Tag Archives: nor’easter

One Reason Why I’m Tired

Posted on March 15, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I will tell you about my Tuesday. The Mohawk Valley was hit with the nor’easter which I suppose is plaguing the entire state. I can only suppose, because I have yet restored any real television to my television set (long story, not very interesting) (although I do not rule out making a blog post out of it at some point). I arose in the morning with trepidation, prepared to dig out my driveway prior to departing for work.

Imagine my delight when I found that shoveling was not yet necessay. I merely had to clean off my car. I could see snow heavily falling, though, so allowed extra time, which I definitely needed.

Oh, the roads sucked. I reflected as I drove down Rt 5 at 30 miles an hour, that a year previously, I had turned around in such conditions and gone home. Full disclosure: if my husband Steve were still alive, I probably would have yesterday. In fact, Steve would have urged me in strong terms not to go in at all. (“You’re NOT going to work today,” was the way he put it the time I turned around) (yes, I disobeyed a direct order, but let us not discuss the dynamics of my marriage).

Driving up Ilion Gorge was an adventure. It was a decision whether it was better with or without high beams, because of all the snow. The light reflects each and every flake, you know. I decided I liked it better with.

I further reflected (see what I did there?) that my drive was a metaphor for my current life. I was going slowly. I could not see very far ahead. I was just trusting to be able to reach my destination (one day when I didn’t even try to get to work, I later learned a fallen tree had blocked the road anyways). It was not much fun.

Actually it was a little fun. As often happens, I had to laugh at myself.

Further trials and tribulations were in store for me as the day went on, but I see I am over 300 words. I do not care to tax my readers’ patience at this time (but do not rule it out at some future date).

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Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged blog post, blogging, driving, grief, husband Steven, Ilion Gorge, late post, nor'easter, snow, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

Thank You, Media Library

Posted on April 22, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I shall try for another Throwback Thursday Post, hoping for some cooperation from my Media Library.

Here is a cheerful picture: a crocus in my yard in 2018. I had a few crocuses in my backyard, before the Monday/Tuesday nor’easter hit. Tuesday afternoon, after I took my walk, I spied a lone purple crocus in my front yard, defying the snow. I took a picture with my phone, which, alas, I am unable to share at the current time.

Another view from 2018: Frankentree in our front yard. He is even bigger and more monstrous now, but there is considerably less snow.

This is the tree which dropped a major portion of itself on the power line, causing the outage which enlivened (or made hideous) our Tuesday/Wednesday. Thanks a lot, tree! I always liked you!

I usually content myself with three pictures, but I wanted to end with flowers. The daisies will not arrive for a while yet, but I hope they grow in a similar profusion when they do.

I guess some would say 2018 is not throwing back very far. Then again, sometimes last week seems a very long time ago and second grade feels like yesterday. What’s that all about? A question, perhaps, for Lame Post Friday. As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

Can You Dig It?

Posted on March 16, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, it is Wuss-out Wednesday today. I got the day off work due to Winter Storm Stella (I like “winter storm” better than “nor’easter”; it makes me feel like I’m under 70 and I still have all my teeth) (was that a dreadful thing to say? There is nothing wrong with being over 70 and toothless; I may be there myself one day) (but this is not that day).

Where was I? Ah yes, telling you a little about my day. The best part was going back to bed after I got up and found out all shifts were cancelled at my place of employment. The worst part was spending over two and a half hours shoveling the driveway. However, even that had its moments.

I wanted to take some “before” pictures for this blog. When the extent of the task became apparent, I abandoned the Tablet and just started digging. For another reason, I was afraid the sheer whiteness of the view would make it harder to see where the snow ended. I could barely see where the snow ended, and I was right there.

Our neighbor, who owns half the two car garage and has driveway rights, had snow-blowed a path from his half of the garage (where he keeps his snowblower) to the sidewalk. That definitely helped, because the rest of the driveway was quite impassible. I think he also blew out the very end of our driveway, because although it was completely filled in by the plow, it did not look as deep as other areas. We dug and dug. I tried to keep my spirits up.

“We are bad-hyphen-ass,” I assured Steven. Many things become more bearable if you can feel that you are bad-ass when you do them. I paused to admire the bare trees against the grey sky. No, I did not make it back outside to take a picture of those. Sorry.

I sang, “High Hopes,” you know, with the verse about that little old ant who thinks he can move a rubber tree plant. I tried to put new words and make the song about us, but I could not think of a word for “old farts” and a word for “snowbank” that rhymed.

“How you doing, honey? How you feeling?” I kept asking Steven. This was not just me being silly. People have heart attacks while shoveling snow all the time, and my husband is not a young man. He also does not lead the healthiest of lifestyles, but perhaps I can help him improve on that.

At one point, the neighbor kids were out playing. The boy did a cannonball off his deck into the snow.

“I wanted to do that!” I said. Unfortunately, I did no such thing. As we shoveled, my feet and hands were becoming more and more cold.

Finally we decided that good enough was good enough. Both vehicles are clear enough to move, with enough space to make it to the road. It ain’t beautiful, but it’ll do. I hit the showers.

And almost cried when the warm water hit my toes! My thighs, which were bright red, stung like hell as well. What a dreadful feeling! It is good we did not take any longer than we did with our shoveling. I do not need to lose any toes to frostbite; I need them to count to twenty!

About that Nor’Easter…

Posted on March 15, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

I confess, I thought the nor’easter I mentioned yesterday (I disparaged the term, if you recall) would be an anti-climax. Some folks at work were saying, “We’re going to get sent home early tomorrow!” Well, I didn’t believe that for a minute, New York or otherwise. When I got up this morning about 4:30, I felt vindicated as I looked out the window and saw that it had snowed not a flake.

By six, when I left for work, I stood corrected.

Yes, we got sent home early, at 10:30 a.m. I said, “Woohoo!” and hastened home for the bra off, sweats on, movie-watching portion of the day. I had some wild thoughts of getting out and doing some shoveling, so as not to have so much do to tomorrow. I did not act on these thoughts (which one cannot say about all my wild thoughts, but that’s neither here nor there, as the saying goes). Finally, I thought we ought to take our dog, Spunky, out and give him a chance to do a little business. I volunteered to do it, but Steve said if if was going to be done, he would do it. I thought it could be a couple activity.

I said I would get out first and shovel a space suitable for a small dog. There was, in fact, more snow than I had expected. I shoveled a small space, which Spunky utilized accordingly. Then I took some pictures, thinking it would make a fun blog post.

The path does not go much further after going around the corner.

It was difficult enough getting the steps clear, but I managed it and began a short path. I also marveled at the snowbanks hiding our vehicles:

Steven’s Stratus has not left the driveway

My SUV has been sitting there since 10:45 a.m. or so.

I took this standing in the driveway, looking across our yard into the neighbors’ parking lot.

I took this standing on the deck.

Another angle on the deck.

Well, I don’t know how wonderful my pictures are, if at all, but I thought they would make an OK blog post for a Tired Tuesday. Now I have to get back to the movie-watching portion of the day.

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Posted in humor, personal, Tired Tuesday and tagged blog post, nor'easter, pictures, snow, Spunky, weather. Bookmark the permalink.

A Few Thoughts Before Another Rehearsal

Posted on March 14, 2017 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here I sit, laptop on lap (and if you just said, “Duh,” hey, some people put them on tables), searching for a blog topic. I push my wet hair out of my face and remember that I can get it cut now. I kept it “long” for Steel Magnolias. I put “long” in quotes, because it was not exactly all the way grown out. It is long enough to get in my eyes and drive me nuts. With help from fellow cast-members, I made it do for the play.

And why am I not running to the Hot Spot, where I usually get my do’s done? Well, I have rehearsal for He Laughed Himself to Death, the murder mystery Ilion Little Theatre is putting on at Morning Star Methodist Church in Ilion on April 1. Yes, this blog may become All Murder Mystery All The Time very soon. For one reason, I have another one coming up April 22 (Who Shot JS? at the Elks Club in Herkimer, to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society).

In other news, a nor’easter is expected in the Mohawk Valley tonight and tomorrow. I read a Facebook post from WKTV Weather saying it was a nor’easter not a blizzard, citing the specific conditions to earn the “blizzard” designation. I was moved to comment that “nor’easter” does not sound like a real word. It sounds like something the old timers say is headed this way, basing their prediction on their corns or bunions. My bunions say precipitation, by the way, but they do not seem to feel strongly about it.

Well, I must go. I need to photocopy the scripts for tonight’s rehearsal. I am counting on the nor’easter NOT to start till after my actors are safely home from rehearsal. I am going to call this a Monday Mental Meanderings post and hit publish. I hope to see you all on Tired Tuesday, although I will perhaps be less tired now that Steel Magnolias is over.

Mohawk Valley Girl