Tag Archives: Mohawk Valley adventures

Fuel for Adventures

Saturday morning my friend Tracy and I decided to have breakfast out, in order to sustain ourselves for the Mohawk Valley adventures we had planned. I had to return a book to the Frankfort Free Library, so I suggested the Knight Spot.

The Knight Spot is one of my favorite breakfast locations, although they are also notable for lunch, dinner and most especially ice cream. I told Tracy how Steven and I love to come in mid-afternoon for coffee and a sundae. Perhaps on a future visit Tracy can enjoy that treat.

The idea of ice cream for breakfast was tempting, but I opted for my favorite of a breakfast sandwich on a hard roll. I had bacon this time (I alternate amongst bacon, sausage and just cheese). Tracy got a yummy looking omelet with peppers, onions and mushrooms. I entertained Tracy while we ate by reading ice cream flavors off the wall.

As usual the service was excellent and the food was delicious. It’s really nice to have a weekend guest and take advantage of some of the fine Mohawk Valley restaurants, which I seldom do any more. On the other hand, after dinner and two breakfasts out, I put on three pounds (on top of the five I am STILL trying to lose) (or was it ten? oh dear). I think some running commentary may be in my future.

The Knight Spot is located at 264 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY. Phone number is 315-894-4054. Their website is www.theknightspot.com. You can also Like them on Facebook. I did.

No Brain for the Oscars

I believe I mentioned yesterday that I have had a few Mohawk Valley adventures I intend to write about. I hope nobody was looking forward to that too eagerly, because today is Wrist to Forehead Sunday. I’m sitting at my computer, typing this off the top of my head and it is not going to be very long.

I am not actually in distress, as Wrist to Forehead may imply (I’m probably not a beautiful maiden, either, but whatever) (you know, from the fairy tales: beautiful maiden in distress? So much for literary references). I am actually having quite an enjoyable weekend. As I mentioned, it is my husband’s birthday weekend. We both have three days off. We like to have days off together.

So why am I not writing a real post, which might even take less time than trying to come up with excuses why I’m not? I say, that is a good question. I guess the only answer is that my brain is not in gear. It may not even be in my head (it made kind of a hollow sound when I tapped it just now) (just kidding; I didn’t really tap myself on the head, I thought it would be funny to pretend I did).

One reason I need to get this post written is that I have snacks to fix. It is Oscar Day, the movie buff’s equivalent of Superbowl Sunday. I have not seen any of the movies nominated, or in fact, any movie made within the past ten years. Well, at least three, anyways. But you know me, any excuse to fix yummy snacks. I may even write a post on what I fix. But not today. Happy Sunday, everyone.

This is Not a More Better Post

Today is just not working out for me.

That phrase popped into my head as I finally got changed into my sweats and realized I REALLY want to start my weekend now but have not yet written my blog post. I cheer myself up with the thought, It’s Lame Post Friday. Instead of my usual random observations and half-baked philosophy, I offer the Week in Weather.

Monday I did not drive straight home but had a minor adventure. I don’t know that it was particularly a Mohawk Valley adventure, but then again, maybe it was. Winter was still on. I had to clear a layer of heavy, wet snow off my windshield and hood. It had been snowing for most of the day, so I think the snow was previously on the roof and had worked its way down. That was good, because that meant there was less on the roof to slide down while I drove.

The uneven tire pressure light in my SUV was on, so I stopped at the gas station where they have that groovy tire filler where you just punch in the pressure and it figures it out for you. It is most convenient, but one still must crouch next to one’s tires, sometimes for a long time. I wanted to kneel, but not in an inch of snow and ice. Ugh.

From the tire adventure, I went to Aldi’s to get some canned goods. Their lot was full, so I approached with trepidation. Still, I wanted beans. Apparently all the snow had fallen after they had plowed. The space I found to park in had not even been driven over. Still, a space is a space. I took it. The only adventuresome part came later, when I tried to push a full cart through the snow to get back to my vehicle. Oh well, I comforted myself, it burns more calories.

Winter waned as the week progressed. I believe I wrote about a wet walk we took with Tabby yesterday. Today I took Tabby down the sidewalk in hopes of meeting Steven as he came home from work. This time I sensibly put on my flood boots. My feet stayed dry, if not exactly warm.

I mostly felt happy the rain had stopped. It had been raining like the proverbial sonofabitch earlier (pardon my french). I worried about my basement but since the streets didn’t seem too bad, I cravenly did not go down and check. When Steven came home he informed me that water was indeed coming up into the basement. We went down and sopped with towels and a mop. Once again, my flood boots came in handy.

At last we felt we had done all we could. I may head out somewhere tomorrow and get a more better mop and bucket (more better being the technical term). That will possibly make a more better blog post on Saturday. As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

How James M. Cain Makes Steven Nervous

How about a new feature called Tired on Tuesday? I may have suggested that before.

I was afraid this would happen when we did not watch a cheesy movie on Sunday. I was just too lazy to look for one. Instead, we watched two film noirs (films noir?) based on James M. Cain novels, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) and Double Indemnity (1944).

I can’t write about these movies the way I usually do about more cheesy cinematic fare. They’re really good movies. I suppose I could do a compare/contrast about them, because both are about sexy blondes who enlist boyfriends to help kill their husbands. Or I could be silly and tell how my husband Steven gets a little nervous because they are two of my all-time favorite movies. Or I could bag both movies and write instead about the walk I took with my schnoodle Tabby yesterday.

What I cannot do, it seems, is go right downstairs and watch a cheesy movie or have a Mohawk Valley adventure so I have something to write about.

The funny thing is, I almost had a topic this morning. Steven was driving me to work, and I went into one of my foolish analyses of words, this time critiquing the name of a certain chain drug store. Steven’s reply was, “Blog post.” I won’t write it, though, because on reflection, I feel it is not a spot-on analysis.

And now I see I have over 200 words (love that word count feature), which by my definition makes a respectable blog post. Tune in tomorrow (if you will be so kind), when perhaps I will wax eloquent about Valentine’s Day. Happy Tuesday, everybody.

Well, I Tried

It was SUPPOSED to be warmer today. I had all kinds of Mohawk Valley adventures planned. Oh well, I guess it was warmer. The temperature reached double digits, in fact, it was 17 degrees the last time I looked. Heat wave!

I did venture out this morning, when it was still single digits. I had a bit of what I thought was a sinus headache but as usual hoped for the best. After all, the sun was out; that made everything better. Or did it? The bright sun reflecting off all the snow put my headache in high gear. At the first STOP sign I dug my prescription sunglasses out of my purse. They are polarized. Phew!

My most pressing task was to put air in my tires, because the tire pressure indicator light was on. Isn’t it the damnedest thing that just when you want to put air in your tires, so does everybody else? I did my other stuff first.

I patronized two local businesses and had a lovely visit to a library. That should be good for at least three blog posts, right? Well, the headache only got worse. I blamed the frigid temperatures (and, please, anybody who is experiencing sub-zero temperatures, do NOT tell me I don’t know what cold temperatures are)(that’s a good topic for some half-baked philosophy next Lame Post Friday: perspective and the advice to quit whining). Where was I? Soon I had a full-blown migraine with nausea.

Naturally I did what any self-respecting 21st century woman does: I went home and posted on Facebook about my misery. And distracted myself by seeing other people’s problems, political opinions, kids’ pictures and jokes. I love Facebook. And yes, I know, I am not a real 21st century woman. For one thing, I’ve never used the word “hashtag” in my life, except to say, “Why are you calling a pound sign a hashtag? What’s that all about?”

And now I’m getting all distracted by nonsense. My headache is better, but my head is still kind of vague. I put some peppermint oil on my temples, which is supposed to provide intellectual stimulation. Perhaps I have nothing up there left to stimulate.

In my defense, by some calculations the Christmas season lasts until January 6th. Let’s pretend I’m still on vacation.

At Least I Left the House

I know, running errands is not the same thing as going running. I’m impressed with myself that I left the house at all, so those that are more dedicated and tougher than I, oh well, it’s nice for you, that’s all.

I think my stupid cold is reaching its climax and I will begin the slow road back to health tomorrow. I had a dreadful headache for most of the day. the worst thing about being sick was that I had several potential Mohawk Valley adventure waiting for me. A sleigh ride in Meyers Park, a craft fair and bake sale in Mohawk, an open house at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts, the Herkimer County Historical Society’s gift shop open on Saturdays for December, and the annual Roast Beef Dinner at Christ Episcopal Church. All to be enjoyed by people other than me!

I watched a movie and crocheted, practiced “feed a cold,” and tried unsuccessfully to nap. At last I took a hot shower, and that seemed to help. I hadn’t meant to do anything, but I actually felt like putting on real clothes and making the attempt.

My plan was to get out of the house, pick up a prescription that was waiting for me, and make it to the roast beef dinner for take-out. When I saw that my beloved schnoodle, Tabby, was waiting for me on the landing of the stairs, I reconsidered. It seemed too cold to let her wait in the vehicle while I did my errands, so I thought it was not unreasonable to take her for a walk before I left.

The sun was just about to go down after a cloudy day. I don’t mind the gloom. I enjoyed the neighbors’ Christmas lights as usual, as well as the sight of bare trees against the grey sky. We only went around the block (Tabby’s idea). I grabbed my purse and got out the door before I could change my mind.

My errands did not take me long. I was especially happy about the roast beef. For one thing, I like to support the church. Even more importantly, Steven went back to work after lunch thinking I would not make it there, and I didn’t have any other bright ideas for supper. Won’t he be pleased, especially when he finds I even got dessert?

Lame Till Proven Innocent

Almost every time I go to write the year, I start to write a different year from what it really is.

That is the only random observation I have so far on this Lame Post Friday.

I always feel a little guilty having a Lame Post Friday right after a Non-Sequitur Thursday. Then again, at least I didn’t use the Wuss-Out Wednesday post I started to write two days ago. What did I post on Wednesday? I’ll have to look it up before I publish this. If I publish this.

That was as far as I wrote at work. Since that time, I have come up with a couple more random observations. If I choose between two things to do, I am sure to feel guilty about whichever one I didn’t pick. That is the personal one. The environmental one is: while I see several houses nicely decorated for Halloween, nobody seems to have really gone overboard. I record this observation with some regret, because I love Halloween.

Well, this is pretty thin, even for a Friday Lame Post (does that count as another observation?). However, I will publish it anyways, because I have to get out the door soon for a Mohawk Valley adventure. Yes, the thing I picked to do that now I feel guilty about not picking the other thing. However, in my defense, I walked my dog and I am making my blog post (such as it is). Therefore, I only have one thing to feel guilty about not doing.

In case you want to know, the thing I feel guilty about missing is exercising at Curves. Someone might argue that I can also feel guilty about not going running, but, really, that was never on the roster for today. However, my membership at Curves is over as of next week. Therefore, soon I will either be running for feeling guilty about it. You’ll read it here first (at least, I hope somebody will still be reading).

No Oomph?

I was thinking today that I could very easily end up writing a blog entirely about How I Can’t Write a Blog Post. I would probably want to call it something different from Mohawk Valley Girl, though.

Well, I don’t think anybody could blame me for not having any Mohawk Valley adventures last week; I was sick. So what can I write about this week? If I had more oomph, I would come home from work, have a Mohawk Valley adventure and write about it. And here we come to the ugly truth about me.

As I search for something new to say about not having anything to say, I was surprised just now when my computer seemed to consider “oomph” a word. I thought it was, you know, one of those words people use that isn’t really a word. It means, you know, whatever it seems to mean in the sentence. I thought the word origin was the noise people make when they heft something heavy.

I looked it up in the dictionary after writing the above paragraph (Steven keeps one by the computer) (The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition, New York, 1992). It says: “n. Slang. 1. Spirited vigor. 2. Sex appeal [Of expressive orig.]”

So it seems I am right about the word origin. I guess I used it to mean spirited vigor. I mean, not to brag, but I have PLENTY of sex appeal. Sex appeal in SPADES! DRIPPING with sex appeal!

Sex appeal, as you may know, is of very little use in the composition of blog posts.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s Wuss Out Wednesday.