Tag Archives: health

The Boilermaker Blues

Posted on July 10, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello and welcome to another Lame Post Friday post!  I am waiting for my new smarter-than-me phone to charge a little more before I head out to the Health and Wellness Expo for the Utica Boilermaker 2026.  Normally this blog would be All Boilermaker All The Time at this point, as I dealt with last minute training and carbing up, Boilermaker Butterflies, decisions about what to wear, where to park, and anything else I could come up with to dither about.  Regular readers know, that will not happen this year.

My feet failed me now.

Those are my sneakers in 2020, a virtual Boilermaker year.  Running was a great solace to me during COVID shut-down.  I have long relied on walking and running to supplement my anti-depressant drugs, counseling, etc.  These days I keep giving myself a good talking-to when I start to feel sorry for myself over the way my body has betrayed me this year, because for heavens’ sake, it could be much worse.

I waited till way too late in the game to transfer my bib or get a medical deferral. Partly because I was spending time immobile and incommunicado, partly because I kept hoping there would be some miracle.  That was silly of me, but then, you know me.  Silly.  I emailed the race director on Wednesday and told him my tentative plan to pick up my bib and glass, then go to the race after-party on my crutches and drink beer with the finishers.  He emailed back that he thought it was a great idea.  How sweet was that, that he took time to email me back!

Not the best picture.

The Boilermaker gives you a glass instead of a t-shirt.  This is from the first time I ran the Boilermaker in 2010.  I have not run it  every year, but I have run it several times (please don’t ask me to do the math!).  Sorry the picture is so dark.  I first had to wander around my messy house looking for a place to take the picture at all; I couldn’t be bothered to worry about the lighting as well.

I see I am over 350 words with neither a random observation nor a bit of half-baked philosophy to show for it.  What is Lame Post Friday coming to?  On the brighter side, it is just about time to take off for the Expo.  Another glass to drink my chocolate milk recovery beverage out of, if I am ever able to run again!

 

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I Don’t Feel So Good

Posted on July 8, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’m afraid today is going to be a Blogger’s Sick Day.  I may get to 200 words and bill it as a Tired Tuesday, but we shall see.  I have one of my light-headed migraines and it is doing me in.  It came upon me last night during the Herkimer Town Board meeting, but I managed to make it through the meeting, taking notes and paying pretty good attention.  Really, my light-headed migraines are not as bad as the painful migraines I used to get, and I know other people suffer way worse ones than that, so I must count my blessings.  That said, I am not my peppy, chatty self.  Is my usual self peppy and chatty?  Discuss amongst yourselves while I look in my Media Library for a picture to pep things up.

“I don’t always wear pumpkin pants, but when I do, it’s in a Shakespeare play.”

I have not shared this picture in a while.  It is my friend Tucker, posing as the Most Interesting Man in the World backstage at a performance of The Tempest by LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company in 2017.  I miss summer Shakespeare, although I would not have been able to participate this year, alas.

Am I casting a spell or conducting?

Just to share another picture, here I am in July of 2018, participating in the DooDah Parade during Ilion Days with Ilion Little Theatre (ILT).  ILT has not participated in the parade in a while, which I believe I have mentioned.  I rode in the parade last year, covering it for the Daily Sentinel.  I do not know when it is this year.  I think soon, and I am about to miss it.  Oh dear.  I guess I am having more than a sick day.

 

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No Cinema or Shakespeare on Sunday

Posted on June 15, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had such good plans to not have a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  I was going to find movies on RokuTV and have a Cinema Sunday.  Perhaps that was not a great plan; I think my readers prefer to hear about Mohawk Valley Adventures over my cinematic indulgences.  Anyways, I couldn’t find the sort of movie I crave.  At least, I found two.  One I had to pay for, so I said no thanks (put $2.99 on a credit card which has a zero balance?  I don’t think so), the other said Free, but when I pushed OK and watched the commercials, all it showed me was a black screen.

I crave the monster, not the half-dressed chippy in the foreground.

This is not one of the movies I looked for, but I am too lazy to search my Media Library until I find one of them.  Rest assured, this movie would have done if I could have found it.  I am not adept at finding things, on the internet or on RokuTV, as it turns out.  My strengths, if any, lie elsewhere.

THIS is where I shine!

I post a picture of one of my past theatrical endeavors to cheer me up.  Alas, I was supposed to be participating in In Her Voice: A Midsommer of Shakespeare at Arkell Museum and Library at the end of the month.  I had to drop out, due to the foolish problem I am having with my back or leg or whatever.  Will my future hold any more Shakespeare?  I can only hope.

In the meantime, I am over 200 words.  I shall sign off now, to swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead.  Since I am forced to remain lounged on my couch, I have not very far to swoon.  That is probably just as well.  I would probably hit my stupid head or something if I went for a full swoon.

 

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Would Coffee Help?

Posted on June 13, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, I am having a difficult time making my Lame Post Friday post.  I do not want to go on about my health woes, but I have some pain that comes and goes (mostly comes), and it keeps coming especially strong every time I sit down at my Chromebook to write.  Could it be psychosomatic?  I fear my post will be dull and boring so I am subconsciously trying to keep myself from making it?  It could be, but then, what am I subconsciously trying to prevent myself from doing the rest of the time?  Also, I am almost always afraid my posts will be dull and boring, yet I make them anyways.  Once again I say, what the hell, me?

At least she dies happy.

I add a silly picture to pep things up.  I personally have not had coffee or tea since Friday.  No wine, either (SAY IT AIN’T SO!!!!!).  When I do finally have a cuppa, I expect to enjoy it.

Pretty!

I add the Luna Moth because it is beautiful.  I was happy to get a picture of it while I was supposed to be working.

Who, me?

While searching for a third picture, I found Candice DeLong of Deadly Women and other true crime shows.  Last night while I was clicking around RokuTV, I found Deadly Women and watched a couple of episodes.  It is a total re-enactment-fest, which I don’t particularly like, but I loves me some Candice DeLong.

Reading over this post before I hit Publish, I think it reads like I haven’t had coffee in a week.  Maybe I’ll try for a caffeinated post tomorrow.

 

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Past Views and Maybe a Preview

Posted on June 12, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I did say I was going to have a Throwback Thursday Post today, which will make a nice change from whining about how I can’t have any Mohawk Valley Adventures these days.  I guess if I really wanted to give my readers a break, I would not even have mentioned it.  What am I, always fishing for sympathy?  Just ignore me.

Flowers for Cynthia?

A shot from my container garden of 2017.  I do not entirely despair of having a container garden this year, because there is no point in giving in to despair.  We do what we can do, after all.

Play ball!

Now there is something I have not done in years:  Go to a Diamond Dawgs baseball game in Little Falls, NY.  It seems every year I say I am going to go to a game, and every year I wimp out.  I don’t mind doing many things by myself, but it really is more fun to go to a game with a group of friends.

Look at all those blooms!

Here is my rhododendron in 2019.  You can see all the forget-me-nots at the bottom.  At least there are some blossoms in my year, although I am not able to go outside and get any pictures today (oh dear, there I go again, alluding to my stupid problems).

I love music!

Something else I have not done in a long time is go to hear music at Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort.  This is Matt Grainger in 2021.

I hope this post turns out to be a Preview of Coming Attractions as well as a Throwback Thursday.  Container gardens, baseball games, local music, these are all things I would like to get back to.  Will I be able to? If so, how soon?  I like to say a little uncertainty adds interest to my Thursday.  In this case, I confess I would prefer to get my interest elsewhere, but I must not get back to whining again.  At least I have made a blog post of over 300 words.  Yay me?

 

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I Whine on Wuss-out Wednesday

Posted on June 11, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

After two days of posting from my phone, I am home, on my couch and ten-finger typing while Dateline plays on RokuTV.  Sounds cheery enough, yes?  Well, it isn’t too bad, and I certainly do count my blessings.  Sometimes I whine about my un-blessings while I’m counting, but you’ll have that.

I will not be climbing rocks any time soon.

As usual, I throw in a picture to pep things up.  It is a t-shirt I got at Venture Fourth in Little Falls, NY, just to give a quick shout-out to a local business.  I got red to wear on Fridays, because on Fridays, Elks Club members wear red for the troops that are overseas.  Alas, Mohawk Valley Adventures and trips to the Elks Lodge recede further into the future.  I hate to go into any details about my physical ailments. For one reason, I don’t really know any details so would only be able to whine about the symptoms.  How boring is that?

This is at the Elks Lodge during Lent.

If I feel better enough by Friday, I could go someplace and get a Fish Fry.  That would make a good blog post and a good dinner.  I have a sneaking suspicious that will not be the case.  However, tomorrow is Thursday, so I can do a Throwback Thursday, then I can take advantage of Lame Post Friday.  If I remain immobile indefinitely, I will have to find something to continue to blog about.  Eventually there may be doctor appointments or physical therapy to blog about, but I must be wary of HIPAA violations.

Of course I am going to bill this as a Wuss-out Wednesday and of course I am going to apologize for the lack of substance.  However, my daily blog is something I can hold onto in times of stress.  Oh, doesn’t that make me sound like a drama queen!  Oh well, I always say go with your strengths!

 

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Blogger’s Sick Day

Posted on June 7, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was letting Saturday go by without posting at all when I thought, maybe I could do a Blogger’s Sick Day post.  Only I do not want to talk about why I have to take a blogger’s sick day.  I do not want to talk at all.  I want to stay perfectly still.

This is not how happy I look.

I was actually looking for a picture of Columbo, because I am currently watching an episode of Columbo on Roku TV.  The above picture is from last year when I had fun being in Four Old Broads on the High Seas with Players of Utica.  This is a selfie taken during rehearsals.  Seeing happy smiles does make me feel a little better.

There he is!

Television can be quite the comfort when you are feeling ill or in pain.  It takes no effort and you can remain absolutely still while watching.  Staying still is the best thing for me.  Therefore I will feel free to stop before my self-imposed minimum of 200 words.  Happy Saturday, everybody.

 

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Once Again, I Run Again!

Posted on February 16, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

It has been almost two months since I ran.  I blame the weather but confess there have been a few days I could have gotten out there and did not.  Today, after hearing the WKTV News people talk about how they were not going to wear jackets today, I said, hey!  Let’s do it!  Accordingly, I put on running gear and set off.

And right away, it was great!  I felt terrific!  The only problem was, I forgot to stick a tissue or two up my sleeve.  Well, I can’t remember everything.  I am out of the habit of running, after all.  I stuck to un-busy streets, because I could not stay close to the curb.  Or at least, where I think the curb is, because it is covered with snow banks.  The sides of the road had frozen-over puddles, slush, and other obstacles.  However, most roads had plenty of bare pavement for me to enjoy.

Must include a picture, after all.

I just searched my Media Library for a picture of something I ran by that included snow.  There is actually a bit more snow in Meyer’s Park now, but you get the idea. I petted one dog.  At first I saw a pedestrian on the sidewalk, then a leash and a tail sticking up.

“A nice dog!” I said, assuming that it was (I always assume dogs to be nice until proven otherwise).  “If I come up on the sidewalk, can I pet that dog?”

Permission received, I went and petted the dog, which looked like a scotch terrier, but I did not ask.  It was a very sweet dog.  I love dogs.

I had thought to run for 20 minutes.  That is usually what I ask of myself when I have not been running for a while.  I actually made it 21 minutes, because when I got home I was so close to 1.5 miles, I kept running till I got it.  Yay, me!  I think if I continue running, I can be in sufficiently good shape to do the Boilermaker 15K in July, as I have been threatening to do.  I wonder if registration is still open.

 

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A Walk in the Cold

Posted on February 11, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have been way too sedentary with the bad weather, so I thought I would take a walk with my phone and make a Pedestrian Post with Pictures.  For one reason, it was supposed to be warmer today: double digits at least!  I wrote a post card to an aunt, thinking I could walk by the post office, put on a coat, hat, mittens, and boots (not in that order), and set out.

The beauty part about walking through the snow is that it is more of an effort than walking on bare pavement.  Full disclosure:  sometimes I went into the road and walked on bare pavement.  I need to get out and walk more.  My legs got tired easily!

I believe the time was accurate.

This is not the first picture I took, but I thought it would look good as the photo showing when I share the link on Facebook.  It is on Albany Street in Herkimer, in front of Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner, which I did not get a picture of.  Silly me. What I would have liked to get a picture of was Meyers Park. It was a grey and gloomy day, and the bare trees looked really cool against the sky.  The gazebo looked a little forlorn, not at all how it looks when the bands are on it at the Herkimer Downtown ChowDown.  But I had no faith in my abilities, and I could not decide which angle to shoot from anyways.

Yes, I stop here sometimes; judge me if you like (you know who you are).

If I had wanted to walk with a nefarious purpose, as I did on a long ago blog post, I could have stopped at The End Zone.  Don’t think I wasn’t tempted.  It was colder than I thought it was!

Another local watering hole of note.

Likewise, I did not stop at Pete’s Tavern.  I kept walking, checking my watch to see how long I had walked.  The wind picked up, and I was sorry I had not worn a scarf.  I soon decided three pictures was enough, the walk was long enough, I was going home!  By this time I had walked far enough that the walk ended up being just over a half hour.  That seems healthy enough for me.

And my blog post is approaching 400 words.  That seems healthy, too.  I’ll try for a Mohawk Valley Adventure tomorrow.

 

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Cloudy with a Chance of Lame

Posted on January 24, 2026 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have the most horrendous case of I Just Can’t Even!  I feel it is not terminal:  I did manage to take a shower and find something to wear, even putting on earrings.  Earlier today I wrote a story about a Frankfort Town Board Meeting and emailed it to my editor at Sentinel Media.  OK, that’s all I did.  But can I also do a Lame Post Friday blog post?  We shall see.

Bette mourns my dead hopes and dreams.

I wanted to throw in a picture to pep things up.  Here is the goddess Bette Davis in Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte. It is an excellent movie of the so-called Hagsploitation genre.  Or do I mean Psycho-Biddy?  I believe both terms are acceptable. I am old enough to be a psycho biddy myself. Watch out, world!

Is he pointing at me?

A little back-lit, but here is the statue of General Herkimer in Myers Park in Herkimer, NY.  I walk by this park on a regular basis.  However, I do not know if I will do so in the near future.  It is supposed to be extremely cold over the next couple of days.  I felt rather ill after my long walk on Thursday.  Oh, these colds hang on and on at my age.  No wonder there are so many psycho biddies out there!

How I might look if I had a wood burning stove.

I end with another psycho-biddy, our beloved Joan Crawford in StraitJacket.  I fear my headline is not necessarily reflective of this post, but let me reassure you.  My head is feeling quite cloudy, and I am, without a doubt, lame.

 

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