Tag Archives: walking

Tired But On Time!

At least it is the end of the day Tuesday.

I promised myself I could use this picture if I made my Tired Tuesday post on Tuesday.  Bribery often works with me.  Unfortunately, just because I log onto WordPress and start typing does not mean I have anything to say.  I know, when has that ever stopped me?

I typed that in (I once again quote Truman Capote: “That’s not writing that’s typing”) then could not think of another word to type.  Perhaps I should not have put both the play and dinner in the same blog post for Sunday.  Perhaps I should be having more Mohawk Valley adventures to write (type) about.

They were pretty.

I threw in a picture before I got any more bogged down in “shoulds.”   This is a shot of my Black-Eyed Susans from August 2018.  The patch has since overgrown with weeds and stuff.  Not a yellow bloom to be seen. I plan to cut the whole thing down and start over again.  Not today, of course, but possibly by the weekend.  Then I can have another Lawn Order post.

 

Where will the road lead me?

Another kind of post I have not made lately is a Running Commentary.  For one reason, I have not been running.  I hope to begin again soon.  In the meantime I have been walking every morning.  Perhaps a Pedestrian Post is in order.

For today, however, I am over 200 words.  It will have to do.  Full disclosure:  I have been fighting a vague headache most of the day, and I think it is winning.  However, it is the end of the day.  We shall see what tomorrow will bring.  I hope you will stay tuned.

 

Would Shirley Mind a Slacker Saturday?

AAaaand we’re back to late blog posts.  Yesterday was indeed a Slacker Saturday.  The heat wave is technically over, but my house was not a comfortable place to be.  Additionally, I had a terrible headache.  It came to me during the night, when I tried to fight it with acetaminophen  (I had to look up the spelling, but at least I did not call it acetaphetamine, as I used to).  Surely coffee on rising (I slept later than usual for a Saturday) would help (I call myself Shirley in times of stress).  Then a long walk.  All the while drinking water, because, hydration.

I started with a full bottle of water, then refilled it at the spring.

At last I ate a few crackers, took some Migraine Relief, and laid back down.  It was starting to storm by now, so I told myself to just listen to the thunder (I had stopped calling myself Shirley by then).  When I woke up an hour or so later, my headache was better, but I was dreadfully sick to my stomach.  I did not mention earlier that the nausea had come and gone a couple times during my walk.

Would you believe washing the dishes helped my stomach?  The dishes have been looking at me resentfully for the last few days (don’t judge me) when with one thing and another, I just did not do them (oh, go ahead and judge me).  I thought to myself I would do a few dishes, till the nausea was too much, then sit or lie down for a while, then try a few more dishes.  It was one way of passing the time.  Well, I managed to do all the dishes and felt much better.  A cold shower, and I felt ready to enjoy the rest of my Saturday.

Which I did, without doing anything particularly blogworthy.  But I see I am approaching 300 words with this nonsense.  What will Sunday bring?  A trip to Brookwood Market?  A show at Ilion Little Theatre?  Or just more coffee and delight at NOT having a headache?

I’m already anticipating Monstrous Monday.

 

Don’t Wuss! Walk!

So there I was, sitting on my couch feeling utterly exhausted.  I mean not just tired, but entirely used up.  It is a feeling I get a lot lately.  Oh, stop playing that miniature violin (you know who you are)! One thing I do not need is condescension.  My original plan for today was to go running after work.  Unfortunately, I did something to my back and it was quite painful by the end of my work day.  At first I thought I would go ahead and run anyways.  Worst case scenario:  I stopped running and walked.  Then I thought the real worst case scenario is that I wake up tomorrow with an even worse backache, so I told myself don’t be stupid.  Run tomorrow.

Picture to pep things up.

Still, a walk might help a sore back.  It probably would have been a better idea to take said walk right away, before I sat there on the couch feeling like a big lump of I Don’t Care.  It was the thought of taking a couple of pictures on the walk for blogging purposes that got me into my sneakers and out the door.  I can’t break my streak of posting daily, can I?

The first place I walked was into my own backyard, to check on my rhododendron.  I had seen some neighbors’ rhododendrons blooming and hoped mine was doing the same.  It is blooming but is being overshadowed by a pine tree that grows nearby.  A few years ago I cut a bunch of branches off the tree for that very reason.  I felt like much woman, as my sister Vicki would say.  I guess I need to do it again.  I tried to get a picture of what blooms there are, but the sun was in the wrong place, so I couldn’t get the shot.

While I was out back, I could not help but notice how badly I need to mow.  I need, in fact, to do more than mow, but do some major yard work.  I almost opened up my garage and hauled out the mower.  Once again, consideration for my back stopped me.  Even opening the garage is quite the effort, because some spring or other broke after not being in the right place to begin with (I don’t properly understand these things).  I promised myself to try it tomorrow.  Or the next day.  Saturday at the latest.

Out front, I realized I could take a picture of my daisies, once again taking over the yard.  I just can’t bear to cut them back till they stop blooming.  They are so cheerful.  I put the picture of them after the first paragraph, because I did not want to make my readers wait too long for an illustration.  Then I took a picture of the two peonies that managed to bloom.

I love the smell!

My back was still hurting, but I at least walked around the block.  There were not many photo ops, because I do not like taking pictures of people’s yards without their permission (although I have done it on occasion).  I saw a flowering tree in front of one house, and I wondered what it was.  I took a picture, zooming in so you can only see tree, nothing of the house.  That makes it anonymous enough, doesn’t it?

Perhaps one of my readers knows what it is.

I felt somewhat revived after my walk, at least enough to open the Chromebook and make the blog post.  And I believe I have successfully avoided having a Wuss-out Wednesday.

 

Where Did I Put My Panache?

Another early morning late post.  I made myself take a walk before posting, in hopes I would be inspired or at least less grumpy.  The beauty part of that was, my coffee finished brewing while I walked.  I am mostly cheered right now because I realized I could accurately say “my coffee brewed” instead of “my coffee dripped.”  So while I am still not perky, at least I am not a drip.  Enough of that brew-ha-ha (see what I did there?).  On with the post.

I will never be this skinny.

Apparently I am not caffeinated enough, because I put that picture then went blank.  This is largely in an effort not to complain about my ongoing physical and mental ills, which I am sure are not that bad, especially in comparison with what others deal with with panache.  I need to get some of that there panache.

Regarding the upcoming three day weekend (and please allow me to be delighted about it; I spent years working holidays), I have plans with my family so will not be able to indulge in any Mohawk Valley Adventures.  Regarding that parenthetical comment, yes, I know, first responders (why is my Chromebook underlining that?), healthcare workers, and other important people work holidays.  I was never that important, but we are not talking about me. Oh wait, yes we are.  It is my blog.

A tribute to those fallen.

I put in a picture appropriate to Memorial Day, before I got bogged down in even more silliness.  This is Herkimer County Veterans Memorial Park, on the Herkimer College campus.  On past Memorial Days and Veterans Days, I have run to this park in tribute.  Sometimes I run by there just because it is a challenging run to go up College Hill and on across the campus.  I am not in shape for that run yet.

Ooh look, I am over 300 words.  I guess I will bill this as a Wuss-out Wednesday and drive on.  I will see if I can come up with something better than a Non-Sequitur Thursday post later (and by “later” of course I mean either later today or early tomorrow morning), but no promises.

 

Wuss then Walk

So I wussed out on Wednesday by not making a blog post (except for Tuesday’s, of course).  Big surprise there.  I had hoped to make a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday post, although the only picture I had taken but not used was a cute skull in a neighbor’s yard, taken on a cool-down walk after a run.

I do enjoy skulls and skeletons.

This morning, I overslept, not by much but small blocks of time can mean a lot in the morning, so decided to take my walk while my coffee dripped.  I did not take a walk yesterday due to rain.  I hate to miss a day.  I thought, I can walk by the skull and use that picture in a Pedestrian Post with Pictures (here is a Freudian typo:  I first put “Pedestrain,” because sometimes it is a strain to walk).

However, when I left the house, it was foggy.  I wanted to climb a hill to enjoy the sight of the fog so turned toward Valley Health.  It is not a huge hill, but I could get somewhat of a view.  Also, it is good exercise to walk up a hill.  I was using my phone to Map My Walk (the app is actually called Map My Run) but figured I would not have many photo ops in the dark.  My phone does not take good pictures in the dark, as I found when I tried to get a shot of the full moon.  Anyways, I reasoned to myself, how can I take a picture of the fog?  It obscures vision; how can I take a picture of what I can’t see?  I pondered how I could post a white square and pretend it was a picture of the fog by ultimately decided to use a screenshot of the map of my walk.

I walked a mile, but not in somebody else’s shoes.

The map did not come out the shape I had hoped.  I was picturing the body part narrower, like a worm or a snake.  But it was a pretty good walk.  I felt better after I had taken it than before.  I feel better yet now that I have had coffee and made my blog post.  Once again, thank you for tuning in.

 

Three Pictures in a Post

I am instituting a new feature: Waste Not Want Not Wednesday.  I thought about it earlier, because I recently made a post with that title using pictures I had taken for blogging purposes but not used yet.  For once not too lazy to look back, I searched previous posts and found out I have published three posts with the title, “Waste Not Want Not.”  It is one of my favorite sayings and a rule I try to follow.

When I made my Pedestrian Post with Pictures the other day, I did not use two of the pictures I had taken.  I was fairly happy with how the post ended without them, so I let them stay in my Media Library for the time being.  They were two pictures I took in my own yard at the end of my walk.

Preview of coming attractions?

Steve (my late husband, for anybody just tuning in) and I never planted any tulip bulbs, but since we first moved in, one yellow tulip has graced our front yard. This year I thought it had failed along with the daffodils (which in fact I did plant).  Imagine my delight when I saw green leaves and a bud.  It is not in the same place the tulip was previously, so I can’t be sure it is the same tulip.  Nevertheless, I am delighted to see it and hope it blooms before something eats it.  Then again, bunnies gotta eat, too.

They’re kind of hard to see.

After I took the picture of the tulip bulb, I noticed my peonies had started to come up.  These magically appeared after Steven had finally conquered the blowsy day lilies that had been there.  He just kept mowing them down till they got discouraged. The first year the peony was one stalk, but it bloomed. It has increased yearly, so yay!

Today after my run, I noticed one little forget-me-not raising its pretty blue head.  Unfortunately, I did not get a picture, but I have one more shot to share.  I do like to use three pictures in a post.

I confess, not the best picture.

I took this one yesterday, when I went for my walk prior to 5 a.m.  I had overslept and decided to go for my walk while the coffee dripped, to make sure I took one.  I was feeling less than enthusiastic about the exercise till I saw the full moon.  Cool!  I was using my phone to Map My Walk (the app is actually called Map My Run, but it works for walks too), so I had it handy to try to get a picture.

Wow! I am over 400 word.  Good thing I wasn’t going for a Wordless Wednesday Post!

 

Monday Mosey

Earlier this evening, I sat here, logged in and looking at a blank “Add New Post” screen, with a mind equally as blank.  Finally I decided to go for a walk with my phone and take some pictures for a Pedestrian Post.  I did not have as many photo ops as I had hoped, but I did manage to get a few.

You can’t really see how lovely the green is.

 

It was a beautiful sunny evening.  Unfortunately, the sun was in a bad place for some of the pictures I would have liked to take.  Maybe I could have gotten some evocative back-lit silhouettes (holy crap, I spelled that right at the first try!), but I am not such an artsy photographer, especially with my cheap-ass phone.  I tried to capture a tree with the leaves just unfurling, with not much success.

I just now learned how to rotate a photo!

 

As I walked up Maple Grove, I saw a commemorative stone where a house used to be, till the flood of 2013.  I did not think it would be commemorating the house, which was not an historic structure.  I guess it marks the project of flood abatement.  Anyways, I took a picture.

My main purpose was to walk by the spring.  I was drinking out of a bottle of water that I wanted to finish and refill.  I am feeling rather dehydrated today.  Too much salty food, I suppose.

One of my favorite places to stop during a walk or run.

I continued my walk, trying to take a couple of different turns from previous walks I had mapped.  I like to post the map on Facebook and my friends say what they think it looks like.  Sometimes I make a psychological analysis or prediction based on what they see.  Analyses and predictions for entertainment purposes only, I hasten to add.

Things are more interesting when I go on longer walks and runs.

I went for a run this morning but did not map it.  I just re-started running on Sunday (after beginning again then stopping again etc).  I feel pretty well exercised for the day, I suppose.  And I have made a blog post of over 350 words.  I call that not bad for a Monday.

 

Too Tired to Post on Scattered Saturday!

Well, I broke my streak of days in a row posting by neglecting to post anything yesterday.  In my defense, I have no defense.  These things happen, and we must make the best of them.  I took a nice long walk yesterday, ending up at the End Zone pub in Herkimer, NY, one of my favorite watering holes.  I confess to enjoying a daytime libation on a Saturday.  Anyways, I wasn’t driving.  I did not take any pictures, but perhaps I have one in my Media Library.

Here’s one!

This, unfortunately, was not the bartender yesterday.  It is Tino, son of the owner and somebody I am always happy to see, though, so I felt free to share the picture again.  My friend Kim joined me at the End Zone.  After she enjoyed a glass of Moscato, we went to a wine tasting at Valley Wine and Liquor.  Ooh, I think I took a picture of the pourer on my phone.

She was nice!

Her name was Leigh, and she was pouring all sweet wines, so Kim was happy.  I personally prefer dry wines.  We were especially taken with some carrots she had as decorations. She laughed and said for things she had picked up at the dollar store, they had gotten more attention than the wines.

I must get to the dollar store, although I have far too many decorations in my house as it is.

After the wine tasting, we went to Heelpath Brewing in Frankfort, NY (was it a Freudian typo that I first put “Hellpath”?  My obsession with Halloween and horror!).  It was such a pretty, sunny day, I wanted to sit in a place with lots of windows to look out.

Cheers, Kim!

This is a picture from a different visit, but we sat in the same seats.  We had a very fun afternoon, and I am only sorry I did not write about it yesterday.  But I think you for tuning in today!

 

Two Walks and a Library Visit

Two Walks and a Library Visit

I did not make a blog post early this morning, because I went for a walk.  I brought my phone with me, in case I saw anything I could take a picture of, but, alas, no photo ops.  It was the first time I had walked since Saturday, though (today being Wednesday, although I wonder if this should count as my Tired Tuesday post), so I was glad I made a bit of an effort.  I took another walk this evening (afternoon?  Kind of a grey area) (the sky was grey, too).  This was a walk with a purpose, as I went to Basloe Library to print out my work-in-progress murder mystery, Deadly Night Life.

One of my favorite places.

As I walked down my street, I saw a male and female cardinal.  Steve and I had seen a cardinal couple a few times while sitting on our front porch.  I wondered if it was the same couple.  Steve always loved cardinals.  Whenever I would see one when I was out running, and I often did, I would tell him, and we would speculate about which departed loved one had paid us a visit.  Now I wonder if Steve is the one sending the cardinals to say hello.  It is a comforting thought, anyways.  Alas, I did not think to pull out my phone and get a picture.

The picture of the Basloe sign, by the way, is from my Media Library.  I do like to have some sort of illustration.  It was a pleasant visit to the library.  The kind ladies there helped me get my script printed out.  We chatted about the need to see physical pages for some editing chores.  I did not take the time to look for a book, unfortunately.  Then again, now I have a reason to return to the library soon.

 

Lame Snowstorm of the Year?

I had hopes of making my Lame Post Friday post ON Friday, but alas, they came to naught.  It is not so early Saturday morning (for me), and I am on my second cup of coffee as I contemplate a rather bold statement I have been making recently.  I said if it snowed again, I would NOT shovel.  I would wait it out.  I look out the window and see that Mother Nature has called my bluff.  Oh well, I had planned to have a Stay at Home Saturday.  I do not rule out clearing part of my porch and a path to the road, so the mailman can deliver and so I can get a walk in.  That is for the other side of coffee and breakfast.

I don’t think it is this bad.

This is a picture from March 2017.  I had a husband to help me shovel in those days.  These things are so much better when you do them together.

This picture brings up a topic suitable for Lame Post Friday: pictures of snow.  Some people on Facebook snark, “We all know what snow looks like! You don’t have to show pictures every time it snows!”  I say, “Why the hell not?”  I like to share the everyday lives of my friends.  I don’t mind pictures of food; I like pictures of sandaled feet with a beer nearby (although I admit to being jealous of those shots sometimes); I especially like pictures of people’s pets, even if they are not doing anything particularly noteworthy at the time.

Substitute glass of wine for beer.

That reminds me, I need to get a pedicure soon. Perhaps a call to Hot Spot Salon and Spa is in order (just to give a quick shout-out to a local business) I feel certain sandal weather will soon arrive, and I do so enjoy seeing a little color on my toes.

I see I am over 300 words.  Score!  I do not expect any real Mohawk Valley Adventures this weekend, although I still have a few past ones I have not written about yet.  That is for the future.  A Saturday post on Saturday?  Time will tell.  I always say, Time is certainly a blabbermouth.  But as my sister Diane says, “Time is relative.  Not our relative.”