Tag Archives: herkimer ny

I Finally Got Some Beer!

Posted on September 11, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Once again I interrupt my Saturday gyrations for a Scattered Saturday post.  We got up early(ish), just after six, and I immediately went for a run.  I would have liked to do a Saturday Running Commentary post, but I had other fish to fry.  I was communicating with family via phone and Facebook to coordinate plans.  Then I hustled to the Friendly Bake Shop in Frankfort, NY, for donuts.  I like donuts.

Before implementing the above-mentioned plans, I wrote a few post cards and walked with Spunky to the post office to mail them.  I do like to write post cards.  This week I had some new ones from Florida, which my lovely friend Kim had found while cleaning her house and given to me.  Certain family members had arrived at my house while we were perambulating.  I think at least a couple of them enjoyed a donut.  I had one as well, then we were off to Little Falls for the Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival.

After checking out the festivities, which included a craft beer tasting at the Piccolo Cafe, some of us went on to lunch at Applebee’s in Herkimer. From there it was a short drive to the Mohawk Antiques Mall in (duh) Mohawk.  I love that place.

Now Steven and I are home.  We took another short perambulation with our pooch and are contemplating our movie viewing plans for the evening.  I want to watch Halloween movies, perhaps of the cheesy variety.  It always makes for a good blog post.  Several of our activities today will make for good blog posts too, I hope. We’ll see what I can manage to write in the coming days.  In the meantime, Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

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At Least My Toes Look Good!

Posted on September 8, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I’m still not writing at work.  I just can’t seem to settle into it.  I really need to write, too.  I need a project in hand to think about while I’m working.  Otherwise my brain just dwells on stupid, useless stuff.

After work, I had to hustle.  I got in the shower (did that ever feel good in this heat!), threw on some pretty OK clothes (full disclosure: it was the same outfit I wore to rehearsal last night; it didn’t get smelly and I think it looks good), and drove to the Hot Spot Salon and Spa for a much needed pedicure.

I had the trauma of having to un-paint my toenails and leave them thus plain for most of the summer, because of playing the Friar in Much Ado About Nothing (which you may have noticed a few blog posts about).  I was supposed to get the pedicure and a haircut on Saturday.  Well, I had a whale of a headache Saturday.  I made it to the Hot Spot and sat still for the cut, but when my stylist Clair offered to reschedule the pedicure, I was quite grateful to do so.  Today was the day we rescheduled it for.

I got a lovely deep shade of purple, like a shiny eggplant.  Once my toes were looking good, I picked my husband up and we headed to the Belly Up Pub for some food.  OK we had food at home, but I wanted to show off my toenails.

So I obviously have two things I could make good blog posts about, but it seems all I can manage right now is a brief shout-out to each.  This is what happens on Wuss-out Wednesday, even on a four-day week.  The Hot Spot Salon and Spa is located at 121 E. Albany St., Herkimer.  The Belly Up Pub is at 122 W. Albany St.  Both are well worthy of a post.  I’ll work on it.

 

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Off to a Running Start on Sunday

Posted on August 28, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s Sunday Running Commentary!  When I got up this morning (at a leisurely but not as late as I would have liked) 6 a.m., I said, “It would be a good idea if I went running.”  I was bearing in mind a recent note to self: do not go three days without running.  It had been two.  Regular readers may recall that it is a trick I use to get myself to do what is good for me:  I say, “It would be a good idea if…” as opposed to, “I should…”  Sometimes it works.  Today it did.

I wore my ARMY t-shirt with the reflective doo-dah on the back, because it seemed the sun was not quite up.  By the time I had wrestled myself into two sports bras (do NOT tell me, “TMI!”), it was not as dark as it had seemed, but a bit of reflective stuff is not a bad idea on a run.  Off I went.

As I reached the end of the driveway I saw the most beautiful sky.  The rising sun was making a lovely pink texture on the bottom sides of lots of clouds.  It was to the left of me as I ran towards German Street.  I wondered if it was a red sky at morning (sailors take warning). I pondered, as I have since I first heard that expression, if there was a qualitative difference between red skies and pink skies.  And how about orange skies?  Anyways, I’m not a sailor, so I have never been too exercised over the whole idea.

I turned left onto German, so I could enjoy the sky.  I saw our paper deliverers across the road and waved at them.  Our paper deliverers are awesome.  So prompt and reliable, and they seem to have a vast territory.  My plan was to run up Main Street, down the path over what used to be a hydraulic canal (does that path have a name?) then on to the end of German, via a street that runs parallel, and back down German, going up and down the dead end streets.  It is what I think of as my Sunday Dead End Run.  As my run time increases, I can add more dead end streets.  My run time is back down (I’ve had a bad summer, running-wise), so I wondered how few dead ends I would make today.

As it turned out, very few.  OK, just one. And I suffered an injury. Not much of one.  As I approached the end of the street that ends near the parking lot of the HARC building (another dead end but not one that forces me to turn around, so ah ha ha), I ran around a car parked across the sidewalk.  I thought to get back on the sidewalk for the little bit of it that was left, then I tripped on the curb and went down.  Damn!  How clumsy of me.  I scraped my knee but did not pause to check how badly.  It didn’t feel too bad.  I had landed on one hand too but thought I had done even less damage there.  Mostly some gravel.  This was fine. I would be bad ass enough not to worry about it (although I planned to mention it in my blog post).

It was not, however, a particularly bad ass run.  I was ready for the cool shower portion of my day well before I stopped running.  I enjoyed it, despite being sweaty, tired and (slightly) injured. I like looking at people’s houses, envying features like screened-in porches and wondering if I can imitate certain garden features.  For example, I saw a chair with a potted plant sitting underneath the space where the seat was missing, vines climbing up the chair back.  Do I have a broken old chair I can use that way? Maybe I could find one at a garage sale.  I saw a very long clothesline.  My clothesline is not nearly that long but I like it.  Is it supposed to rain today?  My bunions are non-committal.

I ended up running 30 minutes.  My goal had been 28, approximately ten percent over the 25 minutes I ran last Sunday.  I felt pretty pleased about it.  I feel pretty pleased that I have made my blog post prior to 8 a.m.  What other ambitious things can I get done today?  The sky’s the limit!  Incidentally, it stopped being pink soon into my run.  I think I’ll check and see if it’s grey.

 

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Ooh! Look at the Skeletons!

Posted on August 25, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

One of the shortest stops Steven and I made on our Saturday adventures was at Hummel’s Office Plus in Herkimer, NY.  We had to get a birthday present for a young friend of ours.

I wanted to get her a blank book.  It is one of my favorite things to have, so I naturally think others will like it too.  First we looked for a pen in the office supply area downstairs.  Like many writers, I am fascinated by the tools of our trade, so I was happy to spend some time with the writing instruments.  We finally picked a green one, a pen I have gotten for myself many times.  Then we went upstairs to look for a blank book.

We were immediately confronted by the Halloween decorations.  I LOVE Halloween!  There were many decorations I had never seen before. I especially like the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil Skeletons.  We went around pushing the buttons on all the ghosts and things that played music and/or danced.

However, we were there for a present.  After much debate, we picked out a blank book we thought our friend would like.  Steven asked the clerk to wrap it. What a good idea!  I am terrible at wrapping presents and I don’t know if we have any birthday gift bags.  At the cash register I saw a couple more Halloween things I would like to go back and purchase.

We had not spent much time at Hummel’s, but I felt it was time well spent. I’m not saying I will, but I just MIGHT  go back and buy those skeletons.  And maybe a green pen.

 

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Lazy Saturday Afternoon

Posted on July 31, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, it is another Slacker Saturday post.  I decided this after I typed in four or eight possible leads (who was counting?) and immediately backspaced over them.  Don’t judge me.

Our dear little doggy, Spunky, got us up prior to 5:30 this morning.  That was at least later than our usual 4:30 rising time, so I counted my blessings and put on my running clothes.  After accompanying Spunkman (as Steven likes to call him) on his morning business meeting, I went for a run.  It was not as long a run as I have taken, but I petted two dogs, went up something of a hill, and reached the I Can Rock This stage, although briefly.

I had rehearsal for Much Ado About Nothing at 10 a.m. in Little Falls.  That’s always fun.  I just love community theatre.  You meet the nicest people.  Also, I am an incurable ham (get it?  Because ham is a cured meat?  Well, I thought it was a play on words).

After rehearsal, Steven and I had some discussion of what to do, but eventually we went out to lunch at Cucina Berto in Frankfort, and grocery shopping at Hannaford in Herkimer.  When we got home, we took our doggy for a walk around the block (that is usually about as far as our little friend wants to go). Now we are wondering what to watch on television, if anything.

As you can see, I have indulged in a number of bloggable activities today: run, rehearsal, lunch, shopping, walk.  I could even write about How I Can’t Write a Post Today, given the number of starts I erased before I started.  Instead, I offer… what I just wrote.  Happy Saturday, everyone.

P.S.  Steven suggested the title.

 

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Post-Parade Pizza

Posted on July 28, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last Friday after the Doodah Parade in Ilion, some of us were quite hungry (yes, I am pretty much always hungry, what’s your point?).  We adjourned to Salvatore’s in Herkimer for some food and drinks.

I think the waitress remembered me from other visits, because she asked right away if I was thinking of a glass of wine.  I ordered Pinot Grigio.

“And a glass of water?” she asked.  It’s nice to be a regular.

I ordered a cheeseburger (I know the headline says “pizza,” but I wasn’t thinking about alliteration when I ordered).  I asked if I could substitute pasta salad for french fries.  I could.  Steven got fries with his burger, so I got to try a few anyways (diet?  What diet?).  I also tried a couple of sweet potato fries that one of our friends ordered.  Yum!  Other friends got pizza and wings.  We have enjoyed Salvatore’s pizza and wings many times, usually getting them delivered.

We ended up pushing a couple of tables together as more friends showed up after we had sat down.  Nobody minded.  The dining room was not busy, perhaps because it was later than the normal dinner hour.  The place continued to do a large take-out business, as usual.  It sure is good food!

We always have a good time when we eat at Salvatores, and have a great meal when we order delivery.  Salvatore’s is located at 650 1/2 W. German St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-2600.  For more information you can visit their website at http://www.salvatores-herkimer.com/. You can also Like them on Facebook, where they usually share their daily specials.

 

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Pre-Road Trip Run

Posted on July 23, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Today will be another post made in haste (posthaste?), because I must get ready to travel to Syracuse for a nephew’s graduation party (or “gragitation” as I like to call it).  We are staying overnight and must bring our doggy to the Velvet Dog, which also does pet sitting.  I haven’t packed!  I don’t know what to wear!  Was I supposed to bring wine?  It’s a wrist to forehead situation.  I don’t really feel as stressed as those words imply.   A good, hard run often has a great calming effect.

I foolishly did not run all week.  I hope to be better organized in the coming week, because I really do not like taking five days off.  However, I walked in the Doodah Parade yesterday, which was probably a couple of miles, so that was something.  And I had a good run today, so yay me.

It was almost 5:30 by the time I got on my way, but the sun is up by then this time of year.  I took a bottle of water with me and headed toward Herkimer College.  I’m thinking running with a bottle of water in one hand is the wrong thing to do, but sometimes I do not want to risk dehydration.  So I took the occasional sip as I ran and pondered my options.  Sunday I had meant to take an easy-ish run in the suburbs (that’s what I call the residential area behind Valley Health) and ended up running one of the biggest hills in the area.  I thought in comparison to that, running up to the college the front way would not be a bad Saturday run.

Being me (which is something I cannot avoid), I changed my mind several times as I headed out German Street.  Eventually I decided to go up to the college the back way.  Not as steep but longer.  Steep enough, I decided as I ran it.  It is a pleasant road, with woods on either side and a brook on one.  I could hear the brook talking to me.  It said, “What are you doing, going uphill?  Go downhill, like me!  Look how fast I’m going!”  Then the trees said, “No, no, go toward the sun, like us!  We don’t go anywhere, but look how beautiful we are!”

I knew I was being fanciful, but there was a thought:  You don’t have to run to be beautiful.  Was I running to be beautiful?  I was hoping that running would help me lose weight, which I feel will improve my appearance.  However, that was not my major motivation.  I was running to get in good shape to run the DARE 5K in August.  And I was running because I LIKE to run!  I love to run!  Running is fun!

I did enjoy my run.  I saw three deer as I headed down Lou Ambers Drive.  Pretty, and they move far more gracefully than I do.  Well, we all work with what God gave us.  I finished my water before I got to the spring so stopped for a re-fill. I did not sip too much after that.  For one reason, I wasn’t very thirsty.  Also, I like to save some of the spring water for Steven.

Our Saturday now stretches before us, no doubt to be filled with adventure (Mohawk Valley or otherwise).  Run done, blog post published.  I think I’m off to a good start.  Happy Saturday, everyone.

 

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More About the Jail

Posted on July 16, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

When we last left our heroine (you know that’s me, right?), she was about to begin her blog post in the third person point of view.  But I changed my mind.

Sorry about that little bit of nonsense. I was about to write more about our visit to Herkimer’s 1834 Jail on Monday.  Steven and I were in the second group to go up the stairs with our guide, Jim Greiner.  As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the Jail is famous as the place where Chester Gillette stayed while on trial for the murder of Grace Brown in 1906.  There was to be a talk on a newly revised book about the case by author Craig Brandon at the Court House across the street at seven that night.

Our first stop was the cell Gillette stayed in during his trial.  It is actually kind of a suite, two cell off a third, larger cell.  Photocopies of old magazine photos adorn the walls, because Gillette had decorated the cell with magazine clippings.

From there, we saw the men’s side of regular cells, with a shower at one end, then the women’s cells, with a claw-foot tub.  One woman was offended by the sexism of this, because the shower clearly offered more privacy than the tub.

Somebody asked about where Roxalana Druse was housed.  Druse was hanged behind the jail in 1887.  I mentioned yesterday that Greiner wrote a book about her.  He told us she was housed on the third floor, where offenders who were considered less dangerous were kept.  The third floor was, sadly, not part of the tour.  He told the story of how a fire broke out while she was there.  Druse refused to evacuate but formed part of the bucket brigade putting out the fire.  When Friends of Herkimer Jail took over the building, one member bravely went up to the attic and found where some burnt timbers remained.

We greatly enjoyed our tour.  I love living in a village that has such a rich local history as well as people who work to preserve and share it.

 

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Only Through the Door of the Jail

Posted on July 15, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

It is well known (by people who know me) that I am a big fan of Herkimer’s 1834 Jail.  When Steven noticed tours would be available this past Monday, I was delighted.  I was even more delighted when we realized that Steven would also be available to participate.  The tours were in conjunction with a talk by Craig Brandon taking place across the street in the Herkimer County Courthouse.

Brandon wrote Murder in the Adirondacks, about the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gillette in Moose Lake.  Gillette was housed in the jail and tried in the courthouse.  Brandon recently revised the book, adding new photos and information. I’m hoping Steven buys me a copy for my birthday.

Some people, when they have seen an historic site or other attraction, are done. I, on the other hand, am not that way, especially when it is something you can’t go to just any old time.  The 1834 Jail is in that category.  The Jail is an easy walk from our house, on Herkimer’s Historic Four Corners where Main Street meets Church Street.  We thought we had left in plenty of time, but people were already gathering in front of the jail when we arrived.  The door was open, so we went in.  We could hear voices upstairs.

Other people soon followed us in.  One lady noticed a place to sign in, but there was no pen.

“You can borrow my pen,” I said.  It was actually one of Steven’s pens.  He buys these cheap ballpoint pens to take to work, in case he hands one to a customer and doesn’t get it back.  That was a good thing, since I didn’t get it back.  Almost everybody wanted to sign in.

“Oh, look, there are the gallows they strung me up on,”  I said, pointing into the next room.  It was the replica of the Galloping Gallows, which were used to hang Roxalana Druse, who killed her husband in Warren County.  Herkimer B.O.C.E.S. built the replica for Herkimer County Historical Society when they presented the play Roxy at Ilion Little Theatre last September.  I played Roxy.  (In case anybody did not see the play and was concerned, they did not show me being strung up.  The audience was shown the gallows, but the actual execution took place offstage.)

Soon the group who had enjoyed the first tour came downstairs with their tour guide, Jim Greiner, who wrote Last Woman Hanged: Roxalana Druse.  Jim is a dynamic speaker and very knowledgeable about the jail and Herkimer County history.  Steven and I attended a talk he gave about his book, and I have taken a tour of the jail with him.  He greeted us new arrivals  as “Chester Gillette fans.”

“And Roxalana Druse fans,” I said, although truth be known I am a Gillette/Brown aficionado as well.

I must end my blog post here, at the beginning of our tour.  I have a rehearsal tonight for Much Ado About Nothing, and I’m not quite ready for it.  I hope to see you all on Lame Post Friday.

 

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Run… Write… Now, Adventures!

Posted on June 28, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

After yesterday’s writing fiasco, I thought I should try writing first thing in the morning.  Then I ran first thing this morning.  I LOVE running in the morning.  I am sorry to report that I did not rush straight to pen or computer as soon a I had stretched and showered (I suppose some of you would have written when you were still sweaty and stinky or even before you ran at all, but I am not in competition with you) (you know who you are).  Nonetheless, it is still prior to 9 a.m., and I don’t need to start today’s Mohawk Valley adventures for yet a little while.

All this by way of introduction to today’s Running Commentary.

Today is the fourth day in a row I went running.  Yay me!  Yesterday afternoon when I took Spunky for a little walk,  I actually thought I would like to go for another run.  I did nothing so reckless but was happy to put on my sports bra and sneakers (yes, I wore other stuff as well, sorry if I gave you an unfortunate mental image) (but not real sorry) this morning and get going.

I carried a bottle of water.  I don’t really like carrying anything when I run, but I feared to become dehydrated.  Additionally, I planned to run in the direction of the spring and knew I could get a refill.  I have another awkward situation these days as well, because my wrist watch has become a waist watch.  That is, the band broke so I fasten it to my waistband with a safety pin.  When I run I tuck it into my bicycle shorts, so it doesn’t bounce.

My legs felt like they wanted a challenge, but I knew they would change their minds as I ran. I really should have written a Running Commentary about a previous run.  I had been going to run up to the college the front way, changed my mind three or four times and ended up running up the kick-butt way.  I had no intention of getting my butt kicked today.  Steven and I have adventures planned.

I noticed how German Street curves upward, especially on the side of it I was on.  I told myself that at least I was doing some uphill work.  It is not a particularly steep incline, though.  I ran up the hill by Valley Health, meaning to go on into what I call the suburbs, where I knew there are several hills of various grades.  I took a street I don’t usually run on and went from there.  Far from another uphill, this street looked as if it dropped off the face of the earth up ahead.  I prefer to run uphill for steep slopes, downhill on gradual slopes.  Luckily there was a left I could take.  This run was going fine.

Oh dear, was that a garbage truck up ahead?  It is garbage day in Herkimer.  The truck was a block or so ahead of me.  Which way was he going?  Was he moving at all?  Shouldn’t he be moving by now?  He was moving very slowly.  I’m not clear here on whether “he” refers to the driver or I was anthropomorphizing the truck (using “he” to mean “he or she,” so don’t ding me for sexism).  Then I realized it was not a garbage truck at all but the street cleaner.

I spent a good part of the rest of the run trying to avoid the street cleaner, an interesting occupation in that area, since none of the streets come out where I expect them to.  At one point I looked through some yards to see I was running parallel to the cleaner and not going a whole lot faster than he was.  How mortifying.  I took a couple of hills, admired several of the houses, especially the screened in porches, and kept sipping my water till it was gone.

After a wrong turn or two, I thought I was headed back toward Lou Ambers Drive and the spring.  Suddenly I found myself back on German Street, beyond where the sidewalk was.  Oh dear, cars go along this stretch very fast.  Luckily it was still early enough that there was no traffic.  I only had to go a block or so left side facing traffic (of course) to get to Valley Health, where there is a sidewalk.  I ran up the hill again.  I had never run up that side of Valley Health, so I felt pretty cool doing it now.

About this time I realized my legs felt warm and supple.  I was so rocking this run!  Soon I was headed towards Lou Ambers Drive, knowing for a change exactly where I was.  I realized that I was in shape for the DARE 5K in August.  That run, you may recall, goes up the hill to Herkimer College.  I love that run.  I thought to myself perhaps I could not rock that run right now, but I could at least run it.  And I  have almost two months more in which I can get in shape to rock it, yes!

I was mighty pleased with my run, and pretty pleased with myself for composing a real blog post thus early in the morning.  What wonderful things will I accomplish with the rest of my day?  I’ll be sure to write blog posts about them.

 

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