Tag Archives: heat and humidity

It Is Summer, Isn’t It?

Posted on June 25, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I went for a run this morning, going as soon as I got out of bed in hopes of beating the heat and humidity.  I was successful, eventually running two miles in hopes of making a Two-Mile Tuesday blog post.  In that I was less than successful, as I sit here late (for me) Tuesday night and no blog post done yet.

In my defense, I was writing an article for Sentinel Media then trying to learn my lines for a play I am in (Preview of Coming Attractions).  I managed to go to the grocery store, where once again  I did not purchase enough food. On the brighter side, I refrained from purchasing cookies or ice cream (believe me,  I was tempted!), making my weight loss goals slightly more attainable.

She’s set to enjoy the summer heat!

I was looking for a picture of the Wicked Witch of the West saying, “I’m ME-E-ELTING!” but decided to share a more cheerful shot instead.  This is my skeleton Bonita with her friend Bonaparte.  My late, dearly missed husband, Steven, had dressed her for summer.  He purposely let the tag show on the headband, going for a Minnie Pearl kind of thing (look it up or ask somebody old if you don’t know).

I guess this is shaping up to be a Tired Tuesday post.  I shall blame it on the heat and humidity, and as always, try for a better post tomorrow.

 

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Not a Powerful Blog Post

Posted on June 23, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday I was disappointed to lose power about 9:30 in the morning.  I can’t put it stronger than that, because I had already had coffee and breakfast.  An inconvenience, merely, I told myself, and hoped it would not last long.  I wished, of course, that it was not such a gloomy day, because I could have happily sat doing crossword puzzles or reading.  I also wished I had completely charged my phone, but one can’t have everything.

Since I hadn’t gone running, I went for a walk, looking to see if any trees were down.  There were not, but I did not take that long of a walk, because my stomach started to feel upset.  When it settled down, I went outside and worked in the lawn, cutting down my daisies and peonies that were definitely over.

My flowers in better days.

That did not last long, either, because the humidity made it difficult to breathe while exerting myself.  Lots of bending and straightening, which is not easy with the pot belly I am having difficulty losing (kindly do NOT say TMI!).  Eventually I found sitting on my front porch working on a letter to a friend to be an eligible activity.  The light was better than inside the house, and there was an occasional breeze to assist my comfort.

Eventually it was lunch time and I took the lack of power as an excuse to go out to lunch.  Yetty’s had power but no internet, so the television wasn’t on and I had to pay with cash.  I prefer to do that anyways.

The Special board at Yetty’s, taken during a previous visit.

My power was restored by late afternoon.  Once again, I cannot complain. I hear other areas may not be restored till Tuesday at 11:30 p.m. (I’d thinking National Grid said that because it sounded better than just saying Wednesday).  Also Saturday’s storm caused great damage in surrounding areas, including three fatalities.  I personally feel blessed.

 

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Will Monday Conquer Me?

Posted on August 30, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Not literally, unfortunately.

As August grinds to a close, I observe two kinds of people:  The ones that lament the end of summer, and the ones that just can’t wait to go on to fall.  Guess which category I fall into.

Actually, as I get older I strive to avoid wishing for that which patently cannot be.  It is August.  It will remain August for the allotted number of days.  And the temperature will be what it chooses, based on barometric pressure or other meteorological conditions which I do not understand; my personal preferences will not affect it in the slightest degree (see what I did there?).

All this by way of introduction to a Monstrous Monday blog post in which I will strive not to whine about how over-heated I am.  No promises.

It is really not as sexy as the poster implies.

Saturday afternoon when my husband,  Steven fell asleep on the love seat, I seized the opportunity to put in a cheesy horror movie.  I picked this one up on VHS at a rummage sale, so its cheesy bonafides were assured. I had seen it before but do not remember doing a blog post on it.  I miss those write-ups I used to do on cheesy movies.  They were fun to write, although they did not usually get a lot of blogger love.  Regular readers know what a Like junkie I am.

Not an actual depiction of wage slaves going to work on Monday.

I close with an image of what it sometimes feels like trying to function on a Monday.  Oh hell, I get that feeling on and off all week!  Please don’t tell my boss.  I do try to fight it.

Regarding this foolish blog post, I see I am approaching 300 words. I call that respectable.  I hope you will all join me again tomorrow for what may or may not be a Tired Tuesday Post.

 

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Post-Rehearsal Monster?

Posted on August 9, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, I missed making a Pre-Rehearsal Post, but I hope to come up with something before heading off to bed.  I am also hoping that by taking time to make a blog post, the fan I just put in my bedroom window will have time to cool that room off somewhat.  It seemed a little cooler outdoors than previously.  Oh, I know, I know, it could be a lot worse.  At least we have fans and electricity to run them.  I am not a complete ingrate.

Totally me. In more ways than one.

Full disclosure:  I tend to be dramatic about many things, not just the heat.  As regular readers know, theatre is my life!  We had a pretty good rehearsal earlier.  Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures.  I suppose I have not shared all I took at an earlier rehearsal.  Unfortunately, they are on my Tablet, and I am on my laptop (dining room table top, as regular readers may recall) (I always feel I have to reiterate these things, like saying I am pecking in one letter at a time with the stylus when I am on the Tablet.  I hope my readers do not find it tiresome).

I guess she told him!

There!  I got on the Tablet and found one I like.  I need to take some more rehearsal pictures.  Perhaps tomorrow, when we will be in costume.  I hope I have time to press my Rosaline dress.  It is a little wrinkly.  It is OK if my Jacquenetta outfit is a little rough; she is, after all, a base wench.

In the meantime, I am over 250 words.  I find that respectable, especially for a Monstrous Monday (since I included the Wicked Witch of the West, I think we can count this as a Monstrous Monday post).  I will just mention once again that my rehearsal was for Love’s Labour’s Lost by William Shakespeare, being presented by LiFT, Little Falls Theatre Company, Saturday and Sunday, August 13 and 14, 1 p.m., at Benton’s Landing, Little Falls as part of Little Falls Canal Celebration.  Admission is free!

 

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Morrison and Monsters, Yes Please!

Posted on July 19, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

My evening has kind of gotten away from me, but perhaps I could manage a Monstrous Monday Post.  Full disclosure: I spent a good portion of the evening watching a two-hour Dateline on DVR.  In my defense,  Keith Morrison.  Hubba, hubba!

Steve is a little jealous. Teehee!

It’s really Keith’s voice that curdles me.  So mellifluous!  And when he talks about murder and mayhem, I have all my favorite things!  But he is scarcely monstrous.  What else can I come up with?

Me too!

One reaon I am so sluggish is the extreme humidity we have been experiencing today.  Oh, stop playing that miniature violin!  I know others have it worse, and some demented people even like it.  As for me, I am hunkered down near a fan, thinking longingly of central air.  Or fall.

 

What I feel like today.

Ah yes, The Blob.  I am feeling rather blobulous myself lately.  I walk almost every day and try not to eat too much, but these moderate measures seem to be no match for middle age.  There’s a monster for you!

A recurring bit of advice I sometimes follow.

I modify the advice: Know when to give up, lie down in front of a fan, and go to sleep!  At least I made it to 200 words.  Thank you for tuning in.

 

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As a Rule, I Like to Run

Posted on August 14, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

New rule for Mohawk Valley Girl: No more 10Ks in August.

I am sitting in my stuffy house (although the fan and open door are helping), typing on the laptop (with all ten fingers, yes!), late once again for my Friday post (Lame Post Friday, but never mind that), and I wrote the preceding sentence and the paragraphs that follow earlier this week, so I shall type them in while sipping coffee (making a few edits as I go, I add in the interests of accuracy). Then I shall return to my pre-race jitters.

One might think that as I have run the Boilermaker 15K in July more than once that hot weather running would hold no terrors for me. My first thought was to say, “That’s different.” I guess it is, since the final month of training for the Boilermaker takes place in June, which is sometimes not as hot. However, in one respect it is similar: almost every time I run the Boilermaker I vow I am not going to do it again. What does that tell you about me? Seriously, what does it tell you? It just confuses me.

My problem is that for the past week we have had one damn sticky heat wave. This puts quite the damper on my last week of preparation runs (see what I did there? Damp, because humidity is wet? Oh well, I thought it was funny). Additionally I am currently working from 5 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No cool-ish early morning runs for me.

I determinedly put on running clothes and braved the heat and humidity Tuesday. Oh, it was bad. Every step of that run was a chore. I could not remember why I ever liked running in the first place. However, I made it for two miles and even ran up a couple of hills (not big ones). I did not even finish my usual cool-down walk. A voice in my head said, “Nobody said you had to walk for ten minutes.” I felt that was a good point.

I duplicated the effort on Thursday, minus the hills. I admit it was marginally less heinous.

And here I am on Saturday morning, feeling as usual that coffee is heaven, up in time to eat something nutritious and let it digest before the run (probably a whole wheat English muffin with peanut butter). Today we are supposed to get relief from the heat and humidity. Yay! My 10K is in Little Falls, part of their Canal Days festivities. I hope after running 10Ks I have enough oomph leftover to enjoy some of them. It would make a good Scattered Saturday Post (which we all know I may be typing in Sunday morning). As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

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More Wine for the Melting Blob!

Posted on June 29, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl
Point taken.

My problem is I finished my glass of wine and I am no closer to Tuesday. At least, I guess I am a little closer. After all, I didn’t gulp the wine down all at once. But it’s no use. I’m not going to make a better blog post, as I had hoped to do. I don’t even feel like making a bad blog post. Quick, find another picture to lighten the mood.

I’m about this green, but my teeth are not as white.

This is part of my problem: the heat and humidity continue. I know other parts of the country are worse. There is a reason I do not live in those areas. I am sure there are other people more uncomfortable than I am. They have all my sympathy. But I still feel like crap.

An even more accurate self portrait.

No, THIS is me! The Blob! Shapeless, slimy, and getting bigger all the time! Where is Steve McQueen to put me in my place? Come to think of it…. Spoiler Alert! … at the end of the picture, they dumped the Blob in Antarctica or some such place. It should happen to me!

Well, I still feel hot and uncomfortable, but now I’m laughing at myself. That is not bad for a Monstrous Monday.

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Running to be Ready

Posted on June 9, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

It was a little faster than a Tuesday Trudge but not fast enough for a Tuesday Trot, but this is my Running Commentary Post. I often say that what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the term.

I was quite determined to run today, despite the heat and humidity, because I am gearing up for the Pride Stride 5K in Little Falls this Saturday, June 12. It is part of the Little Falls Pride event hosted by Little Falls Community Outreach. I do not expect to run very fast, but I expect to have fun. And it is a cause I like to support.

Knowing I will not run very fast led the devil on one shoulder to say things like, “It doesn’t really matter if you run or not. Why torture yourself in this heat? It probably won’t even help.” I ignored such ignoble thoughts.

The humidity was pretty horrible. It was like trying to run through bath water. Or maybe dirty dish water. Breathing was not much fun. Never mind. Persevere. I veered a little way into a lawn to sniff some lilacs. That was nice. Some lilac bushes are over, but these two bushes were nice.

On my drive home from work, I had noted some nice bushes of light pink peonies. I planned to run by those and take a sniff. I did not remember exactly where they were, so it was a nice surprise when I saw them.

I kept glancing at my Garmin. It tells me what rate I am currently running, which leads to some disappointment. For example, I vary from a 15-minute mile to bursts as fast as a 10-minute mile (I know, not very fast in the ultimate scheme of things). So it is an average. So my Garmin may say I am running at a 12:20 pace, but 13 minutes have passed and I still haven’t gone a mile!

However, I try not to worry about how fast I go. I usually try to run for a certain length of time, not a specific distance. Today I ended up running for 24 minutes, 1.8 miles. In addition to smelling lilacs and peonies, I petted one nice dog. I was running through Meyer’s Park and saw a dog I had petted before.

“There’s that nice dog that likes to be petted!” I said, sprinting across the grass. The dog looked happy to see me and sat sweetly while I petted her and called her a good dog. I also greeted her person and wished him a nice day, to which he responded in kind.

I hope to run at least one more time before the 5K. For more information on Little Falls Pride, you can visit the Facebook event or Little Falls Community Outreach page.

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I Know! We’ll Blame it on the Weather!

Posted on August 12, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

This was actually not the illustration I was looking for.

It is not Writer’s Block; it is Writer’s Blank.  I can pick up a pen (or a stylus as the case may be) and produce words, but they are not the words I want.  When I try to think of characters, scenes, plot… nothing.

Yet I must persevere.

This isn’t it either, but what the hell, it is Tuesday.

I knew I could at least manage a Tired Tuesday Post.  I have been trying to abide by my rule of Any Writing Counts, but so far it has not been working out well.  Today I only made some notes in the TV Journal.  Yesterday I managed a couple of cards, before that a letter.  However, when I put pen to paper and attempt fiction, nothing.

THIS is the one I was looking for!

I really did put pen to paper and try.  I feel this is important.  There are many times (and I feel sure I am not the only one here) when I feel so discouraged, I do not even try.  I will, of course, try again.

In the meantime,  this is yet another blog post about not writing.  I wonder if I can’t find one more illustration, for your amusement and mine.

Me not be dramatic? Dream on!

Perhaps the hot humid weather is to blame for my malaise.  Most likely it is, as usual, operator error.  However, I shall try again tomorrow.  Sooner or later I hope to meet with success.

 

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Trying to Keep Cool on Monstrous Monday

Posted on July 28, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

Hello and welcome to another Monstrous Monday Post.  I might have done a Running Commentary Post or a post about fixing food.  I couldn’t call it a Cooking Post, because it was too hot to cook.  I want to say it is too hot to blog, but there is no point in being overly dramatic.  On the other hand, I often say, go with your strengths.

Where was I?  Ah yes, monsters.

It creeps, and leaps…

I wanted to show The Blob, because (Spoiler Alert!) at the end of the movie, they ship the creature to Antartica.  Or was it the Arctic Circle?  Anyways, someplace really cold.

They were showing scary movies!

I share this picture, because it shows that the movie theatre is air conditioned.  I personally do not have air conditioning.  The older I get the more I wish I did.  I know, bitch, bitch, bitch.  What did I say earlier about going with your strengths?

Some may find it scary.

I guess this is not really a monster, but we do call it Frankentree.  Mostly I just wanted to share a picture with snow.

After all, it MIGHT be the tree that ate Bellinger Street.

We don’t have a monster name for this neighborhood tree, but I think it looks fairly spooky covered with snow against a grey sky.

I see I am over 200 words.  I will just reiterate for the record, I KNOW some people suffer worse heat with fewer fans.  It is nice that I do not have to shovel snow.  Can’t I have just a little space to complain?  Sheesh!

 

 

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