Tag Archives: Collis Hardware

A Walk of Some Lame

Posted on August 28, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I would do a kind of a combination Lame Post Friday and Pedestrian Post this morning.  When I discovered I had left my Garmin plugged in overnight, I took that as my sign I should walk right away.  It was prior to 8 a.m., an excellent time for a stroll.

Regular readers know I have not been walking as much as previously and I have not been running at all.  I recently started to get back into a routine of walking every morning, only to come down with a nasty cold or sinus thing that sidelined me, followed by a stomach thing more recently.  Yes, I am whining a lot, stop playing that miniature violin (you know who you are)!

The wreckage of my running dreams?

I felt delightful this morning, and moreso as I began to walk.  I decided to walk downtown and try to check the progress of the demolition of a building on Main Street.  The above picture was taken a week or more ago, when the building had just come down.  They are hard at work clearing away all the debris.  There is another condemned structure, but apparently the village lacks the funds for more demolition.

Another view.

I did not bring my phone with me so did not take a picture of what is currently there.  Perhaps later when I go to have a drink at Pete’s Tavern or the End Zone.  Uh, I mean when I go down to shop at Collis Hardware or Mohawk Valley Community Market (see how I slide in plugs for local businesses?).

I walked for a mile and a quarter and it felt great.  Now I have blogged for over 250 words, and that doesn’t feel too bad either.  Time to get on with my Friday!

 

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At Least I’m Not Pushing Up Daisies

Posted on May 21, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was just looking back over past “lawn order” postings since I thought to do one today.  It is that or a Throwback Thursday.  Personally I am leaning towards the Throwback Thursday, because a Lawn Order post (do I really have that as a category? Too lazy to check right now) can only make me look bad.  I have not taken any pictures, which will really make me look bad (cue unkind jokes about how most pictures of me are bad) (you know who you are).

I do not recall if I mentioned it in a blog post (and having already looked over past posts I do not want to check), but last fall my lawn mower pooped out on the last mow of the season.  It would start but not continue running.  I said to heck with it (only I didn’t say “heck”), put it in the garage, mowed with the non-power mower, and basically just forgot about it.  I am irresponsible like that.  Then when spring got here, I kept hearing No Mow May.  Who am I to argue?  Also, I had other things on my mind.

Back when I used to do a good job mowing my lawn.

I throw in a picture from May 2020, just to pep up the post. I got some advice from several sources, then consulted Collis Hardware, who suggested I bring the mower down there and let them fix it.  What a great idea!  I walked my mower on down. Unfortunately, I should have done it much earlier in the season, because it may be a couple of weeks before I hear from them.

In the meantime, it has been raining, and my grass has been growing.  One year, when Steven was still alive but sick, we had let the grass get quite out of hand.  At this time I was incapable of starting the power mower but managed with great effort to get the front lawn done with the non-power mower.  I got a neighbor to start the power mower to do the back.

Now, regular readers may recall that beginning at the end of April, I have this mysterious pain going on in my leg, rendering prolonged standing, walking, or running difficult.  This is one of the things on my mind that made No Mow May seem so attractive.  However, I believe there are village codes to consider, so yesterday and today, I have had at my front lawn with the non-power mower, clippers, and determination.  The results were… well, it looks as if I made an effort.

Please don’t eat the daisies.

This is actually a picture from June a couple years ago.  There will probably be as many daisies soon.  Right now there are copious forget-me-nots, which I will try to get a picture of soon.  Right now I am still resting my leg from my exertions and hope this rather lengthy (for me) blog post has not been too boring and whiny.

Maybe I give it a punchy headline and bill it as a Non-Sequitur Thursday.

 

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A Busy Saturday So Far

Posted on October 31, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I pause in my activities to make a Scattered Saturday Post. Check it out: I am making a Saturday Post ON Saturday!

We got up stupidly early as usual (not as early as when I work, but still, you would think I could sleep in once in a while). I went for a short run, wrote a few post cards, called my Mom and Dad, all the usual stuff. Then Steve and I set out on a few minor adventures.

First we went to Collis Hardware in Herkimer, NY. We dropped off a basement window frame to have plexiglass put in it. I am embarrassed to tell you how long we have been putting this off, so I will keep that bit of information to myself.

They were very nice there.

Next we went a little ways up the street to Mohawk Valley Community Market. We spent some time looking at the various vendors.

Renewed and Rescued is the store that started the Market.

I asked if I could take a picture of the staff, because they looked so cute in their Halloween costumes.

They graciously posed.

After that we were feeling peckish so went to Honey Brook Bakery for a treat.

The pictures aren’t so great, but YUM!

After a brief interlude at home, eating our treats, we drove to Ilion. First we went up Otsego Street so I could show Steve some of the great yard decorations I have been enjoying on my way home from work. Then we went to the Thrift Store in search of materials for our Halloween costumes.

Our last stop was at New 2 You Consignments, where I scored a baggy of bead necklaces. They may not be right for my Halloween costume, but then again, I may stretch a point.

We are now relaxing at home, but soon we will begin getting ready for a Halloween party at the Frankfort American Legion, featuring our favorite band The Posers. Yay!

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Just Type in Some Foolishness and Hit Publish

Posted on August 12, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I suppose the operative thing to have done today was to have written a blog post about one of the things I mentioned this morning.  Or I could have done a Running Commentary about this morning’s run (it was awesome, by the way).  But here I sit, looking at television and strongly inclined to just type in some foolishness and hit Publish.

Right now Forensic Files is on, but before that we were watching the divine Joan Crawford in Straitjacket.

Don’t lie; we’ve all been there.

During the movie we debated and debated what movie to watch next.  We still have not decided, hence our viewing of Forensic Files.  I was hoping to find the cheesier Deadly Women on ID, but no luck.  Not even a Snapped on Oxygen.  Some Saturdays are bad that way.

I must admit, it is quite relaxing to sit on my couch, wondering how best to veg out.  The last couple of weeks we have been moving and shaking. Even last night we were out and about (as I believe I mentioned).  It is fun to be out and about, but you can get too much of a good thing.

Just to make this a Scattered Saturday post, I will quickly cover today’s accomplishments, although they are a little thin.  My run was long and felt good.  Then I wrote some post cards and we left the house by the front door.  Regular readers will recall that our back door was ailing.  We went to breakfast at Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner then to Collis Hardware to get some screws for the door.

Back home, we fixed the door.  Woohoo, I think it was a success!  Then I had a headache so laid down with my heat-up face mask and took a nap.  On rising, I got on the laptop and typed in what I had written on my murder mystery script.  Later I thought how to finish up and made a few notes about it.  I anticipate finishing and polishing tomorrow.

And that was about it.  Eventually we got to the movie watching portion of the evening, and that is where we are at now.  If only we could agree on which movie to watch next.

 

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A Little More About the Laundry

Posted on November 18, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Continuing my laundry saga will allow me to give a shout-out to two local businesses.  Therefore I offer the following in lieu of my usual Tired Tuesday post.

Our first stop was Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner for breakfast.  I’ve written about Crazy Otto’s numerous times.  It is a local favorite.  They were doing a booming business, as usual, but we were able to get a booth.

The crab meat omelet special was tempting, but I was conservative and ordered a bagel with cream cheese.  I was pleased that they had Everything bagels.  Being indecisive, as I am, I love Everything bagels, because you don’t have to decide on one.  The waitress asked if I wanted it toasted or grilled. I had never had a grilled bagel before.  It was quite tasty.  Steven had bacon and eggs with hash browns and Italian toast.

As we were paying, I noticed two orders of steak and eggs go by.  I’ve never gotten steak and eggs.  What steaks!  They were huge and looked delicious!  I’m getting that next time.

Properly nourished, we walked across the street to Collis Hardware.  Collis TrueValue Hardware is a real old-fashioned hardware store.  It is located on Main Street in Herkimer, where I’m sure it has stood for years.  I’ll have to look up some history about it, but, well, I guess it’s still Tired Tuesday, because I can’t do it right now.

Be that as it may, on Sunday we found someone to help us right away.  As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we needed a new cord for our new (to us) drier.  We had a rubbing of the socket it had to go into and a diagram of what the plug should look like.  The man at Collis quickly found just what we needed.

Back home, I put a load of laundry into the washer while Steven installed the new cord.  If the drier still didn’t work, I knew I could hang them out to dry on the clothesline.  Perhaps I should have anyways, because Sunday was a nice sunny day.  Still, we wanted to use the new (to us) drier.  It turned right on with the new cord.  And the hose popped out of the back.  Steven was able to reattach it, so we were in business.

I hope this post was better than my usual Tire Tuesday tripe (see what I did there?).  My question now is, will I end up doing as many blog posts about the new (to us) (yes I’m going to keep doing that) washer and drier as I did about the laundromat?  I’m not going to keep score.  If you are… you might like to look for a more fulfilling hobby.

 

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A Marginally Improved Woman?

Posted on November 8, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

You know, Scattered Saturday is kind of a relief.  All I have to do is briefly recount what I have been doing all day.  That seems to be all I am up to today.  Oh, don’t sit there and tell me I’m whining; if you don’t like it then just don’t read it!  Sheesh!

Opening night of Lunch Hour at Ilion Little Theatre was wonderful.  The actors were great, the audience was pleased.  A few of us had a very enjoyable time going out for drinks afterwards.  We got to bed after midnight, which is quite rare for me, then slept in till after seven, also unusual.  Please note:  I had one glass of cabernet sauvignon.  Oh, and a sip of a friend’s bourbon, because I couldn’t remember what bourbon tastes like.

This morning Steven and I had a yummy breakfast at Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer, NY.  A bacon, avocado and cheese omelet for me; French toast, fried eggs and bacon for Steven.  Mine came with home fries and sourdough toast.  I shared the toast with Steven.

After food we went across the street to Collis Hardware and bought some heavy duty cleaning supplies:  rubber gloves, a tough broom, an industrial mop and a bucket with a wringer attached.  We had a rather nasty basement to clean.  That was our main accomplishment for the day.

I felt pretty crappy after spending some time in the basement rather ineffectually scrubbing (really, I did my best).  Our basement is as damp as any.  I’m sure there is mold and mildew.  My sinuses did not thank me.  When mopping was the last thing to do,  Steven heroically volunteered to do that while I went upstairs and laid down.

I slept for almost three hours.  Considering I have been getting to bed late and getting up at 3:30 every morning this week, I daresay I needed it.  I was not exactly a new woman when I got up, but I felt at least marginally improved.

Earlier in the week, Steven had noticed a Chinese auction at Mohawk Antiques mall to benefit the veterans.  We LOVE Chinese auctions, and who wouldn’t want to benefit the veterans?  I had not realized it was for Sitrin’s Rehabilitation, a most excellent program which I wholeheartedly support.  We put in for many prizes, and I noticed nobody had donated an afghan.

“I should have donated an afghan,” I said.  “Had I but known!”

“We put this together in three weeks,” a lady said.  “You wouldn’t have had time to make an afghan.”

I told her I try to always keep a few around, for just such a purpose.  I gave them my name and number, so they can contact me if they do this again.

After browsing the antiques while we were there, I started to feel a little ill and tired, so we went home.  I did no feel like cooking anything, so Steven nicely dialed up dinner, ordering a delicious roast beef sub from Carney’s Corners.

And that brings us up to the present time.  I have another show of Lunch Hour tonight.  If I catch a second wind and others are into it, I may go out again.  Surely one more glass of cabernet sauvignon wouldn’t hurt.

 

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