Tag Archives: blogging

Lame Lament

Posted on July 27, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

So here I am on another Lame Post Friday, feeling a little discouraged about this whole blogging business.

Oh, I can hear it now, the mean people saying, “So stop writing a blog! Nobody asked you to!” And then they say, with a sniff, “We’re not MEAN, we’re REALISTIC.” I explain, “Shut up” (an SJ Perelman reference I have used numerous occasions).

That parenthetical comment raises the half-baked philosophical question of where are the lines drawn between reference, homage and stealing somebody else’s stuff? I do hope the fact that I gave credit to Mr. Perelman absolves me from charges of plagiarism (which some people feel is the sincerest form of flattery).

My other philosophical question (half-baked, of course) is where is the line drawn between discouragement and feeling sorry for oneself? I believe the difference is one of point of view. I feel discouragement; you feel sorry for yourself (oh, not you, dear reader; I’m just giving an example).

I actually thought to write a non-lame (or perhaps semi-lame) post today. I was cooking something unexpected for supper and thought to write about that. Then I realized: far too much trouble for a Friday. I’ll save it for tomorrow or next week.

If boasting no other virtue, a lame post should be short. I’ll sign off now. Happy Friday, everybody.

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Not Beaten, But Not Upbeat

Posted on July 16, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

My spell of bad writing days continues.

I was not able to write my post while at work today. I don’t feel able to write it now, either. I know other bloggers seem to like my silly posts about Why I Can’t Write a Post, but all I can think right now is, “My mother is going to read this!”

Ooh, didn’t that sound like I was going to write something racy? Sorry to disappoint (you know who you are).

The thing is, I bill this as a positive blog — “totally fun,” it says at the top. But one cannot be upbeat at all times. At least, I suppose one could, but not this one. And I bet the one that could gets on most people’s nerves. (Should I have put that last sentence in parentheses?)

I have not yet dried out from the flooding experienced recently by the Mohawk Valley. Of course I have a lot to be thankful for. I lost far less than others. I had help from family and friends. My basement is now in the process of drying out completely. My husband and I are in the process of cleaning out the mildew (yuck!). The hot water heater is on the way to being replaced, at which time the gas can be turned back on (warm showers and cooking on the stove! Woohoo!) (Ooh, that’s another thing to be thankful for: the electricity never got turned off).

It is, in fact, good weather to appreciate a cold shower. And who wants to heat up the kitchen by cooking on the stove anyways? I haven’t washed a pot or pan in two weeks!

Am I beginning to sound like the annoying one who is upbeat at all times? I didn’t think so, but it is good to check these things.

So I guess this is my Monday Middle-aged Musing for the week. I am well aware of many things I can be thankful for. Sometimes this knowledge does not bring about a corresponding rise in spirits. In other words, sometimes you just have to feel that way till you don’t feel that way any more.

And I hope tomorrow I will feel more like writing.

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Jim the Plumber to the Rescue

Posted on July 8, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

My only regret is that I don’t retain hydration enough to cry. I’m sure many people are reaching the saturation point of my litany of woes, but it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday, and it is not for the faint of heart (I, personally, am not faint of heart, but it is two sizes too small).

This morning, after sleeping in to a leisurely six o’clock, I thought I heard it raining. No, it couldn’t be raining. Too sunny out. Good. Don’t want the basement flooding again; we’ve got fans down there.

Yes, it was raining. IN MY BATHROOM!!! A strong stream of water was shooting out from a pipe on the side of the toilet. I hollered to Steven while trying to turn that little thing he showed me how to turn when the toilet backs up. Righty tighty! Righty tighty! It wouldn’t budge.

Steven tried, and it wouldn’t budge for him either. In a panic, I called our plumber, the wonderful Jim Montague from Jim’s Home Improvement (I don’t know why I didn’t give him a shout out after he snaked our toilet on Saturday). He told me to shut off the water main.

“Where’s that!” I must have sounded ridiculous, but I submit that at this point, anybody would. I found it, but could not budge that either. On the way to the main I noted with dismay that the water was pouring through our kitchen and into our basement. At least I hadn’t put the sump pump away. I quickly moved the fans, so they at least would not get ruined.

I reported back to Steven. He had given up on the other and was trying to stem the flood with a towel. I took over the towel (didn’t stop the water, but at least it wasn’t squirting into our cabinet now). He got the main shut off. Good grief!

Jim soon showed up. The man is a prince, and he even likes our dog. He found the crack in the pipe, removed the pipe and was off to TruValue in Ilion to purchase another. TruValue in Ilion by the way, is open at 6 a.m. on Sunday. In the future I may have to divide my hardware dollars between Aubucon and them.

Of course I needed to use the toilet. I did what I had done Saturday: I went to FasTrac. It was, in fact, raining by this time. Did I say raining? It was a deluge! I had the wipers on high and I still couldn’t see. I got soppingly wet just going from the house to the car and the car to the store.

Once in the store I looked out and saw that I had parked in a completely ridiculous way. Well, what a surprise! I couldn’t see the damn lines in the parking lot or anything else for that matter! I just waited for somebody to say something, but nobody did.

The same lady I had dealt with on Saturday was there. I told her of my new woes and she was suitably sympathetic. I purchased some donuts (I felt to offer Jim coffee and donuts was the least we could do) and bottled water. It had stopped raining by the time I got home. Go figure!

To come to the end of my lament, Jim got our toilet fixed and it even has better pressure than it had before. And we found out he does hot water heaters, so he may soon be replacing ours. It’s only a little more mess to clean up than before. Really, as disasters go, this one was Not So Bad.

One must write blog posts on Wrist to Forehead Sunday, after all. But as a special favor to me, please, could nobody ask, “What next?”

Jim’s Home Improvements is based on Frankfort, NY. His phone number is 315-868-4083.

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Flooded with Remorse

Posted on July 2, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

Welcome back to All Flooding All The Time. I realize some people might not be entertained by a blow-by-blow description of my tribulations. It helps me to write it.

“In that case,” the naysayers sniffs, “you should write it in your journal, that is your PRIVATE JOURNAL. Or get therapy.”

At this point in my soul searching, I realized the naysayer is actually my inner critic, for whom nothing is ever good enough. And then I remembered it is Middle-aged Musings Monday, and the above couple of paragraphs could count for that.

In my notebook (paper spiral-bound, not the computer kind), as I wrote this morning (sitting on my couch sipping coffee) (off work this week), I went on to write another page continuing my flooded basement adventures of Saturday. Then I realized I could not sit there and continue to write while my basement was NOT knee-deep in water. I had to start hauling out ruined crap while the hauling was good.

I got to work. Soon my parents and one sister showed up to help. We worked SO HARD! I CAN’T WAIT to get back to the factory next week! It will be such a relief!

And now I am just too tired to type in the page I had written, plus compose the rest of the story (I did mention in a previous post that Saturday was a long day). And I really, really do have to get back on clean-up duty. The mud from the basement has begun to take over the ground floor as well.

So this is my post for today. A short musing about whether I really ought to be writing All About My Flooded Life, a brief mention of what I did about it today (thus messing up the sequence of my blog-by-blow), and I’m afraid I’m done.

Now if only I could think of a title for this. Ooh, just thought of one. And I make it appropriate by adding: Of course I feel just terrible about writing such a lame post on a Monday.

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The Flooded Basement Blues

Posted on June 29, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, I WAS writing a post all about a cheesy movie I saw, but I’ve been a little distracted.

It has been raining in a ridiculous fashion in the Mohawk Valley. Today, we flooded.

It was one thing when my street looked like a river. A little scary, but I could just stay in the house. It was a little more worrisome when the basement flooded. Well, I’ve been meaning to throw away a lot of that junk anyways. Now I’ll jolly well have to.

But it was a completely different animal when I started to hear a buzzing noise down in the basement.

“What’s that noise?” In a loud voice. “What do I do?” Even more agitated.

I did not, nor even consider for a moment, sloshing through the water for a closer listen. For one thing, the water is over knee deep. I can swim, but still. I have since been told that I was absolutely correct for such restraint.

As usual for a woman with my age, experience and sophistication, I called Mom and Dad. I suppose I am both a Mama’s and a Daddy’s Girl, but it cannot be denied that my parents know many things. I don’t think their basement ever flooded, but they probably know somebody who’s had it happen to them. My sister, for example (oh, wait a minute, I know her, too).

Mom said call Niagara Mohawk, they would send somebody.

“Steven! Get me the number to Niagara Mohawk!”

Of course we meant National Grid. For you younger readers (if any), National Grid used to be called Niagara Mohawk, in my opinion a far superior name. I mean, you can say NiMo, but are you likely to say NaGri? I, for one, am not.

So I called. They are sending someone. I later found out that we are also number 251 on the list for the Herkimer Fire Department (Steven called when I wasn’t looking).

So now I am waiting on my front porch for the NationalNiMo person. To relieve my feelings a little, I write a blog post about it. I don’t mean to treat my readers as unpaid therapists, but I must confess, I do feel a little better.

So that is my Friday Lame Post for the week. I hope you have enjoyed.

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More Musings on the Muse

Posted on June 25, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s not exactly Writer’s Blank, because I can think of words I might write down. Could this be Writer’s Block?

I’ve discussed the inability to write before. Some writers (and MANY non-writers) scorn such an idea. If we’re not writing, they say, we must be self-dramatizing slackers. The rest of us explain, “Shut up.”

Welcome to Wrist to Forehead Monday.

I know that just last week I wrote a post about not being able to write (the irony was not lost on me) (In fact, I wrote a half page on my novel today before turning my attention to the blog) (so you see). Can I think of something new and different to say on the subject, in order to justify another nothing post?

I’m thinking I probably can. I have an almost endless fascination with reading about writing. It is a well-known saw in the writing lexicon: Write what you like to read.

I’m also thinking, Why am I justifying anything? I write what I write. People can read it or not.

But let’s back it up even further. Why do I disparage these as “nothing” posts? I sometimes get a lot of “Likes” from fellow bloggers on my posts about the tribulations of the writing life. I like to think it is because my fellow bloggers also struggle with our avocation.

That is as far as I wrote while at work today (I really feel I need to keep saying on a break, OF COURSE) (not that I think my boss reads blogs). While working and pondering my post, I remembered: It’s Middle-aged Musings Monday! I don’t have to apologize for anything! So I slap a title on my verbal meanderings and hit Publish.

I’ll try to get back to Mohawk Valley adventures tomorrow.

One further note: the expression we explain, shut up, is a reference to S.J. Perelman, a writer of some note from the previous century.

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I Guess They’re Not Really Suburbs

Posted on June 15, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I begin my Saturday with many things that I need to or want to do (no point in being overly dramatic and saying I HAVE to do all these things). Running and writing my blog post are near the top of the list. With the newly re-instated Saturday Running Commentary, I saw the chance to multi-task (my computer wants me to not hyphenate that, but I like the hyphen).

Of course, if I had one of them there smart phones, I could truly multi-task and post while I run. I know a fellow who at least makes Facebook posts while he runs. I am unlikely to do any such thing, even if I do ever upgrade my cellular experience. Never mind, I ran, enjoying my in-the-head narration, and now I am sitting at my computer, trying to remember the best parts for your entertainment.

I had a minor crisis before I even left the house of not being able to decide where to run. I’m not running for very long yet, so that limits my choices. I’m trying to run hills, so I can build up. Finally I decided on the hill by Valley Health, then perhaps some minor upgrades in the suburbs beyond.

At least, I call them the suburbs. It is just a purely residential area without sidewalks. None of the houses look very old. That is, not over 50 years old, I guess. That’s young in house years. I don’t really know from houses. Just that there are none of the huge old mansions I enjoy walking by in the village proper.

As soon as I left the house, I was aware of my hips. I felt like my love handles must stick out at least a foot in each direction. It made me think of some rather unsavory PSAs I sometimes hear on WVHC which postulate people’s body parts falling off due to increased exercise. I think they’re really gross. In one traffic is stopped due to somebody’s big old hips (or is it butt?) in the middle of the highway. In another a guy’s double chin falls off into the soup on a first date. That’s nasty! I know from experience that is NOT how weight loss happens. Yes, I KNOW they’re trying to make a point. Their point loses its impact by being anatomically impossible and they make at least me stop listening with these disgusting mental images (or perhaps I suffer from too vivid an imagination).

That was a long paragraph. Oh, there is one of those PSAs that I find completely realistic. A man calls a radio station to dedicate good-bye song to a relationship that didn’t last. It was with his big belly. He started doing things like taking the stairs, and they “started seeing less and less of each other.” THAT’S healthy weight loss! Thank you!

Unfortunately, thinking of all that while I ran only kept me occupied for a couple of blocks. I tried to feel happy about the definite upgrade as I ran out German Street. After all, more effort is a good thing. I ran by the turn to Herkimer County Community College (HCCC), the hill to which I aspire, and thought, maybe in a week or two. The hill by Valley Health posed no problems, and I ran on into the residential area.

I have always thought that many of these areas are laid out based on a plate of spaghetti. None of the roads are straight and they intersect each other in a strange, unpredictable fashion. It makes for an interesting run if you are not familiar with the area. Since I have not run there since last fall, that was me.

Yes, I got a little lost. I turned down a couple of streets that had a slight upgrade then went back in the direction I thought Valley Health was. Of course nothing looked familiar. Then I realized the street I was on came out nowhere near where I thought it did. Oh dear. Try this way. At last I saw Lou Ambers Drive. Yes! I know where that goes! The funny thing was, when I got to it I realized I was on the opposite side of it from what I thought I was. How did that happen? No matter, it was pretty obvious which way to turn now. I headed for home.

I suddenly see that I am over 700 words, and I thought of a lot more things to say about this run. I even left out some stuff about what happened so far! I could make a joke about being pretty long-winded for running out of breath so easily, but I actually have not had a problem breathing when I run for a while now. Instead, I’ll just end with the image of me headed home. Good run, long post. On to the rest of my Saturday!

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The Meal Before the Storm

Posted on June 1, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I believe I mentioned that the reason I did not make my blog post prior to Wednesday’s storm was that we went to dinner at Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer, NY. Today I thought I’d give a shout out to that fine establishment.

Steven and I are well known fans of Crazy Otto’s. In fact, the cast of Dirty Work at the Crossroads, the play Steven recently directed at Ilion Little Theatre, had given him a gift certificate as a closing night present. For anyone saying, “Waaait a minute,” yes, I was in that cast, yes, I chipped in for the certificate, and yes, I benefited from it. These things happen sometimes in community theatre.

For anybody who missed my numerous previous posts about Crazy Otto’s, it is an authentic old diner in an authentic old trailer. As Empire Diner it has been around for years. Crazy Otto took it over and added his name fairly recently. You can read all about the history of Crazy Otto’s and the Diner Wizard on their menu or their website, http://crazyottosempirediner.com/.

They’ve restored the trailer without losing any of the old-time diner atmosphere. The decor makes for a lot of interest while you’re dining. The walls and ceilings are covered with movie posters, old-time advertisements, movie star pictures and license plates from around the country. As usual we located our Georgia plate, which we gave them a couple of years ago (how the time flies). The tables were new since we’d last been there, bright red with advertisements of local businesses.

Steven ordered a club sandwich with french fries while I got a grilled chicken on sourdough with chips. I had forgotten they were homemade chips. Yummy! It was a delicious meal.

I looked over a card with fancy desserts pictured, but we really had not saved room. I suggested we return at a later date, perhaps midway through an afternoon, for just desserts (that’s one of my favorite expressions).

It poured rain while we were eating, but seemed to have stopped by the time we left. Who knew that it was merely the prelude to the big storm which my two previous posts were about. Steven later found out via Facebook that Crazy Otto’s was without power for a while. He commented that we had eaten just in time.

Crazy Otto’s is located at 100 W. Albany St., Herkimer, NY. Phone number 315-866-8801. You can also like them on Facebook.

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Musings on Lack of a Muse

Posted on April 18, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s no use: I have to hide behind a Mid-Week Middle-Aged Musings. Unfortunately I have very little to muse about.

I had thought I could spend the week happily writing about my Finger Lakes wine tasting adventures. It turns out they are not as easy to write about as the tastings at Vintage Spirits and Ilion Wine & Spirits. I suppose I could spend the post musing on why this is so, yet I feel strangely disinclined to do so.

I like to say I have Writer’s Blank rather than Writer’s Block, although sometimes I have Write It Then Cross It Out Syndrome. Today, however, it really feel like Block. There are words in my head, and my pen simply refuses to write them.

I know there are people out there who have no patience with this sort of crisis. I don’t say writers, because a lot of these people have never written a word in their lives, yet they feel certain that they know exactly what my problem is. As for the people that have written a word in their lives and claim never to have a problem of this nature, well, every writer is different (oh, how tactful of me to refrain from saying they are full of beans) (oops).

I think writing is an obstacle course (I did not say “like an obstacle course” because I prefer metaphor to simile). Sometimes you have to bull your way through the obstacle by main force. Sometimes you can climb or even jump over it. Sometimes you must carefully take it apart one piece at a time. And sometimes the best thing to do is to go around it and find a different way.

How’s that for something new to say about Why I Can’t Write a Post Today?

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About My “About”

Posted on March 11, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is Wrist to Forehead Sunday and I’m not apologizing. Oh, that’s an oxymoron that I love: I’m sorry but I’m not apologizing.

I just wrote my “About.” You know, when somebody goes to your homepage, they can click on “About” and read a little blurb about what your blog’s all about. I started this blog in May of 2011 and never wrote one. From then till now, it just said, “You can put stuff here about your blog.”

I actually wrote my “About” a couple of weeks ago, after I had written that day’s post (handwritten in a spiral notebook while on break at work) and still had a little oomph left. I never got it typed into the computer. Then I mislaid the notebook (I thought I had left it at Brian’s Roast Beef Deli, but they can’t find it). Let that be a lesson to me. So today I finally sat down and composed an “About” at the keyboard (much like I’m composing this post), thinking, “Well, maybe I can write today’s post about how I wrote my “About.”

How’s it working out for me?

Now that I’ve actually written the “About,” I’m thinking of a few other things I could have mentioned, like my husband and my dog, both of whom figure prominently in many posts. Oh well, I can always go back and edit it in another 22 months.

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