Tag Archives: friends

My Halloween Socks Are Clean

A few minutes ago, I thought to myself, “When in doubt, eat ice cream.” I thought it would be a good lead for a blog post, but it seemed ominously familiar.  Once I finished the ice cream, I looked and sure enough, I once made a blog post with exactly that title.  And pinged back on it two more times.  This will be three.

Full disclosure:  It was frozen yogurt and I realize that, even so, it is a poor way to work toward my weight-loss goals.  In my defense, allow me to explain, “Shut up.”  (That is a joke I proudly borrow from S.J. Perelman.)

I just took a break from blogging and looked for S.J. Perelman on Facebook, to make sure I spelled his name right.  I ended up reading part of a Paris Review interview with him.  Then I realized the Friends re-run that was on next was not one I wanted to see, so I got up and changed the channel to 20/20 on OWN.  As you may guess, I am not particularly focused today.  On the brighter side, I am in a much better mood than I was yesterday.

I did a very little writing earlier, on a letter to a friend.  As I always maintain, any writing counts.

Steven just now reminded me that I have laundry in the washer.  Oops.

The laundry is in the drier, except for the items I hang up to dry.  Now, having skipped around in true Non-Sequitur Thursday fashion, I am going to sign off.  I just remembered I was going to paint my toenails tonight.

 

Pre Prohibition Party Post

I get by with a little help from my friends.  That is a profound lyric, I find, and I would go so far as to say it is true for all of us.  Anybody who says they do not get help from their friends is either kidding themselves or leads a very sad life.  I try to avoid speaking in absolutes like that, because I am no hand at argument, but I feel strongly about this.

Could this be some half-baked philosophy suitable for Lame Post Friday?

As a matter of fact, I started out to post the silly story of me getting ready for the Prohibition Party at Gerber’s 1933 Tavern (I keep forgetting the year; I want to call it 1834, like the jail in Herkimer).  Now, having recently participated in a murder mystery with a speakeasy setting, you might think I had a prohibition era costume ready to hand.  Not so much.  Ruby’s dress was, well, Ruby’s.  It was perfect for the character.  For me going to an event at a local tavern, I wanted something else.  Oh, all right, something sexier.  Don’t middle-aged ladies ever get to feel attractive?  Who makes up these rules anyways?

To be honest, I don’t think my gyrations getting ready are all that interesting.   However, I did come up with an outfit I think it passable.  The reason I put the opening paragraph is that I am waiting for my friend Kim to come over and offer her input and encouragement.  She is pretty awesome.  I hope she will approve of my outfit, or at least tell me something better to put on.  If anybody takes any pictures, I may post one in a future post.  If I don’t look too ridiculous.

Happy Friday, everyone.

 

Never Give Up! Never Surrender!

Earlier this evening, I wrote the following two paragraphs:

Is this Writer’s Block or a panic attack?

OK, I just wrote that, so it isn’t Writer’s Block, although maybe you could call it Write Anything Good Block.  I have to leave soon for rehearsal for He Laughed Himself to Death, the murder mystery to be presented at Morning Star Methodist Church April 1, and I’m afraid I am letting myself become overwhelmed with what-all I have to do.   How self-dramatizing of me.  Then again, with all the theatre I’m involved in, how can you blame me for being dramatic?  I know, I know, a time and a place.

Then I went to rehearsal, after deciding to get a grip on myself.  In my defense, it has been rather a dreadful week, and it seems to be taking forever.  However, I have plenty of blessing to count, and I must not discount them.  I have a daunting amount of things to get done, but I feel certain that if I can make the right plan, I can get most or all of them done.

As you see, I am in a better mood now.

Rehearsal went very well.  I think He Laughed Himself to Death is going to be a great success.  As we left rehearsal, Charity, the actress playing my daughter, called her father, Jerry, for a ride.  Jerry has agreed to be in Who Shot JS?, the murder mystery benefit for Herkimer County Historical Society April 22. Charity asked me to wait till her father got there, because he had to ask me something.  I thought it must be about rehearsals or rides or something.  When Jerry arrived, he got out of the car carrying a beautiful bouquet.  He thought I could use a little pick me up.

Do I have the sweetest friends or what?

So here is my reminder to myself to not surrender to these little panic attacks.  Just take a deep breath and go to rehearsal.  You just never know when a wonderful friend is going to give you a lovely surprise.  Thank you, Jerry.  And happy Thursday, readers.

I put them in water right away.

Looking for a Little Cheer

When in doubt, take a couple of pictures and wing it.  That is my new blog motto.  I think it’ll work for Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

Actually, I feel it is not a true Wrist to Forehead Sunday, because that is a day I kind of make fun of myself for my angst.  I don’t feel like making fun of myself tonight.  Then again, perhaps that is the best time to do so.  I’m sure I don’t know these things.

At any rate, I am sitting in my living room watching Lethal Weapon, which I have never seen before.  Oh, I’ve seen the scene with Mel Gibson’s butt, but I guess that’s neither here nor there.  It is, of course, a Christmas movie.  We like Christmas movies. This one, however, is kind of a depressing movie.  So I’m kind of watching and typing, trying to get this blog post done, and I don’t really know what I feel like typing about (as Truman Capote once said, “That’s not writing, that’s typing”).

As I am feeling kind of down, but not that my angst is of the usual amusing Wrist to Forehead Sunday variety, I thought I would take a couple of pictures of cheerful things in my life.  I started with my dog, Spunky.

 

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I confess to feeling a little envy that he is so comfy, all curled up and sleeping.  I tried to take a nap earlier, because I had a headache.  I had the damnedest time falling asleep and it didn’t even help the headache.  I suppose you’ll have that sometimes.  Most headaches go away eventually and in the meantime they must be endured (I say philosophically now; at the time I felt quite grumpy about it).

 

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These are some lovely flowers that friends sent me, because of my recent medical thing.  It was quite unexpected and very much appreciated.

So there are two thing to be cheerful about:  a nice doggy and nice friends who send me pretty flowers.  What reason to I have to have a Wrist to Forehead Sunday?

 

Some Post, Any Post

It is that time of day on a Saturday when I have to publish some post, any post, so I can get on with my weekend.  I am sitting on my front porch, laptop on lap, sipping coffee and enjoying the warm temperature.  I have invited members of my cast (remember that play which it seems I will never stop talking about?) over for a cook-out.  It was a bribe for helping with putting away costumes and props.  Also, I like to have people over to my house.

I’m actually not going to cook out, because it was supposed to storm.  No far it’s not, although it is quite cloudy.  However, I did not purchase any charcoal or lighter fluid, so rain or not, stove top it is.  The house was beautifully clean, thanks to my dear husband.  Unfortunately, that was a whole day ago.  I really need to have people over the precise moment when it is clean.  You blink and you miss it.

I have had a dreadful headache all day.  It is either due to some white wine I rather inadvisedly drank last night (isn’t that how you spell “inadvisedly”?  My computer thinks not) or to the weather.  The spring pollens are in full force (no, I’m sure that is how you spell pollen) (oh, the computer just doesn’t like me to pluralize it. Dumb computer), and I’m sure the barometric pressure is high.  I like to ascribe my headaches to barometric pressure.  I find it fun to say.  Try it.

So I guess this is my Lame Saturday Post.  I don’t even remember what I said yesterday, the nominal Lame day for this blog, but I’m sure it, too was lame. Well, I hope somebody found some entertainment in my words.  And I hope to see you all tomorrow, on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

Late, Lame Lush

Um, I don’t know that I am really all that much of a lush.  But I love alliteration, and since alcohol was involved in today’s post, I thought I would stretch a point.

Thank goodness it is Lame Post Friday, although this will be the third foolish post in a row.  However, I have a policy of not apologizing for these things, at least on Fridays.  Policies subject to change without notice, but that’s neither here nor there.

I am late doing my post today, because I had to meet a friend at a couple of wine tastings at local liquor stores.  Wine tastings at liquor stores are a wonderful thing, because you can try wines you would not necessarily purchase untasted and perhaps discover something you like.  Sometimes you can increase your knowledge of wine and gain oenophile cred (although it helps if you know how to pronounce “oenophile,” which I do not) (I’m not even sure that is how you spell it, although my computer seems to think it is correct).

More importantly, you can often chat up nice people, or meet up with friends and have a fun interlude.  Today I met a friend at Vintage Spirits in Herkimer and then we went to Ilion Wine and Spirits in Ilion.  Full disclosure:  if she had been unable to make it, I probably would have gone to the tastings by myself.  But it would not have been nearly as fun.

I hope to do full posts about each tasting, sharing what I tasted and what I learned.  However, today is Friday.  I got home late and have to get up early.  I have some relaxing to do.  Also, I have to finish cooking dinner (ooh, maybe I can get a cooking post out of today as well).

In short, I hope you are having a happy Friday.  I am.

 

Boy, Is My Face(book) Red!

I think my readers will be patient with me.  I think they understand that I am not a young woman and infinitely resilient (oh yeah, like I was EVER infinitely resilient).  Yes, friends, I am indulging in Wuss-out Wednesday.

I wrote earlier today, but it was not a blog post.  It was a letter to a friend.  I don’t know why, but I am really into writing letters these days.  I know, nobody writes letters, and they haven’t for years. Ah, here’s a blog topic:  communication between friends.

I remember when people were just starting to get computers and be online, distant friends would say to us, “Oh, I wish you had email.  I don’t write, but I EMAIL.”  So we got on a computer at Kinko’s (remember Kinko’s?) and got email.  Guess what?  Nobody really emails.  They just forward jokes.

And now there’s Facebook.  I know there are other things as well:  Twitter, Instagram, texting on cell phones, but I don’t know from technology.  I do like Facebook.

However, how much do people communicate via Facebook?  I personally enjoy the pictures of people’s kids and grandkids, fun activities, and even their yummy dinners.  I like when people post things like, “I just had a cup of coffee and now I’m going for a walk.”  I’m not so nuts about the cryptic posts:  “Oh, it’s such a big decision!”  “My whole life just changed.”  “Feeling sad/frustrated/angry/whatever.”  One day I posted, “Well, that really sucked,”  just to be that way.

All this by way of admitting:  I had time to log onto Facebook, check my notifications and read down a few statuses (I didn’t scroll as long as I would have LIKED to), but apparently I do not have time to write a decent blog post. I was about to say don’t judge, but, well, perhaps I deserve it (hanging my head in shame).

Here’s an idea for me:  I’m going to get a camera that can transfer pictures to WordPress (did I mention I don’t know from technology?) .  Then I can indulge in Wordless Wednesday instead.  Tune in again on Non-Sequitur Thursday, when Mohawk Valley Girl says, “In my defense, shut up!”

 

Food, Drinks, Conversation

After the play on Friday (The Psychic at Ilion Little Theatre, it’s on again this weekend; go see it if you can), a bunch of us went to Applebee’s in Herkimer, NY for drinks, food and laughs. I don’t usually plug chain restaurants as Mohawk Valley Girl, but I have mentioned Applebee’s positively and I will do so again. We had a great time.

Steven and I got there first. I counted on my fingers how many were expected (I didn’t have enough). Was the big booth big enough? Should they push tables together? Two gentlemen at a nearby table volunteered to move if need be, but it was not necessary. Soon we were all seated around three tables pushed together (or was it four?) and sorting out with our waitress who went on whose tab.

Our waitress was fun and chatty. She explained her system of assigning us numbers. She was pleased to have such a large table, because her section was fairly quiet at the time. We ordered drinks. Some got appetizers, a few people got full dinners. Steven and I were still full from Sorrento’s, but we did sample a couple of our friends’ appetizers when invited to. Also, there was a large olive in my Perfect Margarita. That counts as a vegetable, doesn’t it?

Good conversation was, of course, our main reason for being there, as it is often my main reason for being anywhere (yes, I talk too much). Applebee’s was well-suited for that. A regular bar may have been too loud, especially for a large group like ours.

I stayed up way past my bed time. When I asked the waitress for our check, she said, “But I don’t want you to go!” I didn’t particularly want to go, either, but I sorely need my beauty rest (cue jokes about how there isn’t enough rest in the world etc.). I hope it isn’t too long before I have another fun night out with friends.

Low-Key and Gracious

Before going to the Ilion Little Theatre on Friday to see The Psychic, Steven and I met a couple of our theatre friends at Sorrento’s in Ilion, NY for a bite to eat and some good conversation.

The front part of Sorrento’s looks like a regular, low-key pizzeria, while the back room is what I call gracious dining surroundings. We sat in gracious dining surroundings. I had been a little worried about getting a table at six o’clock on a Friday night, but it was no problem. We were soon sipping wine and perusing menus.

I wanted something light and non-meat (Friday during Lent), so I chose linguini with oil and garlic, Italian dressing on my salad. Steven got a fish sandwich with french fries. The others in our party got fried calimari and spinach ravioli, respectively. The dinner also came with garlic bread, which was delicious.

While we ate, we talked about Ilion Little Theatre (ILT). Steven and I had missed the last dinner meeting, but we were told my name had come up. Some people had read my article in Mohawk Valley Living magazine, which was about ILT and the casting of our last production, Busybody.

It was a very good dinner. We’ve been to Sorrento’s many times before but not in a while, so it was good to eat there again, and a delightful start to our Friday night adventures. Sorrento’s is located at 86 Central Ave. in Ilion, phone number 315-894-9991. For more information you can visit their website at www.sorrento-ilion.com and you can Like them on Facebook.

A Fun Saturday Night

Saturday night Steven and I combined three of our favorite things: time with friends, dinner out and theatre.

First we met our friends Phyllis and Jim at Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer, NY. This is one of our longtime favorite spots, and I have given it several shout-outs. It is a regular destination for Phyllis and Jim as well.

After a delicious dinner and enjoyable conversation, we all headed over to Ilion Little Theatre for Noises Off, their first production of the 2014-15 season. Ilion Little Theatre (ILT) is another Mohawk Valley institution which I have given many a well-deserved shout-out. I love the historic Stables that houses it. I love the intimate size of the performance space. And I love seeing my friends from the theatre group on stage.

Noises Off features some players who are new to the ILT stage as well as returning players. All the actors are very talented and they had the audience laughing heartily. My favorite was Act II, which involved whiskey and an ax.

We had originally thought to go out for drinks after the show, to discuss the production. We’ve worked on plays with Phyllis and Jim, so we often find a lot to say about plays we merely watch. However, by the time the play was over, it was late and we were tired. We had a great time and plan to do it again. Perhaps at the next ILT production, if we’re not onstage.

For more information on Ilion Little Theatre, visit their website at www.ilionlittletheatre.org or you can Like their Facebook page. For more information on Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner, their website is www.crazyottosempirediner.com, and they also have a Facebook page.