Tag Archives: murder

Last Rehearsal, YIKES!

Posted on March 27, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

And it’s another Post-Rehearsal Post during this week of All Prescription: Murder All The Time here at Mohawk Valley Girl.  For anybody just tuning in, Prescription: Murder is the play I am in at Ilion Little Theatre (ILT).  I had meant to take pictures of my fellow actors in costume tonight but, alas, neglected to.  I will try to get some pictures on Friday, opening night.  Yikes, that’s SOON!

We have no rehearsal tomorrow.  It is an ILT tradition to be dark the night before opening.  In this case, it is good news for me, because there is a Frankfort Town Board meeting tomorrow night I need to cover for Sentinel Media Company (I believe I mentioned my side hustle of writing for them) (full disclosure:  I don’t have a main hustle any more) (but this is not a work blog, so never mind).

Where was I?  Ah yes, the play.  I still have a couple of rehearsal shots I haven’t shared.

You can tell which is Columbo by the raincoat.

I think I have mentioned that the play later became the first episode of Columbo, which regular readers know is a series I adore.  I have seen the episode several times, and I must say, I prefer the TV movie to the stage play.  However, I am having a great deal of fun with the play, and my fellow actors are doing a wonderful job.

Yeah, he SHOULD feel bad!

I hope my readers realize I do not need to include a spoiler alert as I point out my murderer, because that is the point of Columbo:  the audience sees what looks like a perfect murder, but Lt. Columbo brings the murderer to justice nonetheless.

For more information about Prescription: Murder,  you can visit ILT’s website, www.ilionlittletheatre.org, or their Facebook page,

 

2 Comments

Posted in community theatre, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Everybody Is So Excited for Me to Get Murdered!

Posted on March 13, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I would give a brief update of Prescription: Murder the play I am in at Ilion Little Theatre (ILT).  Rehearsals are going very well.  Characters and relationships are developing, the set is looking good, and we are all having a lot of fun.

The little chippy!

That’s my husband and his girlfriend.  I sure don’t have good luck with stage husbands!  In 2015 it was William Druse, when I played the title character in Roxy.  He was abusive and a lousy provider, but at least he didn’t kill me.  Yeah, I killed him.  What’s your point?

I am jealous of the typewriter.

That is Dr. Fleming’s efficient secretary, Miss Petrie.  I don’t like to tell too much about the characters and how the plot unfolds.  I feel a little bad that I gave away that I get murdered, but it is in the title after all.  Other members of ILT are very encouraging to me.  They are all looking forward to me getting killed!

Guess which one is Columbo.

Prescription: Murder will be presented at Ilion Little Theatre, 13 Remington Ave., Ilion, NY, March 28, 29 and 30, and April 4, 5 and 6, 7:30 Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays.  For more information go to ILT’s website http://www.ilionlittletheatre.org or visit their Facebook page.

 

2 Comments

Posted in community theatre, humor, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

I’m In The Play!

Posted on February 12, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had meant to make a Pre-Rehearsal Post, then thought maybe a Post-Rehearsal Post would be better, because I could take a picture of said rehearsal.  Of course I neglected to do so.  Never mind, I’ll just bill it as a Tired Tuesday post and drive on.

I hope at least some of my readers will be interested to find out that I got a part in Prescriptiom: Murder, the play I auditioned for at Ilion Little Theatre last week (perhaps you read my blog post about it).  I was very excited to be offered the part I wanted:  the wife that gets murdered!  I have two scenes, then I can spend the rest of the play in the dressing room crocheting.  I had a similar experience in And Then There Were None, back in 2011, before my blogging days.

A scene from auditions.

Here are two actors that are also in the cast, reading for two different parts from the ones they got, but I wanted to throw in a picture to pep things up.  I’m tired, remember?

The read-through went pretty well.  I am looking forward to working with the other actors, some of whom I have worked with before, some I have not.  It is one woman’s first play ever!  I will certainly do more blog posts about the play, eventually turning this blog into All Prescription: Murder All The Time.  Of course I hope you will stay tuned.

 

2 Comments

Posted in community theatre, humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Naturally I Blog About Monsters

Posted on January 9, 2025 by mohawkvalleygirl

Once again I suffer from the type-it-in-backspace-it-out disease.  I thought I could make at least a Mid-Week Monsters post.  I am kind of sort of watching Dateline on Roku TV as I type this.  It is an episode I have seen several times, about a case I have seen covered on other true crime shows.  Murderers are real-life monsters, I think, although that is some half-baked philosophy more suited to Lame Post Friday.

A murder not covered on Dateline.

Here is one of those real-life monsters, a famous local case, Chester Gillette’s murder of his pregnant girlfriend Grace Brown.  He looks awfully handsome for a monster, but murders often do.

Here’s a scarier looking killer!

Here is another real-life monster, a man-eating shark!  One could argue that the shark is merely following its nature; it is unfair to blame it.  Regular readers know, I am no hand at argument.  By the way,  this may not be a real shark but Bruce, the mechanical star of JAWS, I add in the interests of accuracy.  One could then argue that this is not a real-life monster after all, but one of the movie variety.  I feel this is merely quibbling, because there are in fact sharks that actually kill people.  Or at least bite their legs off, which I consider pretty monstrous behavior.

You can’t even see the killers in this shot. Sorry about that.

As long as we’re into killers in nature, I conclude with this picture from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.  Of course the birds in this movie do not behave the way most birds do in nature.  I think this is pretty good news for most of us.

I see I am approaching 300 words, which is also good news to me.  I hope this post has not been too monstrous.  Perhaps I should have gone for a Wuss-out Wednesday post instead.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, Mid-Week Monsters, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Sunday Blog Posts Are Not an Adventure; They’re Murder!

Posted on September 9, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Sorry, sports fans, but all I can manage today is a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  I don’t know why I call my readers “sports fans” when this is not a sports blog, although I think my readers are good sports about my missing posts and doing foolish posts instead of writing about Mohawk Valley Adventures, as promised.  At least, maybe I didn’t promise exactly;  I try not to make promises.  Anyways, tonight I feel ready to swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, onto a handily placed chaise lounge (I add the description for the benefit of anybody just tuning in).

Preview of Coming Attractions, maybe.

Here is a picture I took last Thursday of my great niece and nephew, Evie and Sheppy at the ARC Park in Herkimer, NY.  Their grandmother, my sister Cheryl, invited me to join them.  We had a lovely time, and I took a number of pictures for blogging purposes. They were very nice about posing.

Right now I am, big surprise (to regular readers), watching Columbo.  However, I had an interesting reason (or do I flatter myself?) for picking this episode.  I saw the actress who plays the murderess last night and today as I was watching the movie Mr. Brooks (I started it last night but was too tired to finish it).  Alas that I do not know the actress’ name.  Do you suppose I could find it online?  Regular readers know I am no hand at that.

Random picture to denote passage of time while I look.

Lindsay Crouse!  When I saw her in Mr. Brooks, playing Demi Moore’s boss, it took me a minute to recognize her, because she had a different hairdo and was playing quite a different character.  She was a very sexy murderess in Columbo.  For anybody not familiar with Columbo, I did not need to add a Spoiler Alert before telling you who the murderer was.  That was the plot of almost every Columbo:  you see the murder committed and wonder how Lt. Columbo is going to figure it out and prove it.  If you are not familiar with Columbo, I highly recommend it.

I do have a happy Sunday with Columbo.

Incidentally, Mr. Brooks is also a movie where you do not have to guess who the murderer is.  I love the movie, but I fear it is not for all tastes.  Having said all that, I see I am over 400 words.  That’s a lot of words for somebody who didn’t think she could make a blog post at all.  Once again, I have to ask, what the hell, me?

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Just Another Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Posted on April 15, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well I had a fine start to my weekend (according to the title of my last post) and not bad weekend, and today is Wrist to Forehead Sunday, the day when I swoon, dramatically posed with the back on one wrist to my forehead, in anticipation on the upcoming Monstrous Monday.  My aim is to begin blogging daily again, as I once did.  So here I am.

It isn’t an unhappy Sunday.

I am watching an episode of Columbo as I type this. Patrick McGoohan is the murderer, one of my favorites.  For anybody unfamiliar with Columbo, this needed no  spoiler alert.  In Columbo, the viewer sees the murderer commit the “perfect” crime then watches Lt. Columbo cleverly solve it.

Earlier tonight I watched a 1973 TV movie of Double Indemnity.  It was included with our DVD of the original 1944 film.  Alas, I do not know how to find a picture of it on my Chromebook.  I might have a picture of the original in my Media Library, but can I find it?

Steamy!

I have been knitting while I look at the television, a very relaxing way to spend a Sunday.  Earlier today I got a few things done, did the dishes, went grocery shopping, made a salad for my week’s lunches, progressed a little more on various cleaning projects, took a walk… I listed each little thing in the TV Journal, just to encourage myself.  I wrote a few other things in the TV Journal plus worked on a letter to a friend, just to have done a little more writing.

And now I see I am over 250 words on this blog post.  So I have posted for two days in a row.  I suppose that is not such a much, but I like to celebrate every small win.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

A slightly blurry photo from another weekend.

I just wanted to add another picture.  I am enjoying a glass of wine, by the way.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Monsters, Mugs and Murder at Mid-Week

Posted on January 25, 2024 by mohawkvalleygirl

I guess it is a week of late blog posts, but you’ll have that, especially with this blog.  I think I will have the Mid-Week Monster post I mentioned on an earlier post this week.  For one reason, I like monsters.

Well, this is frustrating.  I found a picture I wanted to share on Facebook but cannot figure out how to do it on the Chromebook.  It is probably Operator Error as usual.  My entire life is plagued by Operator Error!  But we weren’t talking about me for once.  I shall resort to my Media Library, also as usual.

Must have my coffee.

This is not a self-portrait.  Yes, I drink coffee, but I will probably never be that skinny.  Still, one can dream.

In fact I am a kind of a witch, spelled with a b, of course.

A coffee-themed monster post?  I used my flaming pumpkin mug yesterday.  I am not sure if I can find another appropriate illustration.

Why do I not have these in my collection?

The things you find when you are scrolling down!  I had forgotten all about these gems.  Is it too early to start planning this year’s Halloween festivities?  I think not.

One of my favorite shows.

How about some murder mugs to go with the monsters?  Murder is a monstrous crime, although I like to make light of it in my murder mysteries.  I used to have one more.  I wonder if I can find it…

I like to think I am one of these, or do I flatter myself?

Found it!  Another show I miss since I gave up cable.  I think they stopped making new episodes, though, so I had to get lucky and catch it on re-runs or On Demand.  Still, there is no point in repining.  One can find other sources of entertainment, after all.

Speaking of entertainment, I hope this blog has managed to be that.  I will try for some Mohawk Valley Adventures in the near future.  In the meantime, thank you for tuning in.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, Mid-Week Monsters, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Not Too Tired for Columbo

Posted on May 17, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

Time for another Tired Tuesday Post.  Only I am having trouble concentrating on it, because I am playing an episode of Columbo which I have never seen.  Hmm… wasn’t that the case on another recent post?  Oh dear.

I meant to go running today so could have done a Running Commentary Post, but it was deadline for Mohawk Valley Living magazine, and as usual I did not have my act together with an early submission.  Perhaps next month.

I’m just happy it isn’t Monday!

Earlier today I remembered that tomorrow is Wednesday and felt happy.  I don’t know why it matters to me.  Weekdays aren’t really so bad.  My worst moment is when I have to get out of bed just when I feel I can get some good sleep.  I am sure many people suffer from that phenomenon.  Weekends bring their own problems, but there is no point in complaining.  It is mostly first world problems or else operator error.

Just to throw in a little real life murder.

Just to let you know I am not watching only Columbo (All Columbo All The Time?), the other day I popped in A North Woods Elegy:  Incident at Big Moose Lake, a documentary about the murder of Grace Brown by Chester Gilette. It is a very famous case around here, since the trial took place in Herkimer.

During the trial Gilette was incarcerated at the 1834 Jail. 

I enjoyed the documentary, because it was like the true crime shows I used to watch all the time on cable.  I miss those shows!

“One more thing!”

I thought I should also include a picture of Columbo, since he is mentioned in the headline.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Lame it on Dateline

Posted on January 21, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

You know, instead of Blame it on Dateline.  Or have I used that before?  I would not be surprised.  I often fail to post on time, and I almost always watch Dateline  I am a little obsessed.

This was in my Media Library.

Yes, I did nothing useful last night, unless you count the crocheting I did while I sipped wine and enjoyed true crime.  I do enjoy true crime.

If I wanted to rationalize my continual viewing of Dateline (with occasional breaks for Snapped, Forensic Files and otners) (they cancelled Reasonable Doubt, dammit!), I could say that since I write murder mysteries, it falls under the heading of Research.  The problem with that rationalization is that I could get a lot better research done at the library.  Books are way better than television for research, and I know it.

However, I do not feel I need to rationalize my television viewing.  I enjoy it, I do it.  Did that sound a little defensive?  Well then, quit shaking your finger at me (you know who you are).  Shake your booty instead.

Come to think about it, blaming my failure to make my Lame Post Friday post on Friday is also a rationalization.  Oh dear.  Perhaps I should make up a new headline about rationalizations.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, Lame Post Friday, personal and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Rehearsal Was a Laugh

Posted on November 2, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Last night I meant to take pictures of our rehearsal for He Laughed Himself to Death, the murder mystery we are putting on to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society this Saturday.  Alas, I was so busy acting, I forgot.

I think it is time for this blog to become All He Laughed Himself to Death All The Time.  After all, it is only three days (Yikes!) till performance.

Hey, it’s a graphic.

This pretty much tells you all you need to know.  The mystery is a pretty silly story.  I guess most of mine are.  This one concerns a novelty joke company called Gorman’s Gotchas.  We are at a stockholders meeting to discuss a proposed merger with a much larger entity called Consolidated Realignment Associated Products.  Norman Gorman, founder and president of the company is late.  We do hope nothing untoward has happened to him.

Rehearsals are going well.  I have a good cast, and we are all excited for the show.  If you live nearby, I hope you will consider coming to see us!

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, theater, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
→