Tag Archives: blogging

Oh Crap! Who Shall I Kill?

So I posted Tuesday for Monday then neglected to post Tuesday and Wednesday.  It is now Thursday morning and I believe I am rapidly losing what is left of my mind.  For one reason, I started to type in “neglected” but started out “deg”  then stared at it wondering why it looked wrong.  Coffee, please kick in soon.

Oh crap, I can’t find the picture I am looking for.

I was searching for a coffee mug other than the Halloween one I have been showing lately, specifically the one I am actually using from Dyn’s Cider Mill (brief shout-out to a local business) (come to think of it, I must go there soon).  I know I have one but it proved elusive. I decided plastic poop would do.

As I struggle with blogging and most other things in my life (not whining, just observing; I know we all struggle), I sometimes get a few things done.  One thing was to set an actual date of the murder mystery I am writing to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society.  October 12.  Why I had it in my head they wanted the first weekend in November, I do not know.  However, I had an inspiration for a better victim and plot (a little easier to write, too), so I am going great guns.  Additionally, I have emailed several potential actors.

Now who would kill a beautiful lady like this?

Unfortunately only one actor has emailed me back, but I expect to hear from the others as I go along.  In the meantime, I hope to finish the script this weekend.  It is so fun to write when things just clip along, as they sometimes do.

In the meantime, I hope to return to my previous daily habit of making blog posts.  I thank everybody for tuning in.

 

 

It’s Not Fall, and It’s Not Friday

We had a hint of fall in the Mohawk Valley today.  I enjoyed it, but unfortunately as soon as my body feels that cooler breeze, it says, “Oh boy!  Allergy season!”  As if the sinuses don’t give me hell 24/7/365.  Shouldn’t that be 24/7/52?  Twenty-four hours, seven days, fifty-two weeks?  I think I should just say all year round.

As you may have noticed, my decongestant makes me a little punchy.

They look evil.

I missed my Monstrous Monday post, so I feel free to make one now. Here is a young Christopher Lee with two actresses I don’t remember (too light-headed to look it up) in Horror Hotel, as it is called in my DVD collection. It is known sometimes by a different name, but I have talked about that before in this space.

An oldie but a goodie.

Just a reminder that it is not really Monday.  I can easily put myself in a time warp, and that would not be a good idea.  I have a thing on Thursday and it would not do to show up on Wednesday or Friday.

Anybody can lose their head once in a while.

Note to self:  Make blog post before taking decongestant.  However, I have long maintained that a bad blog post is better than no blog post at all.  Is it true or am I kidding myself?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

With a Little Help from Columbo

I think all I can manage right now is a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  It has been a kind of Scattered Sunday in which I have accidentally gotten a few things done:  a little yard work, a little kitchen cleaning, a little grocery shopping… and a few more chores.  Now I am sitting on my couch, Chromebook on lap, kind of sort of watching, you guessed it, another episode of Columbo on DVD.  Sundays used to be for Snapped, now they are for Columbo.  In the future they may be for something else.

I did just drink some coffee.

Today I told my mother about the Columbo method of cleaning:  I clean for a certain length of time, then I say, “One more thing!”  Sometimes I say it a few times.  I get more done that way.

I paused in typing to watch the end of the episode, when Columbo brings the killer to justice.  I’ll tell you what, I will strive never to commit a crime, because I would hate to be arrested.  They cuff you with your hands behind your back.  With my sinuses?  My nose would be running in an instant (it always runs the most when my hands are full and/or I don’t have a handkerchief).  It would be disgusting.

Now I see I have gone over 200 words with this nonsense.  Perhaps I could get a little more cleaning done, using the Columbo method, of course.

 

Late Shout-Out to Phil

I have done it again:  posted then missed several days.  How can I make it up to my readers (if any remain)?  One thing I could do is tell you about a recent Mohawk Valley Adventure.

One of my favorites!

Last Saturday I walked down to Meyers Park in Herkimer, NY for the Elks Club Car Show.  I love old cars, but my primary reason for stopping by at that time was that Phil Arcuri would be playing music.  Regular readers know he is one of my favorite local musicians.  I have seen him many times at different venues and enjoyed him very much. He always has such a good time when he plays.  I love his big smile.  His daughters come up and  sang the Baby Shark Song.  I am not really familiar with that song, although I know it was very popular among a certain segment of the population.  When they were singing about Grandpa Shark and Grandma Shark, I wished they had a verse about Aunt Cindy Shark.  Of course, I am not their Aunt Cindy, but couldn’t we stretch a point?

It is pure joy when he plays.

Of course he noticed me, standing as I was right in front of the pavilion and dancing to every tune.  He added my name to “Under the Boardwalk,” singing
“under the blanket with my Cynthia…”  I remember one time at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort,  he sang the song that way and added that we would let Steve (my husband, for anyone just tuning int)  get in on it, too.

I had had a headache earlier that day, and after standing (and dancing) around in the sun it started to come back. After chatting for a little time with Phil, I took my leave.

I feel bad that it has taken me this long to write even this brief shout-out to such a good musician.  I encourage everybody to hear him play if possible; he plays at several area venues.  The area is so blessed to have such talented musicians!

 

What Is the Matter with Me?

This is so embarrassing.  It seems about once, sometimes twice a week, I write a blog post apologizing about not making daily blog posts and promising to do better.  Obviously I do not.  I could offer all manner of excuses and explanations, but excuses are often lame (and it is not Lame Post Friday, alas!) and I always say explanations are tiresome.

All that said, it feels pretty good to be ten-finger typing on my Chromebook, putting down some words, any words.  Why do I no longer do this every day? Why am I asking that again when I JUST SAID that explanations are tiresome?

Looks delightfully evil, yes?

I threw in a picture to jolt myself out of self-incrimination and more tiresomeness.  I have not used this coffee mug in a while, but I have enjoyed my morning coffee, as I do most mornings.  Full disclosure:  Sunday I drank tea, because my stomach was upset.  That tasted pretty good too.

Random picture to denote passage of time while I get more coffee.

The above picture is the Capitol Theatre in Rome, NY, a delightful old movie palace, from back when the term “palace” truly applied.  It is, perhaps, symbolic of my life.  I feel I need to make some changes, begin a new chapter.  Somebody somewhere said there are no second acts in real life, but does anybody really believe that?  I don’t even remember who said it.

Must go here soon.

The theatre picture is also relevant, because I have at least one theatrical project I need to get going on, namely a murder mystery I am writing to be presented for the benefit of Herkimer Historical Society.  This third picture is a local business I may visit soon, Rose Quartz Stand on Mohawk Street in Herkimer, NY (do I have to keep putting NY?).  I want to purchase some iron pyrite for use as a prop in the murder mystery.  Does that pique your interest?  I hope so, as I will no doubt be sharing more about the mystery as I go along.

That is, if I manage to make more blog posts.  I have neglected a few good Mohawk Valley adventures I had recently and hope to remedy the omission (preview of coming attractions).  In the meantime, I thank any readers who are still tuned in, and welcome (dare I hope?) any new ones.

 

Did I Say Daily Blogger? Oops

So… another gap in what I wanted to be a daily blog.  Never mind why; explanations are tiresome.  Since it is Wednesday morning (is it Wednesday?  I somehow thought it was still Monday), I will try for a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post.

Pretty!

I took a couple of pictures in my back yard a while ago, after I had spent some time cleaning out fallen branches from the last storm.  My Rose of Sharon as a whole is not looking as lovely as some I have seen in my walks and runs, but I was happy to see some blossoms.  I need to get more aggressive in cleaning out the wild grape vines which are taking over the place.  I am a little afraid my back yard will turn into some cheesy sci-fi/horror flick:  The Vines That Ate Mohawk Valley Girl.  I was thinking maybe The Grapes of Wrath,  but it doesn’t pay to get to literary.

I tried to get just the blooms.

Another area I have to clean out is where my Black-Eyed Susans reside.  I don’t mind them taking over an area, which they also tend to do, but there are a number of other things growing there which were not invited.

She was so cool!

Changing the subject, here is a lovely lady who was pouring canned cocktails at a recent tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer, NY (just to throw in a brief shout-out to a local business).  I did not make it to any tastings last week (they had three!).  I must see what they are pouring this weekend.

I see I am over 250 words.  I call that respectable.  If only I could get back to doing it every day!

 

Keep Lame and Blog On

When overly flustered, pour yourself a large glass of iced coffee (or other beverage) and make a blog post.  Perhaps I should get myself a t-shirt that says, “Keep Calm and Blog On.”  I actually get a little tired of seeing those “Keep Calm” memes, t-shirts, etc.  Sometimes I put as my Facebook status, “Stop telling me to calm down!!!”  As another Facebook meme says (yes, I spend entirely too much time on Facebook), In the entire history of calming down, no one has ever calmed down as a result of being told to calm down.

That was a digression, but what else can I do on Lame Post Friday? I am off work today for a sad reason:  I must go to a funeral.  Perhaps “must” is a strong word.  I want to be there to support friends and family, and to pay my respects to a nice lady who left us too soon.  Getting the day off was no problem; my work is nice that way.  Of course, being me, nothing else can be easy.

The flowers are for a cheery note. The glove is because I am about to talk about dressing up.

That is a photo from the past.  I think things go down better with an illustration.  So I had some problems getting ready for today.

Find something to wear?  That should not be a problem:  look at all the clothes I have.  Yes, I have gained a little weight, but how much difference can five pounds make?  Really four, because I think I took off a pound this week (my scale is ambiguous).  It seems I am also bloated, possibly from salt intake.  I crave salt when it is so hot and I sweat my (insert body part of your choice) off.  I made a nice bowl of popcorn last night.  I tried not to put too much salt on it, but of course one needs a certain amount.  Anyways, there is fiber in popcorn. Shouldn’t that help?

Apparently not so much. I tried on several outfits to no avail.  The only thing that sort of worked was a skirt that would only fasten up under my boobs. The blouse I had picked would cover that.  Then I turned sideways and saw how fat I looked.  Anyways, the skirt felt too tight even where I had fastened it.  By now I was getting sweaty and irritable.  Calm down, I told myself (as stated earlier, it did not help).  I took a few deep breaths, sat in front of a fan, drank some coffee (hot at the time), played a little solitaire (with an actual deck of cards as God intended), then headed to the store.

Long story short (I know, too late):  I found a dress that fits, is comfortable, and does not look too bad.  That decision made, I proceeded to get flustered gathering accessories, deciding on jewelry, and getting together my overnight things (I am going to the funeral with my parents and intend to spend the night at their house).  What about the dishes?  What about that bill I had meant to mail today?  What about my blog post?

As I often say, it’s not easy being me, but at least it is entertaining.  And I hope my blog post has been entertaining.  Tune in tomorrow when Mohawk Valley Girl is confused about what day it is, because she had Friday off.

 

Newton Was Right

So there I was, two days without posting, reluctant to make another Post About Not Making a Post, and pondering what the hell was wrong with me.  I thought about how we don’t really know what is good for us.  I like to write, I enjoy writing, I often feel good after I have written.  But there was this voice in my head saying, I don’t want to, I don’t have to, I can’t!  It is the same voice and same words even the voice uses when I think I should clean my house, go running, or even eat that cucumber that has been in my refrigerator since I bought it on Sunday.  For heaven’s sake, why would I not be able to cut up a cucumber, voice?

Unfortunately, I do not always think to talk back to the voice.  On occasion I ignore the voice, with varying results (turns out running or house cleaning, while not impossible, can be damn difficult) (but let us strive to think positively at this moment).  Today I pondered where the voice was coming from and why it often sounded so loudly.

My first thought was that we often do not know what is good for us.  For example, we drink one alcoholic beverage and it makes us feel good, so we have another.  By the third, that voice in our head (I am assuming in this example that I am not the only one who has one) is convinced that if we do not continue drinking, we will cease to feel good, we must have another!  We all know where this thinking leads us (if you have not actually had the experience, surely you have heard) (and I will call you Shirley if I decide to).  Most of us learn to ignore the voice’s toro poopie in these situations.

My next thought regarded a rule I have often observed in this space: writing begets more writing.  I write a letter to a friend or make an extensive entry in the TV Journal, I can easily make that day’s blog post.  Once I make a couple blog posts, I continue posting daily.  Obviously the opposite is true:  Not Writing begets more Not Writing. I capitalize Not Writing, because it is such a heinous situation to those of us who aspire to be Writers.

Then it hit me:  inertia.  Sir Isaac Newton did not just talk about Gravity, he also articulated the Law of Inertia:  An object in motion tends to stay in motion, an object at rest tends to stay at rest, unless worked on by outside forces.  I like the words “tends to,” because in fact, writing does not always beget more writing in my case.  My eighth grade science teacher  also pointed out that friction, gravity, etc, are included in “outside forces” that cause a moving object to stop seemingly of its own accord.  I add this for the yahoo (you know who you are) who just rolled a ball or a stone (not wanting to gather moss) and said, “There!  That object didn’t stay in motion!”

So you see, I do not only suffer from laziness, depression, and whatever else is wrong with me (probably a lot; I can just see some of you gearing up to give me a comprehensive list) (you know who you are):  I am a victim of inertia.  Today I fought the inertia enough to make a blog post of — goodness over 550 words!  Will this writer in motion tend to stay in motion?  I hope so.

 

A Few Vampires Never Hurt

Once again, I eschew writing about Mohawk Valley adventures for a Monstrous Monday post.  Full disclosure:  It has not been a particularly monstrous day.  For one reason I took off work for a couple of VA appointments.  I will not elaborate on that, because, you know, HIPAA (if I have that acronym right).

The Shadow of the Vampire?

Why not start right out with my favorite, Nosferatu (1922), that silent horror masterpiece.  I love the use of shadows.

For many the quintessential vampire.

Here is a busier illustration, the 1931 Tod Browning produced film.  My late, dearly missed husband,  Steve, was not especially enamored of this movie, but he occasionally consented to watch it with me.

Another favorite of many.

One might argue that Christopher Lee revitalized the role in the Hammer Films Dracula movies. I am not sure which film this picture is from, but I enjoy watching all of them.  Christopher Lee did not confine himself to Dracula, of course.  He memorably portrayed Frankenstein’s monster and other horror parts, both villainous and heroic.

Very atmospheric. I loved it.

To include one more vampire and get to at least 200 words, I share the poster of Dracula’s Daughter, a worthy addition to the pantheon.  Is pantheon the word I want?  Perhaps I should look it up.

Random vampire picture while I grab my dictionary.

Hmmm… doesn’t seem quite right by the definition, but it is used this way in the example.  On that note of grammar, I see I am over 200 words, so I sign off.  I hope you enjoyed another vampire post.  I will try not to let Tired Tuesday get the best of me.

 

I Strive to Improve on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

And then I let three days go by without a blog post.  Mostly because I did not want to make another post about not making a good post, yet I did not feel up to making a real blog post.  What the hell, me? Now it is Sunday, and I am feeling tired and done with the day but do not want another day to go by without making a blog post.  Well, I am trying to do better about every aspect of my life, blogging included.  I make  small improvements at irregular intervals.  Here is my attempt at improving my blogging.

I feel badly that I have good topics I have not blogged about yet. Perhaps I can make those posts in the coming week.  We shall see.  In the meantime, I will make a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post, just to not go another day without blogging.

I have been having a happy Sunday.

I am, in fact, watching an episode of Columbo.  I also utilized the Columbo method of cleaning:  I cleaned for a set amount of time then said, “One more thing!” and put away a couple more pieces of junk.

I do not only watch Columbo, although I do pop in many episodes.  I watched a different movie earlier, and during the previous week refrained entirely watching anything except for WKTV News in the morning.

So I guess this is a really nothing blog post.  I do believe that any blog post is better than no blog post at all.  I hope my readers agree.  If you do not, feel free to comment.  In the meantime, I am over 250 words.  Perhaps I can close with a cheerful picture at least.

Me drink wine? It could be!

It took me a while to find a picture I liked.  On the brighter side, this has gotten me over 300 words.  300 good words?  Let us not ask for miracles on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.