Tag Archives: Rome NY

Got One Thing Done!

Posted on March 22, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

It’s another Scattered Saturday post, as I reach the end of the day and must publish SOMETHING before my husband gets home from work and we begin an enjoyable evening together. Once again I had myriad plans to do this that and the other thing, and blog topics ranging from the marvelous to the perfectly acceptable… and here I am, kind of wishing I had made another pot of coffee instead of just heating up the 3/4 cup that was still in the pot.

Where was I? Ah yes, nowhere in particular. When we last left our heroine (that’s me), she was on her way to what promised to be a very fun evening of friends and theatre (OK, enough with the third person, it’s awkward). It was a fun evening, which ended way later than my normal bed time. As a result, I woke with a headache and got a slow start to my morning.

I managed to write a few post cards and finish two letters. Tabby, my dear schnoodle, and I walked to the post office. Oh, what a nice walk. Still chilly out, but we survived. Then I headed into Rome, getting a later start than I had envisioned.

My destination was my parents’ house, where I intended to attempt to register for the Boilermaker on their computer (a more reliable machine than my desktop). The original plan had been to have a couple of Mohawk Valley adventures along the way, but registering was the only one I had. Yet what a satisfying experience it was!

The Boilermaker, for the initiated, is Utica, NY’s 15K road race. Oh, it is an experience and then some. This will be the fourth time I have run it. Come to think of it, I need to write a whole blog post just about me registering.

In the meantime, Steven is home and I must get on with my Saturday night. I hope you’re all having an enjoyable weekend.

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Picture This

Posted on December 25, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

My place of employment considers both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to be paid holidays. Therefore I shall feel free to make another silly post, in addition to yesterday’s bit of whimsy (do you think that is a nicer word than “nonsense”? Discuss amongst yourselves).

The Mohawk Valley has gotten a dusting of snow for Christmas. Isn’t that delightful? The look without the pain of shoveling. As I write this I am aware that in other parts of the country people are sitting around in their shorts by barbecue pits thinking of our White Christmas with scornful pity. Well, to each his own, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow.

I am in Rome, NY for the holidays (thieves, don’t take note; there is really nothing in my house worth stealing) (I do this joke every time, but if you go to rob my house anyways, please clean the bathroom, it needs it again). Perhaps by next year I will get the proper camera or smart phone and be able to post pictures to this blog. That would be a good thing, because the city of Rome has some of the nicest Christmas lights around.

Some of the display came from a large, fancy restaurant called Trinkaus Manor, which tragically burned down some years ago. Many people from Rome cherish memories of driving out to Trinkaus at Christmastime to walk around and see the lights. After the restaurant burned down, the city ended up with them. What a great Christmas gift. I hope later on tonight to take a drive downtown and see the sights.

I see now where this would have been a better post with pictures. Oh well, one does what one can. It is Wuss-out Wednesday after all. Once again, Merry Christmas.

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On the Streets of Ilion

Posted on August 22, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday I mentioned running errands as part of the reason I was too beat to blog (ooh, that would be a good title for my next Wuss-out Wednesday) (I bet I already used it). Today (Wednesday) I thought I would wuss out with a short post about What I Did After Work Yesterday.

First I had to leave work late. Not because I was working, but because of Ilion traffic. You see, there is a factory in the middle of the village whose largest shift lets out at 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. I might work there, but this is not a work blog. My point is, there are certain directions it is not easy to drive in Ilion, NY between 3:30 and four p.m.

Actually, things let up somewhat by 3:45, so I was OK. I drove to the Salvation Army Thrift Store (also known as Salvation Armani; I love that expression) with little or no difficulty. I dropped off my donation, also with little or no difficulty. Then I drove back into downtown Ilion.

A little difficulty.

Nothing too bad, but Ilion is kind of weirdly laid out. No offense, Ilion. I grew up in Rome, NY, which I always considered kind of screwy. In Rome none of the streets are quite parallel with the result that many of them do not come out where you expect. In addition, Rome boasts many one way streets, most of them inconveniently located, as far as I’m concerned. So I always thought, growing up in Rome, other towns could hold no terrors for me.

Turns out, not so much. Um, I was not filled with terror; that’s just an expression.

I drove around and up Otsego Street to Kinney Drugs. Kind of a screwy parking lot (no offense, Kinney Drugs), but I managed it. Then I had to figure out how to get to Rite Aid (it was a drug store kind of day). There is a whole complex of stores, doctor offices and other businesses that I have yet to fully figure out. I drove around it.

I guess it didn’t make that good of a story after all (I know I don’t need “of” there, but I kind of like the sound of it). Perhaps if I would have found a street map of Ilion and really explained my course. That would hardly have been wussing out, and it is Wuss-out Wednesday. Hope to see you on Non-Sequitur Thursday (when Rocky the Squirrel says, “Again? But that trick never works!”) (and whoever gets that reference, I’m pretty sure they would only have said “Rocky says,” so, sorry, but I wanted to make sure SOMEBODY got it).

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Not Left Hanging

Posted on May 15, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

My mother had a birthday recently. I previously had an idea to send her flowers for no reason but had not acted on it. Now I decided to send her flowers for a reason.

I thought I would call Olney’s Flowers in Rome, NY, which is where my mom and dad live. Olney’s did the wedding flowers for me and all my sisters, so I knew they did nice work. Serendipitously, I saw an ad for them on the television. I had Steven make a note of the phone number but in fact it is a very easy number to remember: 339-6000 (perhaps not as memorable as eight-six-seven-five-three-oh-ni-ee-ine, but very good for a business, I think).

The advertisement had particularly mentioned their hanging baskets. My other thought had been something Mom could subsequently plant in her yard. However, while talking to the nice lady at Olney’s, I realized planting flowers is work. A hanging basket Mom has only to hang and enjoy. I went with the hanging basket. I set delivery for Mom’s birthday and felt pleased with myself.

Imagine my chagrin when on the morning of Mom’s birthday I read a Facebook post from a sister hoping Mom was having fun in Pennsylvania. PENNSYLVANIA??? I didn’t know she would be in Pennsylvania on her birthday! What a dumb place to go on a birthday when you are supposed to be home receiving a hanging basket from Olney’s!

OK, it’s not a completely dumb place for my parents to be. They have a daughter in Pennsylvania who has a daughter of her own who happened to be graduating that weekend. I’m sure it is quite logical for my mom and dad to be in Pennsylvania. However, I am also sure she neglected to mention to me her plan to be there on her birthday. Nobody ever tells me anything!

Luckily I had looked at Facebook early in the morning. I got on the phone to Olney’s almost as soon as they opened (I tried to wait till at least 8:01 just to be on the safe side, but I was a little agitated). The woman I spoke with said her family never tells her anything either and she nicely put the delivery on hold till I could find out when Mom will be back in Rome.

I later learned that Mom and Dad planned to return on Monday. I called Olney’s on Monday and re-set delivery for Tuesday, since I couldn’t be sure what time on Monday would be good. My only hope now is that Mom gets her flowers before she reads this blog post (she is one of my subscribers, after all).

Olney’s Flowers is located at 2002 N. James St., Rome, NY. Phone number 315-339-6000. They are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can like them on Facebook or visit their website at www.olneysflowers.com.

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A Capitol Time

Posted on January 21, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

Friday night, Steven and I traveled into Rome, NY to the Capitol Theatre to attend a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window.

The Capitol Theatre is a truly gorgeous old time movie palace. It is where I saw my first movie (Mary Poppins), roughly a hundred years ago. I saw other movies there, till it closed. The building fell on some hard times. It was used occasionally for stage shows such as Rome Catholic High’s musical. Now it’s a Center for the Performing Arts, and they do all kinds of fun stuff there. This is the first event we’ve been able to make it to.

The Capitol first opened in 1928, I recently learned. I just knew it was old. It’s never been renovated, that is, chopped up into a six screen cineplex, for which I am grateful. The ceilings are high and ornate. The balcony goes back forever. It seats over 1,000 people (1,788, according to the brochure I picked up).

Steven and I got there early, so we had time to walk around a little and explore. We climbed up the steps to the balcony. There is a large foyer-type of room with a few comfy chairs and a piano, then you go up another small set of steps and through an opening about a third of the way down the balcony.

We walked up toward the top of the balcony. It went back just about as far as I remembered. I also remembered there being bats, once during a performance of Oklahoma! I was in, one summer during high school. I didn’t see any Friday night, though. With the theatre more occupied these days, perhaps the bats have found other quarters.

We decided to sit right in the front of the balcony. First we went and got popcorn and soda (me) as well as coffee (Steve). I don’t usually drink soda, but they were having a special on a large soda and large popcorn. I didn’t finish either.

The movie was wonderful. Rear Window is one of our favorites, but I have never seen it on such a big screen. The movie concerns Jimmy Stewart, wheelchair bound with a broken leg, looking out his window at his neighbors in the surrounding apartments. It was fascinating to notice all the details I missed on a television screen.

The Capitol hosts a variety of events. We picked up a flier that listed movies, a Celtic-Rock group called The Elders, Joshua Kane’s Psychic show, and others. We voted on next year’s Hitchcock selection (Steve wants Lifeboat, I picked Strangers On A Train). We also hope to return in August for CapitolFest II, three days of silent and early sound films.

For more information on the capitol, visit their website at www.romecapitol.com. You can also like them on Facebook.

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