Tag Archives: coffee

It’s Never Too Lame!

Once again I make my Lame Post Friday blog post on Saturday morning.  I thought about making it last night, but bed seemed like such a good place to be.  It’s been a difficult week, although it has had its good points.  Nothing is all good or all bad, I hope.  At least, I hope nothing is all bad.  All good, I would like to try and see.  There is some half-baked philosophy for you.  We are used to finding the silver lining in bad times, or at least it is a good idea to do so.  Do we ever look for the fly in the ointment in good times?  Are there any other hoary expressions I can throw in?  Really, me, “silver lining”?  “fly in the ointment”?  Have some more coffee.

Ah ha ha! Coffee can be evil!

I throw in a random picture while I go get another cup of coffee.  I do not want to speculate on whether coffee is or can be, in fact, evil.  I put the caption because I believe that coffee mug looks malevolent.

Since this is my second cup of coffee,  one might think I had just rolled out of bed, but that is not the case.  I got up prior to six and went for a run.  The problem with running before coffee is that sometimes I forget to make coffee.  I had my recovery beverage of chocolate milk (it’s science!), made myself an egg sammich for breakfast…  oh yes, coffee. Ahhh… coffee.

I got rained on during my run, off and on.  Now it seems mostly on, so I am sorry about the local events going on today, for example, Little Falls Pride 2024 and Dolgeville Violet Festival. I had been thinking of running the Pride Stride 5K in Little Falls.  There used to be a 5K associated with the Violet Festival, too, but I don’t know if there still is.  How uninformed of me.  Anyways, I am not in 5K shape at this time.  I am in shape, though, because round and puffy is still a shape, you know.

I don’t think these two are in 5K shape either.

Here are Bonita and Bonaparte to wish you a happy Saturday.  I will never be as skinny as Bonita.  Puffy little Bonaparte is more my speed (almost literally).  I suppose I am not as cute, although my husband, Steven used to think so.

 

Where Did I Put My Panache?

Another early morning late post.  I made myself take a walk before posting, in hopes I would be inspired or at least less grumpy.  The beauty part of that was, my coffee finished brewing while I walked.  I am mostly cheered right now because I realized I could accurately say “my coffee brewed” instead of “my coffee dripped.”  So while I am still not perky, at least I am not a drip.  Enough of that brew-ha-ha (see what I did there?).  On with the post.

I will never be this skinny.

Apparently I am not caffeinated enough, because I put that picture then went blank.  This is largely in an effort not to complain about my ongoing physical and mental ills, which I am sure are not that bad, especially in comparison with what others deal with with panache.  I need to get some of that there panache.

Regarding the upcoming three day weekend (and please allow me to be delighted about it; I spent years working holidays), I have plans with my family so will not be able to indulge in any Mohawk Valley Adventures.  Regarding that parenthetical comment, yes, I know, first responders (why is my Chromebook underlining that?), healthcare workers, and other important people work holidays.  I was never that important, but we are not talking about me. Oh wait, yes we are.  It is my blog.

A tribute to those fallen.

I put in a picture appropriate to Memorial Day, before I got bogged down in even more silliness.  This is Herkimer County Veterans Memorial Park, on the Herkimer College campus.  On past Memorial Days and Veterans Days, I have run to this park in tribute.  Sometimes I run by there just because it is a challenging run to go up College Hill and on across the campus.  I am not in shape for that run yet.

Ooh look, I am over 300 words.  I guess I will bill this as a Wuss-out Wednesday and drive on.  I will see if I can come up with something better than a Non-Sequitur Thursday post later (and by “later” of course I mean either later today or early tomorrow morning), but no promises.

 

But for Some, Coffee IS Happiness

On the brighter side, I have not made an early morning blog post in a while, have I?  As usual, I am too lazy to go back and check.  Yesterday was a true blogger’s sick day, made hideous by a migraine.  I left work and sought my bed only to find sleep elusive and pain pervasive.  Eventually it went away, leaving me a limp, fairly brainless rag.  Perfect conditions for a Non-Sequitur Thursday post made on Friday morning.  Ooh, that’s right, it is Friday.  We like Friday.

Actually not yet, but I am on my way there, I hope.

In fact, I have not yet had my first cup of coffee, but I think the maker is done making its noises.  Ah, yes that first hot sip…

Random picture for you to enjoy while I sip.

That picture caught my eye because of the yellow flower, but now I see it also includes one of the fingerless gloves I purchased from Herkimer Handknits last summer at Brookwood Market. (what, “fingerless” and “Brookwood” are not words?  My Chromebook underlined them in red.  Also “Herkimer Handknits.  What’s that all about?).  The picture was taken at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort.  So now I have given small shout-outs to three local businesses.  Brookwood Market has not opened yet for the summer, but Fratello’s is, of course, year round, and you can find Herkimer Handknits on Facebook.

Where was I?  Nowhere in particular, I suppose, but did I not say this was a Non-Sequitur Thursday post? And I am over 250 words.  Score!  Back to my hot beverage, and I hope you found this at least mildly entertaining.

I comfort myself with the thought.

Even coffee cannot make everyone happy.  It can be a difficult world, but I feel it is worth the effort.

 

In Your Easter Bonnet, With All The Frills Upon It…

I am a well-known slob.  Since Steven’s death (and even before) it has taken on ungodly proportions.  I share this as an explanation or maybe just an introduction to the picture I took this morning to share in a blog post.

This is the sort of thing I often see in my house.

When I try to get one coffee filter out of the package, two or three often stick together.  I just leave them all outside of the package, knowing I will use them and feeling that it is too much trouble to do otherwise (many things in my life these days feel like too much trouble; that is because of my depression, and I generally strive to do them anyways).  Last night I noticed that the extra filters had landed on this goblet  It is a plastic goblet, suitable for use on the porch or deck.  The flute next to it is plastic as well.  We have had one or two porch-sitting days this spring.

I thought it looked cute, like a bride or a lady wearing an Easter bonnet (seasonal!).  I thought the champagne flute gave the tableau a festive air.  The surrounding spices, coffee tin and what-not, I suppose only clutter up the image, but I must be honest in what I depict.  One could argue that I was too lazy to clean things up.  However, I go with my former reasoning.  I figure, I liked the image because the filter accidentally fell as if the goblet was wearing it.  It would add a layer of artificiality if I were to purposely clean up the surrounding area.  It may be a rationalization, but I like it (thus rationalizing my rationalization).

I see I am approaching 300 words.  Score!  When I first noticed the goblet and filter, I did not take a picture but merely enjoyed it.  It was not till I awoke this morning that I realized it would be an excellent illustration for a Non-Sequitur Thursday Post.

 

Waste Not Want Not

Waste Not Want Not

I thought of that title before writing the post, so I hope the post lives up to it, because, as regular readers know, I often have a problem coming up with titles.  Just to set the stage, it is early Monday morning.  I am ten-finger typing on my Chromebook and finding that coffee is not always the miracle I was hoping for.  Never mind that.  On with the post!

I often take pictures on my Tablet thinking to use them in a blog post then never write the blog post.  A couple of them made their way into my Media Library.  In the spirit of waste not want not (a favorite saying of mine and one I try to live by) (one reason I never throw anything away) (which explains my messy house) (oh dear, getting bogged down in parenthetical comments.  Stop it, me!)  I thought to use them in a post.

Taken on one of my artsy days.

I am truly sorry I never wrote the blog post about this event.  It was an art opening at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts in Little Falls, NY.  The woman is Yulia Levkovich, artist of the picture titled “After Annigoni.”  The man is Matt Trombley, a friend of the artist and of me. He is a theatre friend; we did Shakespeare together.

It kind of makes me dizzy looking at it.

This is actually not one I took with the intention of using it in a blog post.  In fact, I did not take it on purpose but must have accidentally hit the button while I was taking “after” pictures of Saturday’s shoveling adventure.

I have other unused pictures on my Tablet.  Perhaps I will move them to my Media Library for another Waste Not Want Not post.  And just like that, I have come up with another category for Mohawk Valley Girl. It is a good category for early Monday morning while I am waiting for the coffee to kick in.

 

Not Too Lazy to Look for Monsters

Did I jinx myself by Monday’s headline?  Or was it my innate laziness that caused me to miss posting on Tuesday?  I called myself lazy at work, and a co-worker nicely said I was not.  I replied, “There are worse things to be than lazy.  I’m a few of those, too.”  I did not specify.  Be that as it may, I am lounged on my couch, ten finger typing on my Chromebook, a little later that my usual morning posting time, because I took today off.  I have an appointment in the morning and fun plans for the afternoon.  A Mohawk Valley Adventure or two?  I hope so!

In the meantime, I would like to make a blog post now.  A late Tired Tuesday Post or an on time Mid-Week Monsters Post?  One could argue that Tuesday is mid-week, but I am no hand at argument.

Me fighting my own laziness.

I have not idea who those two monsters are, but I downloaded them to the blog in February 2023, which was a monstrous month, to be sure.

That’s my problem! No coffee!

I am, in fact, on my second cup of tea, so I am somewhat caffeinated.  I gave up coffee for Lent, which I realized yesterday is in fact longer than 40 days.  I am not exactly a practicing Catholic or even an Episcopalian (which is one of my all-time favorite words), but when Lent rolls around, I feel I should mark it some way.  This is the most drastic sacrifice I have made in years; usually I just do something extra, like read  x chapters of the Bible every day, or pray a Rosary. However, I do not mean to get into religious discussions. I just see a bunch of pictures and memes in my Media Library pertaining to coffee, which is on my mind to a greater extent than I had anticipated.

I might scream, only my throat is a little sore.

Here is a picture from one of my favorite cheesy horror movies, The Screaming Skull.  I have written about it in this space.  I wonder if I can find it and link back to the post.  Am I un-lazy enough for that?

Random picture to mark the passage of time.

As it turns out, not too lazy.  I think it was a pretty fun post, but perhaps I flatter myself.

And this post is over 400 words. Woohoo!  Were they good words?  Where they un-boring words?  Let us not ask for miracles.

 

Dare I Call This a Post?

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.

 

Monsters, Mugs and Murder at Mid-Week

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.

 

Some Semblance of a Tired Tuesday Post

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.

 

No Severed Heads, But Columbo and Coffee

I pause in doing absolutely nothing to make a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post.  I did muster up the wherewithal to go grocery shopping and do a load of laundry.  If I can get enough oomph to make tomorrow’s lunch, I will feel pleased with myself.  Of course, I will also feel that I should have done a few more things, but I try to celebrate every small win.  Is that like giving myself a participation trophy?  Let us not look too deeply into these things.  I am already perilously close to swooning, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, of course.

Don’t drive too fast! It’s dangerous!

I don’t really mind Monday being so close.  It is, after all, the natural progression of things.  Who am I to argue with nature?  Additionally, I always have the feeling that a new week can be a new beginning.  Maybe this is the week I will finally get things right.  I probably won’t, and the older I get the more I think, so what?  Why do I constantly feel that I must achieve that mythical state of having my act together?  Ah well, this is more of a philosophical question better suited to Lame Post Friday.

One of my favorite guys!

This is what I am enjoying right now: Columbo and a hot cup of coffee (and I said I was doing absolutely nothing!).  I actually wanted to have a Severed Head Sunday by watching Bette Davis in Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte, but the DVD would not cooperate.   Or maybe it was the player.  I don’t question these things, I just look for another DVD to pop in.

I see I am over 250 words.  I consider that sufficient for a lighthearted post on a Sunday afternoon.  I thank you for tuning in and hope to see you again on Monday, monstrous or otherwise.