Tag Archives: weather

Is It Multi-Tasking to Vacation and Blog?

Posted on December 30, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have previously bemoaned the absence of Blogger Sick Days.  How about the absence of Blogger Vacation?  I am on vacation from my real job this week (also known as “shut down” in the factory world).  Why do I have to keep worrying about this silly blog?

Of course the short answer is that I don’t. For heavens’ sake, this is not a paid writing gig.  I don’t have a contract with anybody.  I daresay not a lot of people would even notice if I did not post every day (I like to think that some would).  The long answer is… perhaps not worthy of a blog post.  In fact, I’m not even sure if I know the long answer.  I only know another short answer:  I decided in my head that I would post every day, and that is what I do.

It has been quite a dreadful weather day in the Mohawk Valley today.  It snowed like the proverbial son of a bitch most of the day (a friend said on Facebook that it was “snowing like a bitch,” and I corrected her) (thus being both didactic and silly; who says I can’t multitask?).  I went out in it for stops at the library and grocery store, necessitating three times of brushing off my vehicle.  That’s a lot of snow. When I got home I shoveled the top layer of snow in my driveway.  Throughout the afternoon, I checked out the window occasionally as the sonofabitchy snow rendered my labor useless.

I did not get a whole lot else done.  I washed the dishes.  I cooked a pretty good dinner.  I encouraged local entrepreneurship by paying two young men to shovel my driveway after the snow had pretty much obliterated my earlier efforts.  They did a marvelous job.  Score!

And now I am going to think of a silly headline and call this a Non-Sequitur Thursday post.  I hope you’re all having a lovely week after Christmas.  Stay safe, if you are also getting hit with a lot of snow.

 

6 Comments

Posted in blogging, humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Don We Now Our Running Apparel

Posted on December 27, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I felt glorious as I got dressed to go running this morning.  Yes, “glorious” is the exact word that entered my head as I dug out the running clothes I have not had on since much earlier this month.  I was excited to go running, and hoped to write a Running Commentary blog post (we’ll see how that goes).

Yesterday we had terrible freezing rain.  I left the house very few times for specific reasons:  to help Steven scrape ice off his vehicle, to take my dog for a business meeting, and to decide NOT to scrape ice off my vehicle and drive anywhere.  I thought today was going to be better.  Listening to Jill Reale on WKTV News this morning, I found it was going to start out warm(ish) then get colder as we go on. Obviously there was no time to waste.

The sun was not all the way up when I started.  I donned my reflective vest, because I intended to run in the road, which had a decent shot at not being ice covered.  Really, as I started down my road, narrating in my head as I like to do, I thought, “I donned my reflective vest…”  Then I chuckled at myself for using an old timey word like that.  Then “Deck the Halls” played in my head for the rest of the run. It is not a bad tune to run to.  I thought of making up new words to it (another hobby of mine), but all I came up with was “heedless of the tacky pleather”  (you know, like “heedless of the wind and weather”) (I don’t expect everybody to know all the verses).

Fortunately there was not much traffic, since the side of the road had frozen and semi-frozen puddles.  The busiest street I ran on was German.  I ran all the way to the end, rounded the corner and ran down Church Street to Main.  Main Street in Herkimer is sometimes busy, sometimes not so much.  It was a busy moment, which was bad for me, since I had to cross the street to continue left-side-facing-traffic, which I am quite the stickler for.  Then I noticed that the sidewalk was almost completely clear.  Score!

I did not run all the way down Main, but cut through the little park by Basloe Library (open normal hours today, yay!), then crossed Pleasant Street.  This way I could go by the “Do Not Enter” sign on Bellinger Avenue.  I so enjoy entering where it says not to.  I crossed my own street to run up Henry.  I had thought to run a mere 20 minutes, because it had been so long since running last.  Then I thought, it didn’t matter if I ran too long and got achey legs, because my legs also ache from not running.  As I like to say, pick your pain.

I ended up running 23 minutes then walked 11 for my cool-down.  It was a wonderful run.  Every step felt good and the cool-down walk felt awesome!  I thought, “I have found the secret to happiness!”  I’m damned if I can remember why I stopped running.  I hope to not be so silly again.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, running, running commentary and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

It Took a While to Get to the Wine

Posted on December 18, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I posted a Facebook status that read, “That moment on a day off when you have not accomplished nearly what you expected to, yet you want to begin the wine drinking portion of the evening.  Then you realize you have not eaten nearly enough to begin drinking without dire consequences.”

This by way of introduction to this week’s Scattered Saturday post.

I had declared to all and sundry that today would be Cookie Day.  I sort of hoped that if I said it enough, it would be true.  I did make one batch of cookies.  Oh dear, should I have included a spoiler alert before that?  No matter.  I am sitting at my keyboard, typing off the top of my head, as I usually do these days.  Yes, I am drinking wine.  Well, I cooked dinner, and you know how I love to cook with wine (should have included another spoiler alert).

The first thing I had to do this morning was call my mother, to get the cookie recipe I could not find in the messy cabinet that holds all my recipes and cookbooks.  One of my projects for 2017 is to clean out and organize that cabinet.  Maybe I will cook some of the recipes.  I could start a whole new blog about that, stealing the idea from Julie and Julia, adding my own twist (that falls under the Fair Use Doctrine, doesn’t it?).

It was quite wintry this morning.   However, I still had to pick up a few things at the store for my baking plans.  More importantly, I had to go by the post office and mail my postcards.   The people who get my post cards like to get them.  I am supposed to be sending out Christmas cards right along here, but one card at a time.  I brushed off my SUV with a push broom, an excellent way to quickly clear a large vehicle.  As soon as I set out, I realized I had not been as effective as I had hoped.  My visibility was just good enough to get to Hannaford, where I purchased a few more things than were on my list.  In my defense, they were all on sale “This Week Only,” according to the signage, and they were all highly nutritious, delicious food.

Back home I decided to wash the dishes before baking.  Soon I was ready to start.  And quickly realized I did not have sufficient sugar for my first recipe.  Oh don’t shake your finger at me for being unorganized.  I knew I had sugar. Steven puts sugar in his coffee; we always have sugar on hand.  However, this recipe calls for a bowl of sugar (it’s an old Italian recipe; the size of the bowl determines how many cookies you get.  I wanted a lot of cookies).  Moreover, the sugar that was there had gotten some moisture in it and was lumpy.

Back I went to the store.  This time I went to Rite Aid.  I wanted to get some beer for my pains.   Domino sugar was on sale, buy one get one 50% off.  Score!  Now we have plenty of sugar.

The cookies took a long time.  Maybe I used too big of a bowl.  Steven came home for lunch while I was baking.  I asked  him to taste test a cookie from the first batch.  He liked it.  I finished the cookies after he went back to work.  Then I took a nap.  In my defense, I had a LOT of hot flashes last night, with the accompanying insomnia.

After getting up from my nap and having a cup of hot tea for its revivifying qualities, I took Spunky for a business meeting and washed the dishes I had gotten dirty baking the cookies.  I took some butter out of the refrigerator to soften for the second batch of cookies I intended to make.  It was sometime during these activities that I made that Facebook post.  I snacked on a couple of things, planning ahead.

Steven came home before I got to the cookies, so I put the butter back in the refrigerator.  He poured us some wine, and we discussed dinner.  I felt quite proud of us for fixing something at home instead of succumbing to the temptation of ordering delivery.  Perhaps I could do a cooking post on what I fixed.

In the meantime, I see I am over 700 words.  That is almost unprecedented for a Scattered Saturday!  I hope people have read me to the end.  Well, anybody who did not will miss my wish for a very happy Saturday.  Hope to see you all on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

3 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, Scattered Saturday and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Large Weather We’re Having Lately

Posted on December 16, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

So winter came back to the Mohawk Valley and it came with a vengeance!  I have never been so glad that I work a mere eight minute drive from home.  Oh who am I kidding?   love working so close to home each and every day, I’ll never get over it.  Be that as it may, I am home.  If only my dear husband was also home, my life would be perfect.

In the meantime, I need to make a blog post.  I hate having a Non-Sequitur Thursday after I just had a Wuss-out Wednesday and there is every chance that tomorrow will indeed be Lame Post Friday.  But here you have it.  I am tired.

When I got home, I first took my dog, Spunky, for a short business meeting.  I can’t say it was a walk, because he does not go far in this weather.  In his defense, he is a very small dog with a very short haircut.  I put his coat on him, but a coat can only help so much.  After he had done his business and I got him back inside and dried off (as best as I could get him with a towel), I went back outside and shoveled the driveway.

I felt somewhat ineffective, with the snow still pouring down on me, trying to move what had fallen so far.  There was not a whole lot to move, but I thought if I took out what was there, it might at least help.  And it gave me some exercise.  Back and forth, up and down the driveway I walked, pushing show.  Every so often I stopped and tossed a shovelful to one side or the other.   I also cleared the sidewalk in front of the house, although not quite as widely as the village sidewalk plow had done it earlier.  I’ll just take another opportunity to deplore the pedestrians I often see walking down the road when there is a perfectly good sidewalk (please don’t justify yourself if this is you; you will not convince me).

So here is my blog post for the day.  If only I could think of a punchy headline, all might not be lost.  Then again, if the headline is as dull as the blog post, at least it is truth in advertising.  I will try to come up with something better tomorrow.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, Non Sequitur Thursday, personal and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Possibly a Pre-5K Run

Posted on December 8, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I actually wrote part of a blog post while at work today (um, on a BREAK, not while working), but then I came home and went running, so I thought I would like to make a Running Commentary Post instead.

This Saturday, Dec. 10, is the Reindeer Run 5K, part of the Christmas in Little Falls festivities. I have been saying I am going to run it.  Maybe.  As I left work today, I said to my co-worker, “I guess I’d better go running today, if I think I’m going to run a 5K on Saturday.”

“If you’re going to run Saturday, what do you need to run today for?” he asked.  He was not serious.

As I left work, I was a little afraid the temperature would be borderline.  That is, should I wear leggings and long-sleeves or shorts and t-shirt?  When I took Spunky for a walk as soon as I got home, I got a dreadful hot flash.  They have been getting hotter, and they are not over in a flash.  They do not particularly bother me; I just ride them out.  However, it impaired my ability to judge the weather.

Getting back home, I noted that the thermostat said 42 degrees.  My rule for myself is shorts and short-sleeves for 45 degrees and warmer.  Still, 42 sounded pretty warm to me, and the hot flash wasn’t quitting.  Still, I had made up that rule for myself…

I put on leggings and long sleeves.  The leggings felt too tight, so I looked for a pair of fat old lady pants instead.  I had run in fat old lady pants recently and found it works pretty good.  Fat old lady pants, in case you did not know, are fairly loose-fitting, elastic-waist, poly-cotton blend.  The pair I found had pockets, which I liked.  It would be handier for my watch, for one reason.  The band is broken on my wrist-watch, so now I pin it to my pants and make it a waist-watch.

It didn’t feel too cold or two warm as I started down the sidewalk.  I had it in mind to run up the hill to Herkimer College, a challenging 40-minute run to make sure I was ready for the 5K.  I managed to cross German Street without too much problem and ran down the sidewalk, avoiding the occasional puddle.  I had set out at 3:40 (15:40, my watch said; I have military time) (um, not because I was in the army; it’s because I don’t want to screw up and set the alarm for p.m. instead of a.m.).  There was a lot of traffic.

Soon I was running up Lou Ambers Drive.  It seemed to take a long time to get to the steep part.  Cars whizzed by me, mostly not slowing down or getting over.  I couldn’t blame them for not getting over, because there was also a lot of traffic going in the other direction.  As I ran, a song I had been singing to Spunky kept playing in my head:

He’d a good dog named Spunky

His name is Spunky and he’s a good  dog.

The lyrics are not inspired, but it has a good rhythm to run to.  I remembered when I was in Army Basic Training, one of my buddies was on profile and did not run all through Basic, till the very end (“on profile” is a medical thing).  Then she had to run the two-mile PT (physical training) test.  She said she was going to sing Christmas carols to herself to keep going.  It worked for her, because she passed.  I decided to sing a few Christmas carols to myself today.  It was not the miracle I was hoping for as far as taking my mind off the hill.  But I made it to the top.

I could see down to Herkimer, which I had not been able to do the last couple of times I made that run.  It was overcast and grey, but I could see buildings. However, I could not linger and really look.  I kept running.

By the time I got back to the village and level ground, I realized I could rock this.  I thought about the 5K and pictured myself at the 2 mile mark encouraging my fellow runners by shouting, “We can rock this!”  Oh yeah, like anybody there will run as slowly as I do!

I made my 40 minutes and was pretty pleased with myself.  I must confess, I am not as pleased with my blog post, but you’ll have that.  I still haven’t quite made up my mind about the 5K.  I’ll let you know.  In the meantime, I will gather what satisfaction I can from the fact that I did not make a Wuss-out Wednesday post.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, running, running commentary and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Running Out of November

Posted on December 1, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I started writing a real post while at work today (YES, I was on a break, don’t go running to my boss!).   Then I got home and went running, and I’d like to do a Running Commentary instead.

I was thinking when I left work that it would be a good idea to run. For one reason, I haven’t run for the last two days (judge me if you must). For another reason, it was almost warm out.  As I walked to my vehicle I pondered whether I should run in shorts or leggings.  When I got home I noted that our thermostat said it was 50 degrees outside. That is definitely shorts weather for me, although it had seemed like legging weather as I left work.  Spunky wanted to go for a walk, so I had another chance to think about it.

Spunky went down the driveway as far as the neighbors’ front yard and pee’d, while their dog, Piper, barked at him from their front window.  Then Spunky  led me firmly back to our house.  He is definitely not the walker Tabby was.  That was all right, though, because I had to get out and running before I ran out of ambition.  I went with the thermostat and put on shorts and short sleeves.  I chose an ARMY t-shirt with a reflective decal on the back, because it was grey and gloomy.

I did not feel too bad as I started down the sidewalk.  I admired the grey sky and dark atmosphere.  I felt it was a very November day for the last day of the month (although I think my blog post will be dated December 1; just go with it).  I turned right onto German Street.  I had it in mind to run by the HARC building at the end of the street.  I noticed when I drove by there the other day that they seem to be building a playground in back of it.  I wanted to take a closer look.

However, as I approached Main Street, I re-thought my plans.  It is a busy corner with a four-way stop.  I wondered if I would be able to cross it easily.  If so, then I would have to cross back later.  I would see how traffic was.  Several cars were there. I turned right down Main Street.  Main Street was busy, too.  Should I run all the way down it?  There is usually a lot of pedestrian traffic as well, especially as you get closer to State Street.  I decided to turn right on Church Street, at the Historic Four Corners.  When I got there, a car stopped at the stop sign actually pulled back a little to let me across the street.  I tried to wave, “Thanks but don’t bother, I’m turning.”  I hope the driver got that.

It did not seem especially warm to me.  My legs didn’t feel too bad, but my arms were cold.  I put my headband over my ears.  I looked around at houses to distract myself.  I noted a few Christmas decorations here and there.  I’d like to take a walk after dark and look at houses with lights.  I wish Spunky was into taking longer walks but I do not want to force him to go farther than his inclination.

Soon I had to admit that I felt tired.  Now I have realized that when I run I can pretty much keep going for just about as long as I decide to (I do NOT need anybody to tell me that this is painfully obvious and true for almost anything).  That said, OH, did I want to stop!  Or at least walk!  I could feel that I was running slowly.  A brisk walk might even be faster than I was moving.  However, I persevered.  Then I felt bad for not enjoying my run more.  Don’t I run because I like to run, I asked myself.  Never mind, I answered.  Sometimes you have to put up with the runs that are not so fun in order to get to the runs that are.

As I ran up my street, the end in sight, I saw a pedestrian on the sidewalk up ahead.  I had already gone around several pedestrians on the run, as well as changing direction a couple of times to avoid others.  I would go around this one.  Then I saw that the pedestrian had a dog.  I like to pet a dog.  Could it be my friend Rocky?  As I got closer, I saw that it was Rocky and his mom.  She was talking to another person I hadn’t seen at first.  Rocky saw me coming and pulled at his leash a little bit.

“He knows he’s going to get pets from me,” I said.  “Hi, good boy!  Good to see you!”  His mom and the guy she was talking to laughed.  I gave them a wave and ran on.  I was almost home.  Yay!

It felt GREAT to walk my cool down.  For about half a block, then the wind picked up and I was cold.  I had sensibly put a sweatshirt on my back deck with my water bottle, so now my arms felt OK and my legs were cold.  No matter.  I ran. I was glad.  I would write a blog post about it.

 

2 Comments

Posted in humor, personal, running commentary and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Short Post on Shop Small Saturday

Posted on November 27, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I pause in my Saturday festivities to make a blog post on Small Business Saturday, which follows the more flashy Black Friday.  Quite frankly, I am not inclined to shop on any Big Day, because I prefer to avoid crowds.  However, being Mohawk Valley Girl, as I am, I felt it would behoove me to get out and support a few of our wonderful Mohawk Valley entrepreneurs.

The sticky wicket was that I had a headache and was in kind of a poopy mood (not literally; don’t go yelling TMI at me).  Additionally, it was pouring rain.  I usually try not to let the weather bother me, but today I felt… dampened.   However, I got myself out the door shortly after 10 a.m. and headed to Little Falls.  There was a lot going on in Little Falls, because Little Falls is really good at these things, in addition to having many excellent local businesses.  My ambition to shop took a nosedive when as I got to Little Falls I remembered I had not taken the postcards and letter I wrote to the post office before I left Herkimer.  Damn!

I hate to admit it, but I only made it to the Community Co-op in Little Falls.   Sorry, Little Falls!  I’ll make it back one day soon, shop at lots of places and write a better blog post.

Driving back through Herkimer, I remembered that Original Herkimer Cheese in Ilion was having a Holiday Open House.  I managed to find it.  I sampled and purchased some cheese.  I must write a fuller blog post about that place.  Next I went to one of my all-time favorite places, Ilion Farmer’s Market at Clapsaddle Farm.  I had a great conversation with folk artist Jim Parker and bought some pickles and tomatoes.

By now I was in kind of a better mood, and it had stopped raining.  Driving back through Ilion I checked out Honey Brook Hobbies and Sweet Temptations, another place I must make a complete blog post about.  Then I made a stop at Ilion Wine & Spirits, another of my favorite places.  Heading back to Herkimer, I made one more stop at T & J’s Fruits and Vegetables.

So I did a lot, but I guess I’m not up for writing a lot about it.  In my defense, I spent some time working on the murder mystery I’m writing for Herkimer County Historical Society, so I’m not a complete bum.  Call me a partial bum, and have a nice Saturday.

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, local business, personal, Scattered Saturday and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Rain, Not Lame, Run

Posted on November 26, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

Well, it is Friday, but I made a Friday Lame Post earlier this week, so I thought I would attempt a Running Commentary.  For one reason, it added to my motivation to run this morning.

I did not get out the door till about 7:30, but it was still pretty cold.  It had been raining in the night but seemed to have stopped.  My dog Spunky indicated that he wanted to go for a walk while I was bustling about getting ready, so I had a preview of the temperature.  Brr!  Spunky didn’t even make it to the end of the driveway.  Nevertheless, I had decided to run, I was going to run.

Another reason I wanted to run was that I could run by Ramar Liquor. No, not to buy booze!  (Not but what a glass of wine would taste pretty good right now, but I digress.)  Anyone who read yesterday’s post may remember that the business unfortunately burned down.  Does this make me a rubber-necking busybody or a concerned customer?  No matter, it was motivation to get out the door so I went.

Ramar’s is located on Caroline Street, which I often run on anyways.  I don’t usually run as far down as Ramar’s, but today I planned to.  It is only a block further from where I usually turn.  The sidewalks were wet but not slippery.  They were mostly bare with a few patches of snow.  Oh dear.  I did not want another wet sock run.  I went around snow and puddles as best I could.  The cold was not too dreadful.  Only my face was really uncomfortable.  My legs were pumping along with no problem, and my breathing wasn’t too bad either.

Caution tape surrounded the sad burned-out liquor store, but the sidewalk was not blocked off.  A few men were standing outside, including one I knew by sight as one of the owners.  As I ran by, I caught his eye and said good morning.

“I was so sorry to hear about this,”  I said.

“Thank you,” he answered.

I was glad I had been able to express some sympathy, although I suppose it didn’t really help much.  I still had the greater part of my run to get through, so of course I kept going.

It started to rain again.  First a few drops that I could pretend to myself were merely blowing off the trees, then a more steady rain.  However, it was not a downpour and I was able to keep going.  I did not feel too tired till almost the end of the run, so I felt pretty good about that.  I didn’t even mind the rain too much, although it did gather on my glasses and obscure my vision a bit.

I ended up running 30 minutes, which was perhaps less than I ought to have done (my last longest run was 38), especially considering I am hoping to run a 5K.  Then again, I can’t quite remember when and where the 5K is, so perhaps my ambitions are for naught.  In any case, I ran today.  I burned a few calories, enhanced my health, and wrote a (hopefully non-lame) blog post.  We’ll call that a win.  Happy Friday, everyone.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in commentary, humor, personal, running, running commentary and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Snowy Sunday Run

Posted on November 23, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was maybe half-way into Sunday’s run when I remembered something:  winter running socks do not keep your feet warm once they are soaked from running through slush.

Winter came to much of the northeast between Saturday and Sunday.  The Mohawk Valley did not get hit as badly as other areas, but we got some.   Still, it did not seem terrible to me when I got up shortly before six.  There was snow on the back lawn but not an inordinate amount.  After a cup of coffee I thought I might take a run.

The sun was not all the way up, or maybe it was the clouds making it seem that way, so I decided to wear my road guard vest (it is a reflective vest, I suppose, but in the Army we called them road guard vests).  I sometimes wonder about wearing the vest when I run on the sidewalk — am I being overly cautious and look like a big geek (which I guess I am but you don’t have to rub it in).  However, I also had it in mind to run up the hill to Herkimer College (previously known as HCCC), where there is no sidewalk.

Steven approved of my wearing the vest, “Because it’s still snowing.”

“It is?”  It was hard to tell in the dim light.  I don’t usually run through precipitation, but I already had my warm running gear on — leggings, long-sleeved ARMY t-shirt, winter running socks, hat and mittens.  The vest added another layer.

Almost as soon as I started out, I abandoned the sidewalk for the road so did not have to worry about looking overly cautious.  I wasn’t sure the road would be a whole lot less slippery, though.  I felt even more worried when I turned onto German Street.  There is generally more traffic on German so I knew I might have to get right over to the curb.  There were some major puddles by the curb and not a little ice.  Damn!  Luckily there wasn’t much traffic.  I made it to Lou Ambers Drive without mishap.

As I ran I debated whether I would actually run up to the college.  I had settled for the hill by Valley Health on Saturday.  Surely that would be good enough again.  I could go into the suburbs (that is what I call the residential area back behind Valley Health) where I would find a few more hills.  For one reason, if I slipped and fell flat on my face, somebody in a house might come out and help me.  More likely they were still asleep.  I headed toward the college.

A man was in the driveway of a house near the bottom of the hill.  I think he came out to get his newspaper and stayed to smoke a cigarette.  We waved at each other.

“I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking,” I said.

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” he said.

The worst part about the snow falling was that it accumulated on my glasses.  I had sensibly remembered to switch my good glasses for an old pair of safety glasses, so I could wipe them off on my shirt and not worry too much.  It was a little awkward with my mittens on.  Additionally, the snow had accumulated on my shirt as well.  Never mind, I told myself.  I can see well enough.

I did wish I could see a little better, though, because the trees looked so beautiful with the snow on the branches.  It was a lovely winter scene.  It would have put me in quite the Christmasy mood if the slush wasn’t soaking through my sneakers and into my socks.  I kept going, though, because I knew I would not be out long enough to get frostbite.  I comforted myself with the thought that a little extra weight on my feet would burn a few more calories.

I ended up running for a longer time than I had meant to, but I felt pretty good about it.  Full disclosure:  I have not been running since.  On the other hand, that is only two days.  I’ll run again tomorrow, I hope.  I might even write a blog post about it.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, running, running commentary and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

And to Think, I Almost Didn’t Run

Posted on November 17, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a running commentary to break things up? I have not done one of those in a while, for the simple reason that I have not been running.  I started again this weekend with two runs on the mini-tramp while taking in a silent movie.  I think I mentioned that in my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  I cravenly did not run Monday or Tuesday, so I knew it would be a very good idea to run today.  I also knew I would be very clever about taking myself out of it.

As my work day wore on, I pondered what to do when I got home.  Run?  Clean house?  Not go home but to the store to buy my great-nephew a birthday present (he turns two this week)?  I was feeling increasingly downhearted, for many reasons that do not bear repeating.  I was also feeling rather bloated, because I am back to eating normally, which, for me, means too much.  Obviously running was the right thing to do.

It was not precipitating as I left work, as it had been yesterday (when I did not run).  It seemed cold, but that is no deterrent.  I have leggings and long sleeves.  As soon as I got in the house, Spunky wanted to go for a walk.  He only wanted to go to the end of the street and back.  I thought it felt chilly.  My thermostat said it as 51, well within shorts and short sleeve range for me.  I didn’t think it felt 50, but who am I to argue?  I put on shorts and short sleeves.  Getting a hot flash while I was changing made me feel a little better about the cold, although it made putting on the sports bras a little more awkward (sorry if that was oversharing).

I set out.  Normally when I run for the first time after a break, I run up to German Street, turn left, run to Caroline, then down Caroline, up Margaret, down Henry only as far as I need to to complete the time I want to run.  I decided to turn right today, just for something different.  Then I almost changed my mind, because some kids were walking home from school in that direction. They were on the opposite side of German from me, but I felt self-conscious.  Then I told myself to stop being silly; those kids were probably not paying the least attention to me and who cares if they were?  I turned right.

The cool air felt good.  It really wasn’t cold; I could tell my hands were not going to stiffen up as can happen when it gets below 40.  My ears got cold after a while, but I just moved my headband over them.  This was great.  More to the point, my body was having no problem with the run.  My legs and arms pumped along steadily, my breathing was no problem.  I could handle this!

I turned down Main Street, because that street can be a little difficult to cross because of traffic.  Instead of going all the way down Main, I turned at Church and followed that all the way to the end.  I felt pretty pleased with myself:  instead of going up and down, I was going back and forth.  As I ran, I admired houses, envying screened in porches and noticing who had and had not raked their lawns (not judging, just noticing).  Many houses had harvest decorations: scarecrows, pumpkins, corn.  I saw a few jack-o-lanterns left over from Halloween.   They get really scary looking when they start to rot;  their mouths gape open and the insides are all black with mold. Ew!

I ended up running 27 minutes, which I thought was pretty good.  I did 30 minutes on each of my mini-tramp runs over the weekend, and I usually do not run as far during the week.  I have it in mind to run a 5K in December, and I think I will be just ready for it.  I’ll probably write a blog post about it.

 

Leave a comment

Posted in humor, personal, running, running commentary and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →