Tag Archives: herkimer ny

Grey Run

I bet some of you thought I was never going to run again (while others of you are saying, “I never thought that!”).  I confess, I had my own doubts.  But today it was a choice between go running or eat something and I chose running!  I believe this demonstrates that there is indeed hope for me. (Full disclosure:  I ate something after the run.)

It was 40 degrees out, five degrees below my perhaps arbitrary border for running in shorts and short sleeves.  I found a pair of log johns that were only semi-dirty (I always feel so reduce-reuse-recycle when I wear something more than once before washing it) and pulled a long-sleeved running shirt out of my pile.  I was going to look for a ARMY t-shirt with a reflective decal in the back, but the sun was up and I was in a hurry.

Spunky wanted to go out when he saw me bustling about getting ready, so I took him for a short business meeting, then I was off.  Right away I thought, “Why oh why did I ever stop running?”  I also felt that the time not running had not wrought total havoc on my body.  Just a note:  I did not COMPLETELY stop running; let’s just say my habits have been  sporadic.  I turned right on German Street. Usually when I have not run in a while, I turn left, then go down Caroline Street, up Margaret, then down Henry.  That sounded boring to me.

It was grey and gloomy out.  I admired the bare trees against the sky, as I always do.  Perhaps I will venture out later with my Tablet and try to get a few pictures.  Soon it became apparent that my lack of running regularly had, naturally enough, had a negative impact on my body.  My legs were quite unhappy with me.  I sternly told myself that one must have the not so fun runs in order to get to the good stuff.  I tried to distract myself by deciding where to run.  Up Main Street and down the nice path?  I saw a man walking a dog in that direction and decided against it.  I do like to stop and pet a dog, but in the first place I did not know if that was a pettable dog and in the second place, I didn’t think it was a good idea for me to stop.

By the time I got to the end of German Street I had run almost ten minutes.  Oh dear, that doesn’t usually take me that long, does it?  Then again, what did that matter?  I set out to run a certain length of time; who cares how much ground I actually cover?  I thought a 20 minute run would be good.  I tried to feel happy about being halfway there.  It really wasn’t a horrible run.  Just kind of grey, meaning the sky and my mood.  Well, how much of life is in the grey area?  I’m thinking, a lot.

I looked at houses as I passed.  I saw one that still had red ribbons and wreaths on the porch.  As I ran I was narrating in my head that I went down this street, then that to the other, but that is more words than I feel like typing right now.  I ran by Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners.  There were poinsettias, red and gold foil, in the urns outside the Historical Society.  I made the sign of the cross as I ran by Herkimer Reformed Church.  I also noted the County Courthouse and 1834 Jail which make up the other two corners.

My run ended up being 22 minutes long.  I said good morning to three dog walkers as I walked around the block for my cool-down.  They were across the street from me, so I still didn’t get to pet a dog.  I petted my own dog when I got home.  I felt very happy that I ran again.  I hope to keep it up in the coming weeks.  I’ll probably write more blog posts about it.

 

Lame-a-Rita?

It is Lame Post Friday and, yes, I am drinking and typing.  At least, I had a drink and now I am typing.  If my dear, DEAR husband, Steven, gets me a glass of wine, I will be drinking and typing.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” he just asked me.  He really is a most satisfactory husband.

So at Christmas my sister (my dear, DEAR sister) Cheryl gave us a gift card for Applebee’s.  I know, I don’t usually plug chains in this blog, but Herkimer Applebee’s is really an exemplary link in the chain.  Additionally, I am amused by the story of tonight’s drink of choice.

Last October, I was in Applebee’s with the large cast of Splitting Issues, the play Steven and I were in at Ilion Little Theatre.  I was not drinking, due to a tiresome medical issue which I will not bore you with at this time.  I was also fighting a dreadful cold, but I managed to have a fun time anyways.  That often happens when you hang out with theatre people.  As we were leaving, I caught sight of a drink being enjoyed by the wife of a fellow cast member.

“Is that an upside down beer in your drink?” I asked, awestruck.  It was.  It was, in fact, Corona, one of my favorite beers (as well as a pretty good typewriter).  I promised myself that one day I would go into Applebee’s and have “one of them there drinks with the upside down beer in it”  (yes, that was precisely how I planned to ask for it).  Today I had that opportunity.

We were lucky enough to get one of the tall tables in the bar area, which I love to sit at.  Steven pointed out on the “Featured Drink” card a drink with an upside bottle of Reunite Lambrusco.  I asked the waitress about it, mentioning the one with the beer as well.

“That’s the Corona-Rita,” she explained.  “After that, we came up with the one with Reunite.”

I opted for the one with the beer, because Lambrusco is sweet and I prefer dry wine.

I confess, I was a little disappointed in the drink.  I think in the future I’ll stick with their Perfect Margarita, which I have enjoyed on many occasions.  Or a glass of wine. However, I was happy I finally had my drink with the upside down beer.  We got some appetizers, too, which were pretty tasty.  All in all, a very fun evening out.  In fact, it was not in the least bit lame, but this being Lame Post Friday, I went with the headline I did.  Happy Friday, everyone.

 

Is It Worth 3,000 Words?

I think I may have run out of things to say about not having anything to say.

I am forcing myself not to backspace and erase that, as I did to at least three other possible leads.  I’m thinking at least one of those leads was better than what I went with, but of course now I can’t remember any of them.

Using a few random pictures seemed to work yesterday.  I wonder if I could get away with it two days in a row.

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He’s telling me what to say, and I’m thinking he’s full of beans.

 

This picture is from the Ilion Little Theatre production of Harvey in 2012.  Steven played Dr. Chumley.  I was Veda.  Perhaps longtime readers remember when this blog was All Harvey All The Time.

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My character is drinking wine, but it is not real wine in the glass, a source of much disappointment to me.

This is a more recent stage appearance: Splitting Issues last October.  I believe I also wrote a couple of blog posts about that.

 

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In jail, where some believe we belong (you know who you are).

 

I don’t have another theatre picture of Steven and me together, so I will show a picture of me in costume with Steven.  This was a Haunted Tour of Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners.  I reprised my role (wait a minute; my computer thinks “reprised” is not a word, but apparently “reprise” is. Oh, I can’t worry about that now) of Roxalana Druse, who was hanged behind the 1834 Jail.  I don’t think I did a blog post about that event (the haunted tour, not the hanging, although I never wrote about the hanging either).  How remiss of me.

So this is my Non-Sequitur Thursday post for the week.  I think I’ve jumped around enough to qualify.  If only I could think of a catchy headline, I could head to my Steel Magnolias rehearsal content.

 

Don We Now Our Running Apparel

I felt glorious as I got dressed to go running this morning.  Yes, “glorious” is the exact word that entered my head as I dug out the running clothes I have not had on since much earlier this month.  I was excited to go running, and hoped to write a Running Commentary blog post (we’ll see how that goes).

Yesterday we had terrible freezing rain.  I left the house very few times for specific reasons:  to help Steven scrape ice off his vehicle, to take my dog for a business meeting, and to decide NOT to scrape ice off my vehicle and drive anywhere.  I thought today was going to be better.  Listening to Jill Reale on WKTV News this morning, I found it was going to start out warm(ish) then get colder as we go on. Obviously there was no time to waste.

The sun was not all the way up when I started.  I donned my reflective vest, because I intended to run in the road, which had a decent shot at not being ice covered.  Really, as I started down my road, narrating in my head as I like to do, I thought, “I donned my reflective vest…”  Then I chuckled at myself for using an old timey word like that.  Then “Deck the Halls” played in my head for the rest of the run. It is not a bad tune to run to.  I thought of making up new words to it (another hobby of mine), but all I came up with was “heedless of the tacky pleather”  (you know, like “heedless of the wind and weather”) (I don’t expect everybody to know all the verses).

Fortunately there was not much traffic, since the side of the road had frozen and semi-frozen puddles.  The busiest street I ran on was German.  I ran all the way to the end, rounded the corner and ran down Church Street to Main.  Main Street in Herkimer is sometimes busy, sometimes not so much.  It was a busy moment, which was bad for me, since I had to cross the street to continue left-side-facing-traffic, which I am quite the stickler for.  Then I noticed that the sidewalk was almost completely clear.  Score!

I did not run all the way down Main, but cut through the little park by Basloe Library (open normal hours today, yay!), then crossed Pleasant Street.  This way I could go by the “Do Not Enter” sign on Bellinger Avenue.  I so enjoy entering where it says not to.  I crossed my own street to run up Henry.  I had thought to run a mere 20 minutes, because it had been so long since running last.  Then I thought, it didn’t matter if I ran too long and got achey legs, because my legs also ache from not running.  As I like to say, pick your pain.

I ended up running 23 minutes then walked 11 for my cool-down.  It was a wonderful run.  Every step felt good and the cool-down walk felt awesome!  I thought, “I have found the secret to happiness!”  I’m damned if I can remember why I stopped running.  I hope to not be so silly again.

 

Hurry In Fast!

You know what’s a real bummer?  Finding a fun new shop, then finding out they are closing soon!  I guess to write a blog post about this is not totally fun, as my subhead promises, but since local readers still have a chance to check out The Rose Quartz Stand, I thought I would go ahead and write it.

The Rose Quartz Stand is a gem and mineral store located at 105 Mohawk St. in Herkimer, NY.  I only recently stopped by, and I liked it a lot.  They have all kinds of stones, rocks and gems.  Some are polished, some are carved, some are just there, all kinds of colors, shapes and sizes.  There is also a nice selection of jewelry, stuffed toys and other items.

I was particularly fascinated by some fossils.  I asked if they were real fossils or if somebody had carved the fish skeletons on the rocks.  I thought it was marvelous that they were real fossils, although I guess it would have been some highly skilled carving if they were fakes.

The proprietors, George and Sandra Drobot, also go around to gem and mineral shows.  I said I preferred a store, because I can’t always make up my mind what to purchase right way.

I wanted to write an article about the place for Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  With that in mind, I stopped back this afternoon.  As I was chatting with Mrs. Drobot, she mentioned they were closing soon.  I felt so bad!  They will continue to do shows, and they have a website and Facebook page.  I encourage any local readers who likes this sort of thing to check out the Rose Quartz Stand while they are still here.  They should be around till Christmas Eve, so you can get a Christmas present for the gem-loving person on your list.

Their website is www.therosequartzstand.com. You can also Like them on Facebook.

 

Possibly a Pre-5K Run

I actually wrote part of a blog post while at work today (um, on a BREAK, not while working), but then I came home and went running, so I thought I would like to make a Running Commentary Post instead.

This Saturday, Dec. 10, is the Reindeer Run 5K, part of the Christmas in Little Falls festivities. I have been saying I am going to run it.  Maybe.  As I left work today, I said to my co-worker, “I guess I’d better go running today, if I think I’m going to run a 5K on Saturday.”

“If you’re going to run Saturday, what do you need to run today for?” he asked.  He was not serious.

As I left work, I was a little afraid the temperature would be borderline.  That is, should I wear leggings and long-sleeves or shorts and t-shirt?  When I took Spunky for a walk as soon as I got home, I got a dreadful hot flash.  They have been getting hotter, and they are not over in a flash.  They do not particularly bother me; I just ride them out.  However, it impaired my ability to judge the weather.

Getting back home, I noted that the thermostat said 42 degrees.  My rule for myself is shorts and short-sleeves for 45 degrees and warmer.  Still, 42 sounded pretty warm to me, and the hot flash wasn’t quitting.  Still, I had made up that rule for myself…

I put on leggings and long sleeves.  The leggings felt too tight, so I looked for a pair of fat old lady pants instead.  I had run in fat old lady pants recently and found it works pretty good.  Fat old lady pants, in case you did not know, are fairly loose-fitting, elastic-waist, poly-cotton blend.  The pair I found had pockets, which I liked.  It would be handier for my watch, for one reason.  The band is broken on my wrist-watch, so now I pin it to my pants and make it a waist-watch.

It didn’t feel too cold or two warm as I started down the sidewalk.  I had it in mind to run up the hill to Herkimer College, a challenging 40-minute run to make sure I was ready for the 5K.  I managed to cross German Street without too much problem and ran down the sidewalk, avoiding the occasional puddle.  I had set out at 3:40 (15:40, my watch said; I have military time) (um, not because I was in the army; it’s because I don’t want to screw up and set the alarm for p.m. instead of a.m.).  There was a lot of traffic.

Soon I was running up Lou Ambers Drive.  It seemed to take a long time to get to the steep part.  Cars whizzed by me, mostly not slowing down or getting over.  I couldn’t blame them for not getting over, because there was also a lot of traffic going in the other direction.  As I ran, a song I had been singing to Spunky kept playing in my head:

He’d a good dog named Spunky

His name is Spunky and he’s a good  dog.

The lyrics are not inspired, but it has a good rhythm to run to.  I remembered when I was in Army Basic Training, one of my buddies was on profile and did not run all through Basic, till the very end (“on profile” is a medical thing).  Then she had to run the two-mile PT (physical training) test.  She said she was going to sing Christmas carols to herself to keep going.  It worked for her, because she passed.  I decided to sing a few Christmas carols to myself today.  It was not the miracle I was hoping for as far as taking my mind off the hill.  But I made it to the top.

I could see down to Herkimer, which I had not been able to do the last couple of times I made that run.  It was overcast and grey, but I could see buildings. However, I could not linger and really look.  I kept running.

By the time I got back to the village and level ground, I realized I could rock this.  I thought about the 5K and pictured myself at the 2 mile mark encouraging my fellow runners by shouting, “We can rock this!”  Oh yeah, like anybody there will run as slowly as I do!

I made my 40 minutes and was pretty pleased with myself.  I must confess, I am not as pleased with my blog post, but you’ll have that.  I still haven’t quite made up my mind about the 5K.  I’ll let you know.  In the meantime, I will gather what satisfaction I can from the fact that I did not make a Wuss-out Wednesday post.

 

Not a Bad Saturday

But I don’t FEEL LIKE making a blog post!  Ha, ha, just kidding.  At least, I would in fact rather be reading others’ blogs right now, but I KNOW as a writer I must not wait till I am  “in the mood” to write, anybody taking in a deep breath to make a self-righteous lecture to me can just stand down.  In fact, I very often am in the mood to write, especially once my fingers hit the keys and I begin typing.

I have been having a not very good day, although it has had its moments.  I have about a half hour right not to make my blog post before Steven arrives home from work and we head out to a Christmas party.  Therefore, I shall attempt another Scattered Saturday post.

I realize that people who harp on their physical ills (as well as other negatives in their lives) are tiresome.  However, I just want to mention that I once again have one of my Saturday headaches.  How very annoying.  Before you start shaking your finger or your head (or your booty) at me, no, I did NOT tie one on last night.  That sort of headache can often be cured with some Gatorade and a nap.  Well I did eventually get a nap and am sipping some Gatorade now, but they are far from the miracle I was hoping for.  No matter, the headache seems to be fading away of its own accord, and I did not mean to write the whole blog post about it.

Then again, isn’t that always the way?  Pain has a way of overtaking your life, and it is often all you can think of.  Well, I shall drag my mind away from my petty pain.

I wrote four post cards to my usual people this morning.  I walked to the post office with them.  Alas, my dog, Spunky, did not accompany me.  As I have said, he does not seem to enjoy long walks.  More to the point, I went from the post office to Basloe Library for Coffee with a Cop.  I’ll write a full blog post about that later.  I walked home after the coffee and conversation, and immediately got into my vehicle and drove to The Medicine Shoppe in Ilion to pick up a prescription.  While there, I ducked into Ilion Wine and Spirits for a bottle of wine for later (we still haven’t had the bottle I purchased on Shop Small Saturday; I’m saving it for an occasion).

Back home, I took the nap I mentioned earlier.  When I got up, I put on running clothes and ran in place on the mini tramp for forty minutes, the longest I have run in a very long time.  There is a 5K in Little Falls next weekend I may run.  Stand by for numerous Running Commentary posts this week while I prepare.

I think I still have time to read a blog or two. Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

Running Out of November

I started writing a real post while at work today (YES, I was on a break, don’t go running to my boss!).   Then I got home and went running, and I’d like to do a Running Commentary instead.

I was thinking when I left work that it would be a good idea to run. For one reason, I haven’t run for the last two days (judge me if you must). For another reason, it was almost warm out.  As I walked to my vehicle I pondered whether I should run in shorts or leggings.  When I got home I noted that our thermostat said it was 50 degrees outside. That is definitely shorts weather for me, although it had seemed like legging weather as I left work.  Spunky wanted to go for a walk, so I had another chance to think about it.

Spunky went down the driveway as far as the neighbors’ front yard and pee’d, while their dog, Piper, barked at him from their front window.  Then Spunky  led me firmly back to our house.  He is definitely not the walker Tabby was.  That was all right, though, because I had to get out and running before I ran out of ambition.  I went with the thermostat and put on shorts and short sleeves.  I chose an ARMY t-shirt with a reflective decal on the back, because it was grey and gloomy.

I did not feel too bad as I started down the sidewalk.  I admired the grey sky and dark atmosphere.  I felt it was a very November day for the last day of the month (although I think my blog post will be dated December 1; just go with it).  I turned right onto German Street.  I had it in mind to run by the HARC building at the end of the street.  I noticed when I drove by there the other day that they seem to be building a playground in back of it.  I wanted to take a closer look.

However, as I approached Main Street, I re-thought my plans.  It is a busy corner with a four-way stop.  I wondered if I would be able to cross it easily.  If so, then I would have to cross back later.  I would see how traffic was.  Several cars were there. I turned right down Main Street.  Main Street was busy, too.  Should I run all the way down it?  There is usually a lot of pedestrian traffic as well, especially as you get closer to State Street.  I decided to turn right on Church Street, at the Historic Four Corners.  When I got there, a car stopped at the stop sign actually pulled back a little to let me across the street.  I tried to wave, “Thanks but don’t bother, I’m turning.”  I hope the driver got that.

It did not seem especially warm to me.  My legs didn’t feel too bad, but my arms were cold.  I put my headband over my ears.  I looked around at houses to distract myself.  I noted a few Christmas decorations here and there.  I’d like to take a walk after dark and look at houses with lights.  I wish Spunky was into taking longer walks but I do not want to force him to go farther than his inclination.

Soon I had to admit that I felt tired.  Now I have realized that when I run I can pretty much keep going for just about as long as I decide to (I do NOT need anybody to tell me that this is painfully obvious and true for almost anything).  That said, OH, did I want to stop!  Or at least walk!  I could feel that I was running slowly.  A brisk walk might even be faster than I was moving.  However, I persevered.  Then I felt bad for not enjoying my run more.  Don’t I run because I like to run, I asked myself.  Never mind, I answered.  Sometimes you have to put up with the runs that are not so fun in order to get to the runs that are.

As I ran up my street, the end in sight, I saw a pedestrian on the sidewalk up ahead.  I had already gone around several pedestrians on the run, as well as changing direction a couple of times to avoid others.  I would go around this one.  Then I saw that the pedestrian had a dog.  I like to pet a dog.  Could it be my friend Rocky?  As I got closer, I saw that it was Rocky and his mom.  She was talking to another person I hadn’t seen at first.  Rocky saw me coming and pulled at his leash a little bit.

“He knows he’s going to get pets from me,” I said.  “Hi, good boy!  Good to see you!”  His mom and the guy she was talking to laughed.  I gave them a wave and ran on.  I was almost home.  Yay!

It felt GREAT to walk my cool down.  For about half a block, then the wind picked up and I was cold.  I had sensibly put a sweatshirt on my back deck with my water bottle, so now my arms felt OK and my legs were cold.  No matter.  I ran. I was glad.  I would write a blog post about it.

 

Short Post on Shop Small Saturday

I pause in my Saturday festivities to make a blog post on Small Business Saturday, which follows the more flashy Black Friday.  Quite frankly, I am not inclined to shop on any Big Day, because I prefer to avoid crowds.  However, being Mohawk Valley Girl, as I am, I felt it would behoove me to get out and support a few of our wonderful Mohawk Valley entrepreneurs.

The sticky wicket was that I had a headache and was in kind of a poopy mood (not literally; don’t go yelling TMI at me).  Additionally, it was pouring rain.  I usually try not to let the weather bother me, but today I felt… dampened.   However, I got myself out the door shortly after 10 a.m. and headed to Little Falls.  There was a lot going on in Little Falls, because Little Falls is really good at these things, in addition to having many excellent local businesses.  My ambition to shop took a nosedive when as I got to Little Falls I remembered I had not taken the postcards and letter I wrote to the post office before I left Herkimer.  Damn!

I hate to admit it, but I only made it to the Community Co-op in Little Falls.   Sorry, Little Falls!  I’ll make it back one day soon, shop at lots of places and write a better blog post.

Driving back through Herkimer, I remembered that Original Herkimer Cheese in Ilion was having a Holiday Open House.  I managed to find it.  I sampled and purchased some cheese.  I must write a fuller blog post about that place.  Next I went to one of my all-time favorite places, Ilion Farmer’s Market at Clapsaddle Farm.  I had a great conversation with folk artist Jim Parker and bought some pickles and tomatoes.

By now I was in kind of a better mood, and it had stopped raining.  Driving back through Ilion I checked out Honey Brook Hobbies and Sweet Temptations, another place I must make a complete blog post about.  Then I made a stop at Ilion Wine & Spirits, another of my favorite places.  Heading back to Herkimer, I made one more stop at T & J’s Fruits and Vegetables.

So I did a lot, but I guess I’m not up for writing a lot about it.  In my defense, I spent some time working on the murder mystery I’m writing for Herkimer County Historical Society, so I’m not a complete bum.  Call me a partial bum, and have a nice Saturday.

Rain, Not Lame, Run

Well, it is Friday, but I made a Friday Lame Post earlier this week, so I thought I would attempt a Running Commentary.  For one reason, it added to my motivation to run this morning.

I did not get out the door till about 7:30, but it was still pretty cold.  It had been raining in the night but seemed to have stopped.  My dog Spunky indicated that he wanted to go for a walk while I was bustling about getting ready, so I had a preview of the temperature.  Brr!  Spunky didn’t even make it to the end of the driveway.  Nevertheless, I had decided to run, I was going to run.

Another reason I wanted to run was that I could run by Ramar Liquor. No, not to buy booze!  (Not but what a glass of wine would taste pretty good right now, but I digress.)  Anyone who read yesterday’s post may remember that the business unfortunately burned down.  Does this make me a rubber-necking busybody or a concerned customer?  No matter, it was motivation to get out the door so I went.

Ramar’s is located on Caroline Street, which I often run on anyways.  I don’t usually run as far down as Ramar’s, but today I planned to.  It is only a block further from where I usually turn.  The sidewalks were wet but not slippery.  They were mostly bare with a few patches of snow.  Oh dear.  I did not want another wet sock run.  I went around snow and puddles as best I could.  The cold was not too dreadful.  Only my face was really uncomfortable.  My legs were pumping along with no problem, and my breathing wasn’t too bad either.

Caution tape surrounded the sad burned-out liquor store, but the sidewalk was not blocked off.  A few men were standing outside, including one I knew by sight as one of the owners.  As I ran by, I caught his eye and said good morning.

“I was so sorry to hear about this,”  I said.

“Thank you,” he answered.

I was glad I had been able to express some sympathy, although I suppose it didn’t really help much.  I still had the greater part of my run to get through, so of course I kept going.

It started to rain again.  First a few drops that I could pretend to myself were merely blowing off the trees, then a more steady rain.  However, it was not a downpour and I was able to keep going.  I did not feel too tired till almost the end of the run, so I felt pretty good about that.  I didn’t even mind the rain too much, although it did gather on my glasses and obscure my vision a bit.

I ended up running 30 minutes, which was perhaps less than I ought to have done (my last longest run was 38), especially considering I am hoping to run a 5K.  Then again, I can’t quite remember when and where the 5K is, so perhaps my ambitions are for naught.  In any case, I ran today.  I burned a few calories, enhanced my health, and wrote a (hopefully non-lame) blog post.  We’ll call that a win.  Happy Friday, everyone.