD blog posts when the mercury drops?

It behooves me now to link back to one of those posts, for newcomers to the blog who do not know how much Mohawk Valley Girl wilts under hot temperatures. Unfortunately, all I can think of is one titled “I’m Me-elting.” It is unfortunate because after complaining about being too hot, I go on to write a kind of a cooking post (regular readers know I am incapable of writing a real cooking post).

So, can I write a kind of a cooking post to save this post? In fact, I have some chicken wings in the oven. I love to cook things in the oven when it is cold out. It warms the house quite nicely. I put butter, honey and Dijon mustard on the wings. We will cook tater tots to go with them. I like to eat my tater tots with cottage cheese. No vegetable is planned. You may shake your finger at me if you are so inclined (or your head or your booty) (I know the song says “Shake your booty,” but I have always thought it should say “Shake your groove thing”).

By the way, I am cooking with wine.

Come to think of it, I am inclined to stop whining about how cold it is. I shall now sit on the couch and crochet, thus covering my legs with an unfinished afghan. Life, as they say, is good.

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But It’s Not Wednesday Yet!

Posted on January 7, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

What is it about Tuesday? I never have my act together on a Tuesday! I never have, now that I come to think about it. Tuesdays have often been the Bad Day of the Week. I must ponder that sometime.

In fact, I did have my act together sufficiently to begin writing a blog post this morning before work began. I don’t think it was going too badly. Unfortunately, I do not have enough time now to finish it. Also, I mentioned somebody by name and I am not sure if that person is OK with that or if I should employ a pseudonym (or should I say “alias”? I think alias sounds more sinister. Would this person prefer that? Decisions!).

Adding to my stress is that I have rehearsal in about an hour. Am I ready? No! Part of the reason I did not finish my blog post is that I was studying my lines on my lunch break. I knew them better than I thought but not as well as I had thought I would by this time. Well, sometimes we do not live up to the standards which we set for ourselves.

My post-Christmas letdown finally kicked in this afternoon, at least for a short time. Then I had other things to think about. If it doesn’t come back, that is the mildest, shortest post-Christmas letdown I ever had. Score!

Looking at what I’ve just typed, I must say this reads more like a Wuss-out Wednesday than a Tired Tuesday. I suppose I shall be quite tired later, after rehearsal. Luckily, I will already have written my blog post.

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