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Yet More Music

Are posts about music at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY getting a bit tiresome?  I hope not, because here comes one more.

I had made up my mind not to go out for a while.  Stay home, I told myself.  Be frugal of money and calories.  On Wednesday I was regretting that decision.  I mentioned my dilemma to a co-worker.

“I think you should do what you enjoy,” she said.

When I talked to my mother on the phone, she echoed the sentiment.  I had in fact already decided to do so.  After all, I got home from work, I put in laundry, went on a two mile run, and did the dishes.  I could reward myself and not dirty any more dishes.

It turned out to be a great reward, because Phil Arcuri was playing.

He is so fun!

I have said this many times, but it bears repeating: I love watching Phil play because he is clearly having such a good time.  I sang along with all the songs I knew and chair danced when I wasn’t eating.  It was great.

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-8484.  They have music other nights than Wednesday.  Check it out!

 

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Are Wednesdays a Thing Again?

After deciding last week that I was going to stay home every night this week, I  decided to go to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY for food and music, as I used to do almost every Wednesday.  A quick check of their Facebook page told me Justin Smithson was playing acoustic guitar.

He is an excellent musician.

As I walked in, I was greeted by Geno the bartender and Justin Smithson himself.  I ordered a garlic pizza with sausage and mushrooms.  It was one of Steven’s favorite things to order.  I was sipping some Chardonnay, also a favorite of his.  The music started shortly.

I was loving it right away.  Justin started with a beautiful James Taylor song.  Then I dissolved into embarrassing tears as he got to the chorus:  “But I always thought that I’d see you again.”  This is what happens.  Every day I realize I will never see my husband Steve again.  However, I must try not to make a spectacle of myself.

This one turned out a little dark.

Justin moved on to play a variety of tunes.  At one point he asked for requests, and a man said, “Cat Stevens!”  Justin played “Wild World,” which is a song that plays in my head when I am running and go by a WildWood camper.

“Made my night!” said the requestor when the song was done.

I greatly enjoyed hearing the music.  I will be back at Fratello’s again soon!

 

Fun Friday

How about a late Friday post that is not lame?  At least it will not be admittedly lame, as it includes two Mohawk Valley Adventures and  couple seasonal pictures.

My friend Kim and I started our evening with a cocktail tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer, NY.  Felicia, one out our favourite pourers, was giving samples of pre-mixed drinks in cans.

I had to get a picture of the Eastery display.

Kim especially liked the sign:  “EVERY HOUR IS HAPPY HOUR.”  I was taken with the bunny butts.  The drinks were made with vodka or tequila with real fruit juice and no added sugar.  They were pretty tasty, but not really my thing.

From the liquor store we went to Yetty’s for supper.  We were happy to find seats at the bar.  We had not been there in a while, but the bartender remembered us and greeted us warmly.  The first thing I noticed was that the head that graces the shelf behind the bar was dressed for the holiday.

It was perhaps a little dark, but you can see the bunny ears.

We both had fish and chips.  Kim had mayonnaise with hers; I got tartar sauce.  It was quite yummy.  We had a very fun evening, and I got a real blog post out of it (or do I flatter myself?).

Valley Wine and Liquor is located at  326 S. Caroline St.  Yetty’s is at 109 Mohawk St.  Both are in Herkimer, NY.  For more information,  you can visit their Facebook pages.

 

Too Busy to Blog?

So yesterday was a Wuss-out Wednesday,  blog-wise.  I went for a walk in the morning and a run in the afternoon.  I had a Mohawk Valley Adventure of going to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort for music and food.  And I took some pictures of crocuses in my back yard.

But I did not make a blog post about any of it.  What the hell, me?

Now it is Thursday morning, and I contemplate the coming day with dread.  How’s that for a little bit of melodrama?  I need to get over myself.  Never mind, let’s get on with the blog post.

I knew it wouldn’t be a great picture, but I had to try.

On my morning walk, I admired the full moon.  Full disclosure:  I like to see the moon at whatever phase it is in.

I love to see them every year!

I felt the need to take pictures of all the crocuses that were there.  It occurred to me that some people might shame me for it (you know who you are): “We all know what a crocus looks like.  We see them every year.”  Like how some people don’t want to keep seeing pictures of the snow.  I can’t worry about those people now.

They were awesome.

This is the new to me band I heard at Fratello’s:  Gridley Paige Naked and Scared.  I loved them.

So once again I give you a blog post about what I could have written a blog post about.  At least it was over 200 words.

 

Music and Fun at Fratello’s

Wednesday night I went to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY, because I saw that Mark Nanni was playing.  He’s awesome!  He plays keyboard, guitar, and accordion (no, not all at once, as I am sure some of you were about to say) (you know who you are).  When I walked in, one of the workers greeted me and told me Mark Nanni was playing.

“I know, that’s why I’m here,”  I said.

I love his sound.

While I waited for the music to start I ordered some food and a glass of wine.  Then I got into a discussion with some other patrons about my flowered headband, which I wore because it goes so nicely with my Beer Belly Bob’s tie-dye t-shirt.

“I was a little worried it would make me look like that lady they said killed her husband and fed him to the tigers,” I admitted.  I further admitted I never saw the popular Netflix series on the case, although I did see Dateline episode about it.  One of them looked up the lady’s name, and another shared me a picture.

This is me, by the way.

I believe the resemblance is only superficial, but it was a funny conversation.  I did wonder while I was getting dressed if I would remind people of that lady, and it seems I did, because they were the ones that brought it up.  I told them a friend said I looked like Frieda Kahlo and that they would sound more cultured if they made that reference instead.   I kind of lost them there.

I was delighted when the music started,  Nanni opened with a jazzy tune, which further delighted me.  In one song he transitioned smoothly from guitar to keyboard and back to guitar.  Nice!

It was a lovely evening.  I shall return to Fratello’s soon for more music and food, perhaps wearing a different hair ornament.

Fratello’s Pizzeria is located at 158 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, 315-894-8484.

 

There Are No Words

I was reading a few other blogs hoping to get some inspiration for today’s post, and there it was: Wordless Wednesday.  If only I had a good, evocative picture to share.  Damn!

He was so handsome!

After looking through a LOT of pictures on my Tablet, I came across several of my dearly missed husband, Steven.  This one caught my eye, because I am wearing that same shirt tonight. I spilled a little sauce on it when I was eating supper.  I’d better remember to rub in a little soap when I take it off later.

Anyways, the picture was taken at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort,  NY, when we used to go almost every Wednesday for music and food.  That adds a little symmetry to the post, I think.

Full disclosure:  I did not want to make a cheerful, chatty post today.  I was rather inclined to give a grief update.  It occurred to me today that my sadness is just a chronic condition I have to get used to, like a bad back or knees (both of which I have, but they are not constant, so I count my blessings).  This is actually a helpful thought: Just something I have to get used to.  I can get used to something.

So I am over 200 words on this Wordless Wednesday.  I can never get these things right.

 

Bad Sunday, Good Pizza

My Sunday was really crappy, although I’ll admit my problems were primarily of the first world variety.  Then again, when you feel your desires are simple, it can be twice as frustrating to be unable to meet them. Additionally, my whole life these days is overshadowed by the grief of losing my husband.  I am afraid anything that sucks is going to suck a little bit more for the foreseeable future.  One must live through these things.

All I wanted to do was watch television.  A little news in the morning while I played solitaire (on the floor with a regular deck of cards), a little Snapped in the afternoon while I knitted.  A relaxing Sunday.  However, it did not work out that way.  Once again, my television persistently told me “No Signal.”

I spent time on the phone with cable people, I drove to New Hartford, NY to pick up a cable they said I needed, I figured out how to replace said cable, I spent more time on the phone, I drove to Little Falls so the UPS store could send my (brand new) cable box back to the cable company, I required two more phone calls to actually cancel service.  Phew!  That is the short version, but I did not want to skip any steps.

So now I sit in silence on Monday morning, pecking in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet (I always feel the need to tell you that), making my Sunday blog post late once again.  As you see, I did not cancel internet.  I am not a savage, after all.

Just to add a plug for a local business,  in between the last two phone calls, I went to Mangia Macrina’s which is handily located in the same building, for a wood-fired pizza and a glass of wine.  While I sipped and munched, I wrote another character sheet for my upcoming murder mystery, Shooting at the Grange (more about that later) (preview of coming attractions).

Good pizza!

Mangia Macrina’s (Macrina’s, not Marine’s, autocorrect!  Sheesh!) is located at Canal Place in Little Falls, NY.

 

Post about Pasta

How about a cooking post instead of my usual Tired Tuesday Post.  I make it a statement instead of a question, because I intend to do so regardless.  At first I thought not so much a cooking as a fixing post, because I didn’t cook the salad, then I remembered there was pasta involved.  That was cooked.

It was, in fact, leftover ziti, which I had cooked to go with some leftover cheesy sauce I was finishing up (maybe I should have done a cooking post on the sauce).  I cooked all the ziti left in the canister.  I was out of the tossed salad I have been bringing to work for my lunch, so I wondered if I could come up with something involving pasta.

I had a jar of marinaded artichoke hearts in the fridge, along with the rest of the rainbow peppers I had used in the cheesy sauce (yes, I totally should have led with the cheesy sauce).  I try to always have a can of black olives in my cupboard. As Gene Wilder said in Young Frankenstein,  “It! Could! Work!”

First I put the ziti in a bowl.  I chopped some rainbow peppers and added those. I also chopped the artichoke hearts, adding the marinade to be the salad dressing.  Sliced black olives completed the mixture.  It seemed a little bland when I tasted it, so I added lemon pepper and dill.  I put it in the refrigerator to let the flavors blend.

I did not taste it again till lunch time today.  It was yummy!  I look forward to lunch tomorrow.

 

Wussed on Blog, But Cooked with Wine

Once again I entirely wussed out on Wednesday by not making a post at all (as opposed to making a foolish post and billing it as Wuss-out Wednesday.  Why didn’t I do that?  What the hell, me?) (And for future reference,  autocorrect,  I almost never mean “he’ll”).

Where was I?  Ah yes, making a blog post.  One thing I did not wuss out on last night was cooking.  Lately I have been having restaurant leftovers, sometimes going so far as to heat them up, or frozen dinners, or not much at all for supper.  Last night I actually cooked.

I had a green pepper I had picked up last Sunday when I grocery shopped.  I had meant to do something with it then but was too lazy.  It was looking a little peaky, and I am very Waste Not, Want Not, so I chopped it up while it was still edible.  I put it in a frying pan with the last of a bottle of Baco Noir from Adirondack  Winery (just to add a little regional flair).  Yes, so etimes when I cook with wine, I put it in the food.  Full disclosure:  I also poured myself a glass from a box I just happened to have on hand.

I chopped up an onion to add and lamented that I had no fresh garlic.  When the wine had entirely boiled away, I added some oil, making the joke of what if I had mistaken the bottle of Karo syrup for olive oil?  When the pepper and onion were pretty well cooked, I added a can of diced tomatoes and some spices:  granulated garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley.

I had the mixture over ziti with grated parmesan cheese.  Yum!  And I have plenty left over.  Maybe I could use it as pizza sauce…