Tag Archives: blogging

Music, Food and Friendship

Posted on February 3, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

When I picked up my Chromebook to make my Wednesday blog post early Thursday morning, my internet suddenly and mysteriously vanished.  Long story short, the problem was solved last night (Friday), I hope, and here I am  ten finger typing on my couch Saturday morning, no coffee yet, surprisingly enough.

What I had meant to blog about two days ago was a trip to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY for music, food and good company.  My friend Kathy texted me to see if I was going out.  I had wanted to but felt undecided about it.  Her text decided me and soon we were sitting at the bar, waiting for the music of Max Scialdone.

A little blurry, but it will have to do.

I took my usual photo with my phone to post on Facebook, encouraging others to join us.  I do that almost every time, and nobody has ever accepted my invitation. However, some of my Facebook friends like to know I am out enjoying local music.

I ordered a steak and cheese wrap.  Cabernet Sauvignon went well with it.  Kathy drank beer but was not hungry.  She was there for the music and the company.  We had a nice visit.

It really does say Max Scialdone.

A couple other patrons remarked about Max’s name in lights. I had noticed the sign unlit when we walked in.  I tried to get a picture of it with my Tablet.  Alas, it did not turn out well, but I figured I could just tell my blog readers that it said Max Schialdone.  I will try to get a better picture at a future time.

Kathy and I were both glad we had gone out.  No doubt we will do so again.

 

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Dare I Call This a Post?

Posted on January 31, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, I was too tired to make my Tired Tuesday post on Tuesday.  I am in fact a little hesitant to make the post this morning for reasons which I will not go into (explanations are so tiresome).  I am ten finger typing on my Chromebook with the very necessary cup of coffee at my side.  At first the Chromebook could not seem to get on the internet.  It tends to jump off and on, which is weird, because when I click on a little thing in the corner it tells me the wi-fi signal is strong (why is wi-fi underlined?  Is that not a word?).  I do not properly understand technology, as regular readers know.

A holdover from Monstrous Monday?

I pause to put in a coffee-related illustration.  I don’t know that I feel dead inside, but I feel a certain amount of pressure to update my life insurance.  That was a joke.  I guess brain dead would be a better way to describe me this morning, but I am far too tired to look for picture from The Brain From Planet Arous.  Imagine my delight when somebody referenced that movie on one of my monster pages recently.

He was a handsome dude.

Sorry to interject a sad note, but I am approaching the one year anniversary of my husband Steven’s death.  I guess I can blame that for my current malaise.  However, one learns to deal with one’s grief and go forward one step at a time.  And in this case one blog post at a time.  So having said very little of substance (do my posts ever have much substance? Discuss amongst yourselves), I dare to call this a post, hit publish, and drive one.  Once again, thank you for tuning in.

 

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I Go Ape for Monstrous Monday

Posted on January 30, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here I am, back to my old tricks of making late blog posts early in the morning.  I had a little computer glitch earlier when my Chromebook started acting funny.  I finally got fed up and went back to my Tablet.  After checking my Facebook On This Day (as a delaying tactic, although I pretended to myself it was for inspiration), I realized I was not up to pecking in one letter at a time with the stylus.  This is one reason I hate to text; it is even worse with my fat finger.  But enough about me, let us get on with the monsters.

No fair pulling hair!

No, this is not me wrestling with my demons.  It is Bela Lugosi in The Ape Man.  It is not a bad flick.  I notice horror movies of this era make copious use of gorillas, although I understand they are in reality gentle creatures.  Hollywood play fast and loose with the facts?  Say it ain’t so!

Yeah, there’s another one!

Now we see my ignorance, because I don’t know the difference between a gorilla and an ape.  I’m thinking ape is the family, as in a gorilla is a certain species of ape.  I know, I could only google these things.

Random picture to denote passage of time.

I resorted to my dictionary, just to be old-fashioned about it.  Sure enough, an ape is any one of a group of such creatures.  The random picture, by the way is the late, great Lionel Barrymore in Devil Doll.  I loves me some Lionel Barrymore.

EEEEEEEEE!

Who could talk about gorillas in Hollywood without mentioning the King?  Kong, that is (see what I did there?).  I guess you could call him the Elvis of Apes, if you wanted to be silly, which of course, I usually do.

And that brings me over 300 words.  Woohoo!  Time for more coffee and the local news.  Once again, thank you for tuning in.

 

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Wrist to Forehead Sunday is Not a Crime

Posted on January 29, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is the time of day on a Sunday where I need to either start getting ready for my Monday or make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post.  I pick the blog post.  I purchased one of them there Roku doodahs today so I am kind of sort of looking at In Ice Cold Blood as I type (with ten fingers on my Chromebook, lounged on the couch, just to give you the picture).  True Crime, one of my loves!

My friend Kim and I took a trip to a store which needs no plug from Mohawk Valley Girl, and that was just about as much as I bestirred myself today.  Well, I did do the dishes, and I took a shower (not at the same time, although I did splash around a lot of water while doing the dishes).  I composed an email which I sent to the actors for our upcoming murder mystery at Salisbury Grange.  I outlined the situation and listed the characters.  I hope they do not email me back and say stuff like, “Well, that’s pretty lame” or “I don’t want to play THAT character!”  I just do not imagine they will.

He did it! No, she did it!

This is a shot from a rehearsal of the murder mystery we did last spring at Salisbury Grange, Shooting at the Grange.  A few of the same actors will be in this one.  I thought an illustration would look well just then.

I must get to work writing the new mystery, which is as yet untitled.  That would certainly be under the heading of Useful Things Accomplished.  And it is a little more interesting than, for example, making tomorrow’s lunch.  At any rate, I am over 250 words for my Sunday blog post, so I will sign off with a wish that your had a lovely weekend.  I hope to see you all again on Monday, Monstrous or whatever it turns out to be.

 

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Yetty’s? Yes, Please!

Posted on January 28, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday (Saturday), my friend Kim and I went to lunch at Yetty’s in Herkimer, NY.  We had not been there in a while and I am happy to report, it is just as great a place to eat as always.

This guy was not actually serving food at the time.

I foolishly did not take any pictures so am looking for previously taken shots in my Media Library.

We sat at the bar and sipped a little wine while we perused the menu.  It took a while to decide what to get, because quite frankly, everything looked wonderful.  At last we decided on a garlic pizza with sausage and extra cheese, with garlic fries for an appetizer.  It was one of those days, and I admit I have many of them, when my weight-loss goals went by the wayside.

We always look at the head.

I am especially sorry I did not get a shot of the head, which stands behind the bar under the television.  She had on a different hat yesterday.  They often dress her appropriately to the season.

I must check if she sports the bunny ears in a couple of months.

I throw in another shot of the head for good measure.  We enjoyed our meal very much and will probably return to Yetty’s soon.

Yetty’s is located at 109 Mohawk St., Herkimer, phone number 315-866-4201.

 

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I Say Better Lame Than Never

Posted on January 28, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

I just remembered again that I have not yet made my Lame Post Friday Post.  Can I do it now?  It is at least prior to lunch time on Saturday (which reminds me that I am hungry!).  But what can I blog about?  All week all I have been doing is babbling on, with a few illustrations.  I do not know how much longer I can get away with that, but I hope for one more post at least.

Spoiler alert: It really didn’t, although it tried,.

Since I like to have a Monster Movie Matinee on, well, almost any day of the week, I thought I would share a cheesy poster from a cheesy favorite.  Unfortunately, I think I only have this one on VHS, picked up at a rummage sale (I love rummage sales, as regular readers know).  Yes, yes, it is not Monstrous Monday or even a day for Mid-week Monsters.  But I love monsters every day!

Alas, poor Benny!

I switch to a Mohawk Valley Adventure, with a murder mystery that LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company, did at the Overlook Mansion (when it was still a B&B) in 2017.  Rubbed Out at Rubies, where we were concerned with the murder of Bennie the Bootlegger and possibly of Ruby VanRenssalaer.   I do love doing murder mysteries.

Is a trip here in my future?

The other thing I love is patronizing local businesses, such as Ruggiero’s in Little Falls, NY.  There are several good eateries and watering holes I like to go to on a Saturday.  Will I make it to any today?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my Saturday.

In the meantime, I have gotten over 250 words.  Score!  I hope you all had a lovely Friday and I wish you an even better Saturday.

 

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When Will I Return to Rome?

Posted on January 26, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had hopes of making my Throwback Thursday (or some other kind of post) Post on Thursday, but it was a true blogger’s sick day.  I left work with a migraine and spent the rest of the day having a headache.  Migraine sufferers know, sometimes that is all you can do.  But never mind my health woes.  It is early Friday morning (woohoo!) and a Throwback Thursday Post is just what I am in the mood for.  Media Library, here I come!

Isn’t she cute?

I thought I would throw back to previous Mohawk Valley Adventures.  Here is a place I would like to visit again: Franca’s Roma on West Dominick Street in Rome, NY.  They play jazz music!  They serve great wine and great food!  What more could Mohawk Valley Girl ask?

Did somebody say books?

Near Franca’s is Keaton and Lloyd Bookstore.  The Franklin Pangborn Parlor hosts readings and other such events.  Who doesn’t love an independent bookstore?  Oh, I suppose some people don’t, but I think they are wrong.

Books and Groucho Marx? Yes, please!

Here is another view of the bookstore.  In case you can’t read the quote, it is, “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend.  Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”

Regular readers know I live for the theatre.

I close my Roman memories (memories of roamin’ in Rome?  Nah, too cutesy) with an evocative if a little dark shot of the Capitol Theatre, also in the area.  It is a beautifully restored 1920’s theatre.  I myself performed on the stage and in the orchestra pit roughly a hundred years ago.  But we needn’t throw back that far for this post.

There are other delightful destinations on West Dominick Street in Rome.  I really must plan another trip there soon.

 

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Monsters, Mugs and Murder at Mid-Week

Posted on January 25, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

I guess it is a week of late blog posts, but you’ll have that, especially with this blog.  I think I will have the Mid-Week Monster post I mentioned on an earlier post this week.  For one reason, I like monsters.

Well, this is frustrating.  I found a picture I wanted to share on Facebook but cannot figure out how to do it on the Chromebook.  It is probably Operator Error as usual.  My entire life is plagued by Operator Error!  But we weren’t talking about me for once.  I shall resort to my Media Library, also as usual.

Must have my coffee.

This is not a self-portrait.  Yes, I drink coffee, but I will probably never be that skinny.  Still, one can dream.

In fact I am a kind of a witch, spelled with a b, of course.

A coffee-themed monster post?  I used my flaming pumpkin mug yesterday.  I am not sure if I can find another appropriate illustration.

Why do I not have these in my collection?

The things you find when you are scrolling down!  I had forgotten all about these gems.  Is it too early to start planning this year’s Halloween festivities?  I think not.

One of my favorite shows.

How about some murder mugs to go with the monsters?  Murder is a monstrous crime, although I like to make light of it in my murder mysteries.  I used to have one more.  I wonder if I can find it…

I like to think I am one of these, or do I flatter myself?

Found it!  Another show I miss since I gave up cable.  I think they stopped making new episodes, though, so I had to get lucky and catch it on re-runs or On Demand.  Still, there is no point in repining.  One can find other sources of entertainment, after all.

Speaking of entertainment, I hope this blog has managed to be that.  I will try for some Mohawk Valley Adventures in the near future.  In the meantime, thank you for tuning in.

 

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Some Semblance of a Tired Tuesday Post

Posted on January 24, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Probably no one is surprised, least of all me, that I was too tired to make my Tired Tuesday post on Tuesday.  I am having difficulty doing any kind of writing lately (and even typing; kept making typos on those last two sentences), but I did not come here to whine.  I cam here to drink coffee and, I hope, make some semblance of a blog post.

I like my coffee hot!

This is not the mug I am currently using, but I thought a Halloween mug would be nice since I did not make a Monstrous Monday post yesterday.  I do love all things Halloween.  Well, most things Halloween.  Not the really nasty stuff, like the dead baby decorations or most of the ’70’s slasher flicks.  I know that makes me lose cred in some horror circles.  So be it.

I’m afraid I do not have any plans for Mohawk Valley Adventures in the near future.  However, I may start running soon, making Running Commentary Posts a thing again.  I must decide by Feb. 4 if I am going to run the Boilermaker 15K in Utica in July, in order to get the best pricing for registration.  I had rather a traumatic time of it last year and would like to better my record.  Not that I think I can ever make a really good time; I would just like to finish without being helped to the first aid tent.  But enough of my running woes.

Additionally, I am writing (and having trouble with; see first paragraph) a murder mystery for April at Salisbury Grange.  That will necessitate a few blog posts, I hope.

A suspicious lot, to be sure.

Here is a picture from a rehearsal of last year’s mystery, Shooting at the Grange.  I see I am approaching 300 words.  Score!  I adjourn for more coffee, and once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

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Not a Particularly Monstrous Walk

Posted on January 23, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

How monstrous of me to be late making my Monday blog post.  I am semi-lounged on my couch, ten-finger typing on my Chromebook and sipping coffee.  Coffee is a wonderful thing to those of us who enjoy it.  I took a walk yesterday, thinking to make a Pedestrian Post instead of a Monstrous one, but took few pictures.  I was just disinclined to take any.  I eventually took two and just now tried to upload them to WordPress from my phone.  When I went to log off WP on my phone, it told me changes had not uploaded yet.  I looked at my Media Library and said, “But there they are.”  The app had no reply, not surprisingly.

Love the one, don’t know the other.

I found my first photo op as I cut through the parking lot behind Basloe Library.  I love libraries and mean to start going to them more often.  Exiled Games is a business I have never been to, but I feel as Mohawk Valley Girl, I ought to check them out and write a blog post about them.  I mainly took the picture to remind myself to do so but thought it would also be good to put in the blog post.

I like whoever shoveled this.

I came across this wiggly path towards the end of my walk.  How fun is that?  I never wiggle when shoveling my own sidewalk but may have to consider doing so in the future.

So here is my Monday blog post, brought to you Tuesday morning (although my WordPress timestamp may disagree).  For anybody who is disappointed that it was not a Monstrous Monday, cheer up, there’s always Mid-Week Monsters.  In the meantime, I will close with a monster, if I can find one in my Media Library.

I think it is a little scary.

OK, it’s not exactly a monster, but I think it is a little monstrous.  I took it on a walk last November.  Mother Nature provides us with some gruesome delights, if we will only notice them.

 

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