Tag Archives: late post

I Mustache You a Question: Do You Like My Blog?

Hello and welcome to a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post made early(ish) Thursday morning.  I gradually return to a more normal wake-up time as I move further from having gainful employment. Full disclosure:  I keep dreaming I still go to work.  In fact, the last dream I had this morning concerned the difficulties I was having trying to call in sick.  But we won’t discuss dreams; this is blogging, not therapy.

 

Twirl that mustache!

I quickly throw in a picture, to get back to the Waste Not Want Not theme.  I have previously shared the other side of this shot glass, or one quite similar, but I had not noticed the jaunty mustache on the other side.

I guess you can see the mustache, slightly distorted by the booze.

Here is the front side of the glass, which fascinated me because “Frangelico” was the basis for one of my all-time favorite character names, “Frangelica Inferno.”

I had to search the Media Library for this one!

Of course the mustache made me think of this lovely goblet, a present from the cast of Leading Ladies, the play I directed at Ilion Little Theatre, lovingly painted by my dear friend Jerry.

The other side of that mustache, just for good measure.

I used that glass as an effective prop in the murder mystery Fabulous and Fatal, which also featured Jerry in a pivotal role.

The other mustache, looking mysterious.

And to wind things up, here is my first attempt at the Frangelico mustache.  You can’t really see what it is but I thought the shot as a whole was kind of fascinating.  Or do I flatter my photographic skills?

In any case, I approach 300 words, and with five pictures and a pun in the title, I call this a respectable post, at least my my rules for me.  Are they good rules?  Does that matter?  Discuss amongst yourselves and feel free to share your conclusions in the comments.

 

It Snow Joke that I’m Tired

I did not make my Tired Tuesday post yesterday, because I was, you guessed it, tired.  I actually did less Tuesday than I did on Monday.  Monday I cleared my driveway twice.  By “cleared my driveway” I mean I took off the top layer of fluffy stuff and cleared the plow pile-up as best I could.  Also I did a shovel-width on my front walk, in consideration of pedestrians, who usually end up walking in the road anyways, but I can’t help that.

For anybody not in the area, I just mention in passing that the Mohawk Valley has been pummeled with snow and ice since… I was about to say Saturday, but it got bad before Saturday.  Things were also bad on Thursday, because my rehearsal was cancelled (regular readers may remember I am in a play at Ilion Little Theatre), but I can’t remember other than that.  Listen to me whine.  I’m in a house with power, sipping hot tea while my furnace works away, and I don’t have to go to work.  Let’s count our blessings, shall we?

This was in March 2017, but you get the picture.

I throw in a picture to pep things up.  My deck actually looks different now, because I did not put the things on it away in the fall.  In my defense, my life fall apart in 2023 and I have not yet picked up all the pieces.  The ones I do pick up, I keep dropping.   I do not mean this as more whining; only, I try to cut myself a break sometimes instead of beating myself up, which has ever been my habit.

On the other hand, some might argue I deserve, maybe not a beating, but perhaps a stern talking to sometimes.  For example, Monday and yesterday I toiled mightily trying to get the ice off my front steps, at least for a wide enough space for me and the mailman to get up and down safely.  In my head I kept saying, “2005, Cindy.  You’ve had since 2005!”  2005 was when we moved in and had the porch roof replaced.  Steven and I are (were) big porch sitters.  The roof fellow did not put the gutter back.  I felt sure we could do it.  Perhaps we could have.  Perhaps I still can.  These thoughts did me no good as I managed to clear some for the ice.

I was relieved there was no mail on Monday.  Tuesday when I heard the mailman, I stuck my head out the door, quickly remembered I was in slippers and the porch was covered in snow, craned my neck around the door and asked were the steps OK and assured the mailman I tried, I tried!  He said I did great and it was a losing battle.  I thought that was very nice of him, because I really had not cleared all that wide a space, and his feet are bigger than mine.

Somebody got some fun out of the snow!

I close with a jolly picture, to give us cheerful thoughts.  It has not been warm enough for snowman building, and the wind chill has been prohibitive, but weather changes eventually.  If I manage to build a snowman, I will certainly write a blog post about it.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

It’s Still Winter, and I’m Still Blogging

Yesterday (Thursday; I had to keep reminding myself, because I am in kind of a weird time warp) was a true blogger’s sick day.  I impulsively went out to dinner; I shall not say where, because my stomach started to bother me before I left.  I managed to walk home, barely managed to get my leftovers in the fridge, and somehow made it back to the couch to lie down, where I could not move again.  Eventually I went upstairs and got into bed, shedding my clothing, which had been bothering me but which I could not bring myself to move enough to remove (do NOT say TMI!). What a whiny paragraph!  But I am sure anybody who has suffered a stomach bug can understand.

Now I am lounged on my couch, sipping tea and wishing there was bread in the house for some toast (that’ll teach me to put off grocery shopping), and thinking I could probably manage a Throwback Thursday post.

Yikes!

I throw back to a very snowy March 2017.  For one reason, I feel very thankful the snow I have been brushing off my (only one) car and shoveling out  of my driveway (only from the back of said car to the street) (and a shovel-width on the sidewalk in front of the house) is nowhere near this deep.  Then I remember this is January and that was March, and I  fear for my future. But I try not to worry about these things.

All hands on deck!

I have not cleared off my deck, either of the junk that was sitting on it last fall or the snow that has fallen on it since.   This, also, is March 2017, when we had at least put some of the junk, uh, I mean, decorations, away.  Life was so much better with a husband, but I do not mean to begin whining again.  I must look back with thanks for when I had him and move forward with what courage and grace I can muster.  Didn’t that sound fine?  What I am really going to do is shuffle along as best as I can and try not to complain too much. But now I am veering into half-baked philosophy better suited to Lame Post Friday.  Yes, that is today, but I hope to make a Lame Post Friday post later.

Isn’t he a cheery fellow?

To end on a more upbeat note, I add a picture of a neighborhood snowman from January 2023.  It actually may be warm enough for snowman building today.  If my stomach cooperates, perhaps I will build one of my own.  That would make a good blog post.  And I thank you kindly for reading this one.

 

It Is Still the 20’s

Oh dear, I last posted on Monday and today is Thursday.  I have had no Mohawk Valley Adventures to blog about. I have no profound thoughts to share about the new year, except to perhaps observe we are halfway through the Roaring Twenties and we seem to be wasting them.  Then again, what did I think was going to happen.  Speakeasies and bathtub gin?  It was really not the thrill we make it out to be.  A lot of the illegal alcohol was industrial stuff the bad guys added stuff to that was supposed to make it potable.  Sometimes it did, sometimes not so much.  The thrill, I read, was that you were taking your life in your hands every time you gave the password and ordered a “cup of coffee.”  Yeah, great gamble.  You win, you get a hangover.  You lose, you go blind or die.  Where was I going with this?

Me, pretending it was the ’20s in 2019.

I do enjoy the pretend 1920s, where we wear flapper dresses and listen to jazz music.  Oh why not gloss over all the negative aspects?  We are looking for entertainment not historical accuracy!

Here’s a suspicious group.

These shots were from a fundraiser at one of the Rutgers mansions in Utica, NY.  Look how handsome my husband was (he’s the one on the left, you know, the handsome one).

I haven’t had a chance to wear this dress in a while.

Here is the last year I went to the fundraiser.  I found the dress at a local thrift store.  I fear the headband made me look more That Girl and It Girl, but it was the only way I could make the wig work.

Perhaps I could make one of my murder mysteries this year a 1920s theme (preview of coming attractions).  In any case, I have blathered on for over 300 words.  I’ll slap on a headline, call this a Non-Sequitur Thursday and drive on.  As always I shall try for a better blog post tomorrow, and I thank you for tuning in.

 

Another Post Christmas Post

Oh dear, I am back to missing days of posting.  What was I doing yesterday instead of making a blog post?  Nothing very exciting, I fear, so I have not much to blog about today.  However, I finally took a picture of my skeleton Bonita in her holiday outfits.  Surely some of my readers will be interested (even if they are not named Shirley).

She’s ready for a party!

The background is a blanket my sister Cheryl gave me last Christmas, with pictures of me and my late husband Steve.  I could perhaps have found something a little less busy to photograph Bonita with, but one does not always think of these things ahead of time.

Another festive friend.

And here is Burt the Birt-day Gorilla, also dressed for the holiday.  The hat is one I put together one year when I did the Reindeer Run 5K in Little Falls.  I have not done that run in a few years now.  Perhaps in 2025.

Just a random St. Nick.

And this is a Santa Claus I snapped a picture of when I was out walking yesterday.  He was all by himself in the yard, but he looked cheery enough to me.

At the triumphant conclusion of the race.

And here I am wearing the hat that Burt currently sports.  As you see, I decorated myself for the run.  My dear friend Jim met me at the end of the race, where he sang the chorus of “We Are the Champions” while I walked around with my fists in the air, because I like to walk around with my fists in the air while somebody sings the chorus of “We Are the Champions.”  This was in 2018.

I see I am approaching 300 words.  I call that OK.  I shall hit Publish and continue trying to outpace my post-Christmas letdown.

 

We Interrupt this Christmas Celebration for a Blog Post

I have been off WordPress since, I believe, Christmas Eve Eve (of COURSE I am too lazy to go back and check).  I just typed in some 600 words about my parents’ house, coffee, tea, and the 21st century.  It needs editing.  I must say it is rather a joy to be composing at the keyboard.  I have not even had a pen and paper in front of me in a number of days.  I do not recommend fasting from writing.  It feels good to get back at it, but I believe it would have felt better never to have stopped.

Here’s a festive lady!

No, I have not been away from the blog due to excessive consumption of wine, although those who know me may be forgiven for thinking so.  I merely wanted to put in a Christmasy picture, and this is one I have not yet used. It is Lisa from Adirondack Winery pouring for a tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor in Herkimer, NY recently.  I walked down specifically to see her.  She is there on a regular basis, and we have become friends.  I told her all my Christmas-related drama, and she told me some fun stories of her day job (she works in the school system).  I had to take a picture of her seasonal outfit.

Still jingling all the way!

These slippers, a gift from my late husband Steven, made another appearance, as did the fun socks.  I am Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time, as the song goes (I love that song).  This is, as you may have guessed, another placeholder post, to keep my hand (fingers, really) in as a blogger (keep my finger in the blogger pie?  Mmmm…. pie!).  I need to begin my celebration of Boxing Day, or the Feast of Stephen, or perhaps Second Christmas (you know, like Second Breakfast).  More blog posts to follow!  Eventually.

 

“Snowman” and a Shout-Out

Here’s a cheerful fellow.

As I sit here at my Chromebook, feeling utterly incapable of making a blog post, I remembered that I had added some pictures to my Media Library that I had not used yet.  I put one in the post, hoping to get myself started.  This snowman (boxman?) was at the UPS Store at Canal Place in Little Falls, NY.  I know, the UPS Store is hardly the sort of distinctive local business I like to highlight in this blog.  However, that homemade snowman won my heart.

Although, now that I look at him, I wonder if corporate didn’t send out the mittens, buttons, etc, for the employees to cut out and use to make the snowman.  Is there just such a snowman at UPS Stores nationwide? Oh well, it is still cute.

This was as far as I got on Thursday with making a blog post.  Now it is Friday afternoon and I thought, “Oh yeah, I didn’t make a blog post yesterday.”  How dreadful of me.  Let’s go back to those pictures I added to my Media Library.

Ooh, pretty!

 

This was at Little Falls Diamond Company, which I visited last Friday with my sister Cheryl.  It is just the sort of distinctive local business I love.

More beautiful stones!

I was just remembering I wanted to visit a distinctive local shop in Herkimer today, so I kind of need to get off the computer and into the shower so I can get there.  Well, at least I gave one shout-out.  I’ll see what else I can do when I get back home.

Little Falls Diamond Company is located at 411 Canal Place, Little Falls, NY, phone number 315-823-0454.

 

Historical Society to the Rescue!

Fine daily blogger I am.  I missed three days.  At first I put “several” but then I counted.  Three is more like a few. I don’t make the rules.

I think Santa likes me anyways. He’s not a big reader of blogs, so I hear.

I threw in a photo right away.  This is Santa Claus, who was at the Herkimer County Historical Society last Saturday.  They were also selling cookies.  Yum!  I was in a perfectly dreadful mood and had been for some days.  I did not know what to do, but I wanted to support the Society, so I walked over.  The volunteers gave me a warm welcome (they know me from the murder mysteries) and invited me to hang out with them for as long as I wanted to.  Of course I did and had a wonderful time.

I wish the picture was a little clearer.

The Suiter House was beautifully decorated.  Of course I took a few pictures.

I don’t know who the lady in the portrait is.

We talked about Christmas villages, and how they tend to grow, sometimes out of control.  I thought the one on their mantle was just right.

No, I did not sit on his lap!

I did not tell Santa what I wanted for Christmas, because quite frankly, I have been bad all year and do not expect any presents, although I know Santa is something of a pushover, so I might in fact get something (that is not a run-on sentence, although I suppose a period might not have come amiss).

I felt very Christmasy and happy after my visit to the historical society.  I hope to volunteer there in the new year, to a greater extent than putting on the murder mystery.  That would probably make for some good blog posts.

The Herkimer County Historical Society is located at 400 and 406 Main St., Herkimer, NY.  You can visit their website at www.herkimercountyhistory.org

 

Another Non-Sequitur Lame Post Friday

This feels like a really late Lame Post Friday post, because Thursday felt like Friday, and yesterday felt like Saturday, so today should kind of feel like Sunday.  It is in fact early Saturday morning (I consult my watch and my Chromebook to confirm). Only I am not sure that it feels like anything as I got very little sleep last night.  But let us not dwell on my myriad problems and my tendency to whine about them; let us attempt some semblance of a blog post.

Well isn’t red a Christmas color?

OK, about that picture.  As I typed the first paragraph, my headache rolled back in.  I thought to throw in a Christmas illustration but the headache got more obtrusive as I searched my Media Library so I clicked almost at random, hit Save, and went elsewhere on my Chromebook till the weird feeling subsided (I should type up a few paragraphs describing the sensations of this headache, not for blogging purposes but to inflict on my neurologist). I typed and sent a couple of emails.  It is funny how you can do some kinds of writing sometimes.  Ooh, that is a bit of half-baked philosophy, is it not?  This IS a Lame Post Friday post!

Yesterday I took a real trip to Little Falls, NY with my sister Cheryl, and I took a number of pictures at our various stops.  Later on I stopped by the Wine Tasting Room at Raindrops on Roses Bed and Breakfast in Herkimer for a chat with the delightful proprietors.  I continued to a delicious dinner at Salvatore’s.  In between bouts of headache, it was quite the enjoyable day, and I hope to make more detailed posts about the places I stopped.

I quite forgot where I was going with this blog post, but I see I am approaching 300 words.  I say that is not bad, and I am hungry for my breakfast.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

I Guess I Was a Non-Sequitur

I meant to make my Thursday blog post on Thursday.  In fact, I went out in hopes of finding something to blog about.  It did not work out so well.  You see, I had this weird headache and I could not seem to quite do anything.  Don’t tell my mother; I don’t want her to worry.  Oh dear, she might read this post.  Never mind; I’ll think of something good to tell her.

Anyways, the headache was as much light-headedness as pain, and it kind of came and went, so during one of the times it went, I ventured out of the house.  I had an idea to check out a new store in Ilion, BB Music Center at 141 Central Ave., then have lunch at the new Jessie’s Grill at 200 Otsego St. (that cool wedge-shaped building). Unfortunately I found out Jessie’s was not to open till later, so I decided to go to Little Falls.

I hadn’t been here in a while.

I had not realized how cold it was till I walked from my car to the Little falls Antique Center at Canal Place. It was nice to look at all the beautiful wares again. Ooh I was loving the vintage jazz they were playing!  But these were not the Christmas presents I was thinking of purchasing for my loved ones.  Still, I know some of my siblings would love to accompany me there for another shopping trip one day.  I thought it might be a good idea to have lunch before going on.  For one reason, my headache was starting to come back.

Unfortunately I could not make up my mind to go into any of the eateries at Canal Place.  Perhaps I could find something on Main Street that would work.  Accordingly, I drove there and parked.  Ooh, there was Chickweed Boutique.  I love that place.  But… food.  I locked my car and started down the street.  I had parked close to one end of Main so I had a good ways to walk, and a few good eating places to walk by and choose from.

The wind had died down a little, so with my shawl, hat and gloves, I was not too cold at all.  It felt good to walk.  I walked by several places and ended up turning right and continuing to walk up a hill.  My headache was feeling much better.  There are not enough hills to walk up in Herkimer.  I was enjoying this.  I walked up the hill till there was no outlet then turned around and walked back to Main Street.

I decided to walk back up to my car and go home.  I had not consulted my watch when I parked, but I thought I had been walking for at least 20 minutes.  As I turned up Main Street, I wondered what if I ran into somebody I knew and they asked what I was doing.  I would have to say something like, “Well I don’t really know,” or, “It’s kind of hard to explain.”  I am a little sorry I did not run into anybody.

The beauty part was I noticed CVS Pharmacy before I got to my car and remembered I needed some supplements I have been taking for my migraines.  Alas that I forgot I also meant to purchase some hair gel.  I did amuse myself at CVS.  While waiting at the Pharmacy to pay for the B2 (I do not know why that should be a controlled substance) I saw myself on a television overhead, and it kept saying “recording.”  It made me nervous, but I reminded myself I was not buying poison.  It took a few minutes as the clerk needed to look up the price, so I thought to turn the image of me to good use by adjusting my headband.  When the clerk returned to complete the transaction, I told her the recording could be my alibi if I was accused of murder.  Do you suppose I watch too much Dateline?

I was a little annoyed with myself for not paying for the magnesium (oh dear is it a HIPAA violation that I told you both supplements I am on?) at the same time as the riboflavin (that’s another word for B2) when I couldn’t find anything else to buy (remember, I forgot about needing the hair gel).  Then I had a pleasant conversation with a man waiting to pay and with the clerk, so I felt happy about that.

Holy crap, I have blathered on for over 750 words about what was, so I thought, a rather uneventful interlude. If anybody has read till the end, thank you!  I hope you had a lovely Thursday and have a wonderful Friday.