Tag Archives: Little Falls NY

We’ll Always Have Lame Post Friday

I really did try to write while I was at work today (YES, on a break, don’t go speed-dialing my boss!).  For one reason, I ran out of cryptogram puzzles from the newspaper and I didn’t bring a book or magazine nor yet my script to study (that last would have been a good idea; missed a bet).  Well, the brain dead thing continues, I guess. Anyways, it’s Lame Post Friday.  I can’t get too exercised on Lame Post Friday (exercise!  That would be another good idea!  Oh well).

It isn’t even a “real” Friday for me, because I work tomorrow.  Oh, don’t sneer at me, all you non-Monday-to-Friday people.  I know, you all work harder and longer than me at more challenging, important jobs.  Blah, blah, blah.  I wasn’t complaining.  Much.

My plan had been to write about LiFT’s performance of Much Ado About Nothing last night at Benton’s Landing in Little Falls.  It went very well.  Actors and audience both endured high temperatures and humidity.  We were rewarded with a live Shakespeare experience.  Oh, I do love theatre.  I love writing too; I just don’t seem to be capable of doing much of that lately.  As I often say, one must persevere.

Tomorrow afternoon we have another performance, this one on the stage where we have rehearsed the most, Sterzinar Park, Canal Place, Little Falls.  Saturday’s show is at 4 p.m., then Sunday we have one at 3.  For more information, you can visit LiFT’s Facebook page.  You can also see some fun pictures of our other performances.

And in case anybody was wondering, Sunday will conclude All Much Ado All The Time and we return to our regularly scheduled blog posts (you know, a few “real” posts surrounded by foolishness about How I Can’t Write a Post Today).  I do hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

 

 

I Judge that it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday

I did not think I was having too much white wine last night, but perhaps I was.  Or I could blame it on spending a couple hours out in the bright sunlight yesterday enjoying Herkimer’s Village-wide Garage Sales.  Perhaps the combination of the two.  In any case, I am having a Wrist to Forehead Sunday that is even more wrist-to-foreheady (you don’t have to underline that, computer, I know it is not a word) than my usual.  I’ve had a dreadful headache all day that is only just now in abeyance, after copious amounts of water, Gatorade and rest.

Those of you who feel the white wine is to blame and are shaking our head (or your fingers or your booties) in superior condemnation, don’t judge.  At least, I suppose I ought not tell people what to do.  Who am I to judge people for judging me?  For all I know they are perfectly right to do so.  Just because everybody says, “Don’t judge” doesn’t mean nobody should ever judge anybody under any circumstances.  What about federal judge or the Supreme Court?  I feel this is too complicated a question to consider.  It might bring my headache back on.

In any case, I have another bear of a week to prepare for.  Tomorrow is the postponed Much Ado at the Zoo.  That’s 6 p.m. at the Utica Zoo, local readers.  Free with admission to the zoo.  Come see the show!  We have three more performances in Little Falls, in Benton Landing and at Canal Place as part of the Canal Days celebration.  I’ll tell more about those later.  If you want more information, you can consult LiFT’s Facebook page.  You can also Like the Little Falls Canal Celebration page, for information about the whole festival.

 

Lazy Saturday Afternoon

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.

 

Scattered Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Oh, it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

Oh dear, that seems to be the extent of my capacity to write.  One problem is that I’m on our tablet, typing one letter at a time with the stylus.   Ooh, it is creepy when the tablet correctly anticipates what I’m about to type.  And kind of weird when it does not.

Ah, now I am on my laptop.  How delightful to type with all ten fingers.  I have always been fascinated by the skill of typing.  I’ve loved doing it ever since I learned how.

So now I have paragraphs beginning “Oh,”  “Oh,”  and “Ah.”  You may have noticed that I am something of a drama queen.  I contend that there are worse things to be. Sometimes being a drama queen stands me in good stead, for example, when I am on stage, as I often am these days.  So there.

It has been a busy weekend, beginning Thursday night with a performance of scenes from Much Ado About Nothing on Benton’s Landing in Little Falls.  On Friday I marched in the Doodah Parade in Ilion with Ilion Little Theatre.  Saturday morning I was up early(ish) and running, then off to Liverpool, for a nephew’s high school graduation party.  Fun times with family!  I ran again this morning, before the drive back home.

While we went away, we boarded our dog with a delightful man from the Velvet Dog in Herkimer.  We dropped our Spunky off Saturday morning and were able to pick him up Sunday when we got back into town.  I felt it was a very reasonable price for our dog to be well cared for and to be able to pick him up at our own convenience on a Sunday.  Yay, Velvet Dog!

But it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday, because I am damn tired.  The coming week stretches in front of me with hot temperatures, humidity and a long list of things to do and places to be.  But I have bitched about these things before, and I believe I marked complaining off my list of things to do.  Everything will be delightful.  I hope to make better blog posts in the coming week as well as finding time to run. However, my focus is on Much Ado About Nothing. It’s All Much Ado All The Time!  For at least the next three weeks!  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Lames Away!

I did say it was going to be Lame Post Friday, didn’t I?  And here I am, ready to lame away!  Not really.  I’m sitting at work, which is not air conditioned by the way, writing in my beat-up spiral notebook and wishing I had a cryptogram puzzle to solve instead.  Well, maybe not instead.  Maybe as a warm-up.  When I was much younger and had to tear myself away from whatever book I was reading to work on whatever novel I was writing, I used to do a puzzle to clear my mind between the two fictions (oh, I like that phrase, “between the two fictions”).

My mind could use some clearing.  I have had quite the bear of a week and it is not over yet.  The fact that most of my chores have been fun things that I chose to do does not take away from the inherent stress of having too much stuff to do.  The reflection that other people have to do way more stuff than me adds guilt and self-loathing to my troubles, as I add “Beat self up for complaining so much” to my to-do list.

Last night members of LiFT Theatre Company had a great deal of fun presenting a few scenes from Much Ado About Nothing to attendees of Little Falls’ Third Thursday.  We got some good laughs, especially when we forgot lines.

Tonight I plan to march in Ilion’s Doodah Parade with other members of Ilion Little Theatre.  That means I have to hurry home, walk my dog, take my shower, make my blog post, eat something, get into my costume and be ready by 5:15.  I’m not just planning how to get all this done, I’m scheming how to get it done early so my friend and I can sneak in a quick wine tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor before the parade.  Ah, add another thing to my list:  Check Facebook to see if Valley is having a tasting (although they almost always do on Fridays) and contact Kim to see if she’s into it.

What a long list I’m getting.  Perhaps I should not add “Beat myself up for complaining.”  Hey, I bet I’d save even more time if I actually STOPPED complaining.  As the Gene Wilder character said in Young Frankenstein: “IT!  COULD!  WORK!”

 

Pre-preview Performance Post

I wonder if I can think of a few more “p” words to add to the headline before I hit Publish (ooh, there’s one).  You know how I love alliteration.

Welcome to another post in All Much Ado All The Time.  As longtime readers (if any) may have noticed, this blog periodically becomes All (something) All The Time.  I’ve had All Boilermaker All The Time, All DARE 5K All The Time and All (whatever play I’m involved in) All The Time.  Astute readers (and I’m sure you all are that) will have noticed that it isn’t really All The Time.  For example, yesterday I managed a post about a Mohawk Valley adventure.  Tomorrow I will probably have Lame Post Friday.  I find it’s best not to look too closely at these things, but just to keep typing and eventually  hit Publish.

I am typing in some haste today, because I have to be in Little Falls, NY by six for a preview performance of Much Ado About Nothing.  It is only a few scenes, and I don’t have that many lines in the one I’m in.  It should be fun.  There is just nothing like performing in front of a live audience. When I start asking myself why oh why I got involved in another play rather than working toward other life goals (such as a clean house and a smaller waistline), I really know the answer.  I LOVE community theatre!!!

Yesterday after work, I hit the Thrift Store in Ilion looking for a couple of costume pieces. I had luck with pants but not shoes.  Well, actually I had great luck with shoes but not for the play.  I found the most delicious black velvet ankle boots.  Suh-WEET!  And on sale! I’ll just wear something neutral tonight and keep looking before the real performances.

I studied my lines while on breaks at work.  You know, instead of writing a blog post.  That’s why I’m typing this now.  And I see I’m over 300 words.  I’ll call that respectable and hit Publish. Hope to see you all on Lame Post Friday.

 

Cheesy Post about the Festival

Last year when I ran in the Boilermaker 15K, I chose not to go to the Little Falls Cheese Festival, which was the day before.  Given my sensitivity to sun, I did not want to spend hours out in it the day before running 15Ks in the bright sun.  Since I was not running the Boilermaker this year, it seemed wasteful to miss the Cheese Festival as well.

A few of us met at the house of a friend that lives in Little Falls and walked from there to the Festival on Main Street.  I have not spent a lot of time walking around Little Falls, so I was delighted to be strolling through a residential section.  I love to walk anyways, especially when I have had a strenuous run earlier, which I had.  In Little Falls, there are many beautiful houses to admire.  I kept advising my friends to purchase ones that were for sale, then to invite me over.

What a lot of cheese!  We went from one end of the festival to the other, sampling, chatting and purchasing.  I picked up business cards and brochures when available, hoping I could check out some of these businesses in more detail.

My post is not really doing justice to the cheese festival.  We also saw a fun play and heard a wonderful band.  I’d like to write a whole blog post about the play. I’m afraid I’ve having a bit of Monday Malaise, which is sad, since yesterday I declared that today would be New Leaf Monday.  On the other hand, I did manage to write a post about something other than the fact that I can’t write a post (if you don’t count this last paragraph).  Happy Monday, everyone.

 

From Witch to Watch

Oh, I  tried to write a blog post this morning.  There I was, on a break at work, snack at my side, notebook open… and I did a cryptogram puzzle I cut out of the newspaper.  Then I felt properly ashamed of myself and began writing a post about a cheesy movie I watched recently.  I had been thinking about the movie while I was working (as I have mentioned many times, you can do that with my job).  First I couldn’t remember the title or the plot.  Then when I remembered the title, parts of the plot came back to me.  I even thought of a few witty things to say about it (or do I flatter myself?) (we can’t tell till I write the post).

I got a few sentences out, but it just was not working well.  It was kind of a relief when break ended.  I cravenly stuck with cryptograms  and crossword puzzles during lunch (how’s that for a nice bit of alliteration?  I may use that for the title, thus blowing any chance of this being a true Non-Sequitur Thursday).

You can disregard that last parenthetical comment; I’m sticking with my first headline.  However, since I intend to explain said headline, this may not count as Non-Sequitur Thursday after all.  No matter, because I want to tell you about the Watch.

I’ve mentioned that I am in Much Ado About Nothing with LiFT Theatre Company in Little Falls.  I am the Friar.  At rehearsal last night, the director asked me if I would mind taking another small part.  Of course I never turn these things down.  More stage time? Another character?  I’m in!  The part is Second Watch.  I’m this homespun, uneducated farmer-type who has been recruited to be on the watch.  I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s a pretty funny part, and there are not many lines for me to learn.

One reason I think it is so fun to be Second Watch is that some time ago, when I was in a scene from MacBeth, directed by the same fellow who is currently directing, I was the Third Witch (wouldn’t it have been so cool if I had been the Second?  You can’t have everything).  I wrote several blog posts about it.  Perhaps you read one or two of them.

I will write more about Second Watch and Much Ado About Nothing in days to come. I hope to also finish that post about the movie.  I shall also get back to that list I mentioned in an earlier post this week.  I’m thinking I’d better get a move on if I want to cross out any more items.  Happy Thursday, everyone.

 

 

Out of the Frying Pan into the Friar

I think I need theatre detox or one of those 12-step programs.  I just can’t stay away from the stuff!

I thought it would be an easy matter to take the summer off from working on a play (except, of course, for the one I’m writing).  Ilion Little Theatre doesn’t have a summer show. LiFT Theater Company in Little Falls is doing Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (should I feel silly putting “by William Shakespeare”?  Because I do), but I carefully stayed home from auditions.  When a friend, who did audition and was cast, mentioned that Matt Powers, the director was still looking for people, I was tempted.  However, I reminded myself that I had decided to take a break and to use my summer for other projects.

Then I got a Facebook message from Matt, asking me was I interested in being the Friar.  Oh NO!  Of COURSE I was interested!  And so flattered to be asked (I know, he may have asked forty people before he asked me; the fact remains that he did ask me).

Still, I dithered.  I messaged back asking questions about dates and times.  I pondered and thought.  Then I realized that I had stalled for a couple of days during which Matt could have been asking someone else.  How rude to say no now!  Oh, who am I kidding?  We all knew I was going to do it.

And yes, if anyone was wondering, it was the friend mentioned previously who suggested Matt ask me.  I told her I didn’t know whether I should thank her or shake my fist at her, but we all know I’m happy about this.  For one reason, it will give me something else to write blog posts about.

Look, I’ve already started.  My question now is: was today’s post better or worse than my usual Lame Post Friday schtick?

 

Happening in to the Happen Inn

Twice now in Little Falls our original plans for a place to eat have fallen through and we have discovered an excellent alternative.  Let’s hear it for serendipity!

The first time was for dinner.  We were to meet our friends Phyllis and Jim.  There we were on Main Street.  I was on the phone with Phyllis, telling her we could not get into [excellent place to eat that was busy].  She did not have any suggestions.

“There’s the Happen Inn down the street,” I said, walking in that direction.  “I think they have a menu on the door.”  Phyllis has Celiac’s Disease and must consume a gluten-free diet (it’s a DISEASE not a FAD for her!).  While I walked, she got on the internet and ascertained that the Happen Inn could meet her needs.

Steven and I went in, down some stairs, and found a seat at the bar.  I was already delighted with the place, because one of our favorite watering holes up north, at the beginning of our life together, was in a basement.

When Phyllis and Jim arrived we got a table.  Normally you have to order your food and drink at the bar, but because it was fairly quiet when we were there, the bartender came to our table.  She made a good suggestion to Phyllis about a gluten-free meal and the rest of us found stuff that sounded good, which indeed it was.  I know I usually mention what everybody ate when I do these posts, but right now I am just not remembering.

Be that as it may, we enjoyed our meal and our evening very much. I think I’ll save our second serendipitous meal for another blog post.

The Happen Inn Sports Bar and Grill is located at 2 West Main St., Little Falls, NY, phone number 314-823-9840.  For more information you can visit their website at http://www.happeninn.net/.  You can also Like them on Facebook.  I did.