Tag Archives: weather

Foggy Wednesday

I apologize for having a Wuss-out Wednesday after my rather silly post on Monday. Um, and Sunday. Oh, I’m not going back and looking at how many lame posts I’ve had recently; the fact is today I haven’t written anything yet and I don’t have much to write about.

I drove through a lovely thick fog on my way to work today and thought I would write about that. We’ve had a lot of fog recently. I like fog. It is usually thicker in Ilion (where I work) than it is in Herkimer (where I live). This morning as I went out to my vehicle, I saw that the fog was pretty thick in Herkimer. I thought, “Awesome! It’ll be really thick in Ilion.”

Steven and I got lost in the fog on Higby Road once, but that is a big hill out in the country. I felt it was doubtful that I would get lost on my eight-minute commute to work. I drove at a careful speed (slower, but not too slow), looking around. The irony was not lost on me that I was enjoying looking at what I was not able to see. I took extra care as I went out German Street by the cemetery. I’ve often seen deer in that area. I would not care to hit a deer.

It was not too hard to see even once I got to Ilion. Walking from my vehicle to my place of employment, I continued to enjoy looking around, where I usually see buildings but this morning could only see streetlights.

Then I was at work, the sun came up, and the fog was over. I thought, “Huh. That wasn’t such a much.” So I didn’t write a blog post about it. And now I just did.

Sufficiently wussy, I trust.

Wrist to Country Road

I had meant to write about my continued adventures on Saturday, but I’m too tired. What a surprise on Wrist to Forehead Sunday. The fact is I ran around all day doing fun stuff with my family. I can’t run around all day on both weekend days. It’s not that I’m to old for this stuff (although I am older than I was yesterday). I was only ever good for one weekend day, even in my young(er) and (more) foolish days.

One thing I did today that I found pretty cool was to ride out Higby Road out of Frankfort to Sauquoit. Steven and I got lost on that road one terrible night long ago, but that was in a severe fog in the dark. Today it was bright afternoon sunshine. My sister was driving. My niece sat in the back seat.

First I had to direct her to Higby Road. We drove through Frankfort. I like being a tour guide. I pointed out the Marina and the road to the Prayer Garden. When we reached the light at the end of Railroad Street, I told my sister to turn in the opposite the Knight Spot, where I will take them for a meal or ice cream on another visit. I was also proud to point out the Balloon Farm Bed and Breakfast. We took due note of the Herkimer County Fairgrounds then drove on out Higby.

I love the scenery of a country road. Old barns, fields of corn, farmhouses and more. As the road goes uphill, there are places where you can look out and see for miles. My sister was able to appreciate the sights while still driving in a safe manner. It was helpful, too, because we had a couple of turns to get to our destination. When we headed back to Herkimer, she remembered certain landmarks and knew we were headed in the right direction.

When I returned from a fun drive, a fun event and a fun drive home, Steven and I took Tabby for a walk. So now I’m even more tired. So I can’t write a decent blog post is what I’m saying. But I see that I’ve managed over 300 words nonetheless. I hope to see you all for Middle-aged Musings Monday.

Back from the Garlic Festival

This time I have a good reason not to have Saturday Running Commentary. I was recruiting my energies for the Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival in Little Falls, NY. Several family members planned to accompany me. It was going to be great!

And it was great. Just the weather was lousy. It poured rain. It was cold. I wore the wrong jacket, by the way. We found a parking space a good distance away from the festivities but were lucky enough to catch the shuttle. I don’t mind a walk, but with the rain pouring down and the shuttle right there waiting for us, I was happy to take the bus.

As we got to the festival I was excited by the smell of garlic. I was also impressed by the size of the crowd. Many of them had umbrellas (another accoutrement I had stupidly forgotten) and/or their hoods up, but all were eagerly walking around enjoying the vendors and the music.

I tried several samples of different mustards, dips, cheeses and, of course, garlic. I did not get a chance to chat with the vendors because it was so crowded. Next year I hope to get there earlier. After walking all around we went into Stone Mill, got a warm beverage from Ole Sal’s Creamery, and browsed the antiques.

After stopping at a few vendors we had missed and a quick stop at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts, some of us made our way down to the Piccolo Cafe where a beverage distributor out of Utica (I stupidly did not make a note of who, but I will find out and report back) was offering a craft beer tasting. Then it was off to Mohawk, NY for further adventures.

Moon Run (But Not Super)

So we just had the year’s last Super Moon. I didn’t think it was so super, but I never saw it till the following morning so I suppose I’m no judge. Furthermore, I saw it during an early morning run that I was in no mood for, so perhaps my assessment was colored.

Be that as it may, I left my house shortly after 3:30 this morning (Tuesday), assuring myself that if I only ran 20 minutes I would be satisfied. I took a right onto German Street instead of my usual left, hoping that doing something different would inspire me.

I was soon sorry I had picked that direction, because the moon was behind me. Wasn’t that supposed to be the cool thing about running this morning, I asked myself, so I could see the moon? I had had a vague idea of walking Monday evening after sundown with my dog and possibly my husband (the husband might be tired; the dog is always into it). That would have given us the Super Moon in all its glory. I think it was even supposed to be red. My vague idea did not come to fruition.

So I kept running, not looking at the moon, hoping my leg muscles would warm up soon. As always I looked for lights in houses. I passed one house where I did not see lights but I heard voices.

“I’m not giving him mouth to mouth,” was all I caught. It sounded like a hypothetical, not that somebody was stretched out on the floor in front of him. I thought the thing now was not to do mouth-to-mouth, or rescue breathing as they like to call it, just chest compressions. Maybe I could take a Red Cross course sometime so I will know these things.

I turned down Main Street, putting the moon to my right. I turned my head a few times to see it but thought I’d mainly better look where I was going. Tuesday is garbage day in Herkimer. I needed to keep an eye out for skunks. I hadn’t smelled anything so far. I didn’t see any cats either. Some fellows at work were saying cats and skunks get along. They’ll stand right next to each other eating out of the garbage.

“Wow, I can’t even sit down with my brother and sisters and have a meal without fighting,” I said. It isn’t true any more, but it used to be when we were kids.

My co-worker also said a skunk had chased him. That surprised me. I thought skunks were the kind of animal that if you left them alone they left you alone. I hoped I would not be called upon to outrun a skunk.

Partway down Main Street I started to smell skunk, but it was not a strong odor. The skunk may have sprayed a while ago or be a few streets over. I kept an eye out just in case. I was still a little surprised at the absence of cats. Maybe they were with the skunks, seeing as how they get along so well.

At last I turned onto Church Street, where I could see the moon. Then some trees got in my way so I couldn’t see the moon. Then I could see the moon but reminded myself not to stare at it. I did not want to trip on the sidewalk or a skunk. I went all the way up Church back to German, where I thought I would go up the hill by Valley Health. I crossed against the lights, because there were no cars coming.

That hill was no fun. I did not expect it to be fun, exactly, but I didn’t think I would mind it so much. Slow down, I told myself. Just shuffle up the hill. I was out of breath at the top. What was that all about? Maybe I haven’t been running a lot, but I’ve been running some. I felt quite ill-used by my body.

It was about this time that I realized I had forgotten my reflective vest. I guess it didn’t matter much since I was running almost exclusively on sidewalks. Then I noticed how it was warmer and more humid than I had expected. Not horrible, but I was just as glad I didn’t have that extra layer.

Soon I was back on German heading in the direction of home. My back was to the moon again, but I was running downhill. I counted my blessings. I was beyond my minimum of 20 minutes. I ran past my street and on for a total of 32 minutes. I never reached the “I can rock this” stage. Even my cool-down walk didn’t feel very good. Still, one must be philosophical about these things (half-baked philosophy for me). A bad run can still do a body good. At least I got to see the moon.

A Run on the South Side

Perhaps Sunday Running Commentary will become a thing for me. I used to be motivated and dedicated and run both weekend days. Lately, not so much. However, I got myself out the door and on the road today so thought I’d write about it.

It was shortly after 6 a.m. when I set out. It was light out and I intended to stick to sidewalks so I did not wear my reflective vest. For another reason, it was at least sixty degrees and possibly still humid, so I did not want the extra layer. For me, 60 degrees is doable, but I prefer 10 or even 20 fewer degrees. But there is no point in repining over what one would like. I set out.

I decided to run in the opposite direction from the one I usually take, which is toward German Street. I went toward State Street, also known as Route 5, meaning to cross to the south side of town. I don’t usually run there, to avoid crossing the busiest street in town, but I like to shake things up occasionally.

As I ran, I reflected that I was going to the south side of Herkimer, “the baddest part of town,” to quote an old song. It isn’t really (don’t hate one me, south side!), but it used to be considered “the other side of the tracks.” I learned at a program at the Herkimer County Historical Society that the south side was where most of the immigrant families settled. These included the children who attended South School, which later became the Tugor School. I believe the school is now senior citizen apartments.

The railroad tracks used to run where State Street is now, so “wrong side of the track” was true. I’ve often thought it doesn’t matter which side of the tracks you live on; if you live close enough to the tracks the trains are going to be too loud. But I don’t really know about these subtle social distinctions. I just wanted to go for a run.

I sprinted across State Street, because I had the green light. I made it with no problem, which I thought was a good thing, because there was a big old pick-up truck stopped for the red light. I don’t want to get a big old pick-up truck mad at me. I continued down Bellinger to the end of the street, which I thought was Marginal Road.

My body had settled into the run by the time I was on the south side. It had not been best pleased with me when we started out. Once again I wondered if I should warm up and stretch out before leaving the house. Only it goes against the grain with me to run in place for a minute when I’m just going to be running down the road soon. It feels like wasted effort, and I have little enough oomph as it is.

As I continued my run I realized I was not on Marginal Road but on Steele Street. There was no sidewalk but also no traffic, so I did not regret the lack of my reflective vest. It was pretty much full daylight by this time anyways, if not bright and sunny. My body stopped complaining. In fact I was much more absorbed in looking at the sights than in noticing how well the run was going. That is my usual trick.

I could see that the south side was no longer the baddest part of town, if it ever was. The proportion of well-kept houses to houses that have seen better days was about what you see anywhere in town. I admired porches, flowers and the usual stuff. It’s kind of nice to look at different houses once in a while.

Steele Street became Protection Avenue with no effort on my part. Then I took a couple of side streets and ran across the K-Mart parking lot. That was where I petted a nice black pug named Miss Daisy. Her person told me Miss Daisy was trying to lose weight too. I wished her an easier time than I am having and ran on. I know, I need to run a little more and eat a lot less.

Another sprint brought me back to my own side of State Street. I ran by Folts Home, noting their pavilion, where I first saw Fritz’ Polka Band (I’m Facebook friends with Fritz now) (I’m something of a name-dropper; you may have noticed). And there was the Baptist Church, host of Coffee and Conversation with a Cop. Next I ran by Municipal Hall, where the Herkimer Police Station is.

In Meyers Park I encountered my friend Nicky and his person. I petted the good dog and exchanged a few remarks with the nice person. On the other side of the park I saw two dogs I know named Chico and Bear, with their person. More pets and greetings. I love to stop running for a few seconds to pet a dog.

I ended up running 38 minutes, longer than my last few runs. It was in fact, more than a 10 percent increase, which is the recommended amount, but I’m sure that is OK. I guess it will have to be, because I did it. My dog Tabby nicely walked my cool-down with me.

I have not been very dedicated with my running lately. I let the hot and humid weather last week discourage me. However, fall approaches and I feel another burst of motivation coming on. Maybe I will be able to lose as much weight as Miss Daisy.

A Truly Pedestrian Post

Alas, Saturday Running Commentary does not return this week. It was supposed to rain this morning and let me off the hook. It did not. However, I didn’t feel like running so I darn well didn’t. In my defense, the house still felt stuffy and humid. We opened the front and back doors, hoping to get a cross-breeze. I thought I might change my mind after a cup of coffee. I did not.

I did, however, write four postcards which my schnoodle Tabby and I walked to the post office to mail around 8:30. Therefore, I make bold to offer a Pedestrian Post for your Saturday reading pleasure (or whatever day you decide to read it; I should not like to dictate others’ reading schedules).

When we walked last night the humidity made my crazy old lady had uncomfortable. This morning did not seem too sunny so I went without it again. I had showered and put on a fairly respectable-looking outfit with earrings, so I did not feel that I needed it for a disguise anyways.

Oh, I love to walk. It feels so good on my legs. Tabby likes it too, although sometimes it seems she mostly likes to stop and sniff. Almost every telephone post and tree as well as many random patches of grass command her attention. I must envy how easily she is entertained. Then again, I was reasonably entertained by the walk and I don’t have her sense of smell.

She kept wanting to go a different way from me at the corners and even tried to pull me across the street between corners, but I kept her on track. When we got to the post office she was reluctant to go in which is unusual. Once again, I convinced her. She seemed interested in a gentleman waiting for the window to open, but we did not approach him. He said she was cute. Tabby was happy when we left the post office, because I told her that now we’d go which way she wanted to go.

She took me over to Main Street, then down around Albany and up Prospect, which is a route we often take on Saturdays. I was soon feeling it was a good thing I had not gone running. I think it was even more muggy than last night. Even walking at a leisurely pace with frequent stops I was becoming overheated. I wondered if the weather was entirely to blame or if menopause was rearing its ugly head. Then again, finger-pointing gets us nowhere.

I was happy to return home to the benign influence of my fans (um, I mean the electric fans that blow air on me, not the other kind) (although I appreciate them too) (you know who you are, and for the rest, yes I KNOW it’s not you, you don’t have to make unkind remarks). I’m afraid my walk was dull and the post about it likewise. But I enjoyed my walk in a gentle, unexciting kind of way, and hope others found the same about the blog post.

Hope to see you on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

Post from a Melted Brain

Unofficial end of summer, my ass. We’ve had two warm, humid days, the second REALLY warm and humid. What little brain I had has melted. Luckily for me it is Lame Post Friday.

I did write some today. Not a lot. But some. I don’t think it was very good, but one can’t be brilliant 24/7 (I know, some of you are maintaining that YOU certainly can while the others are snarking that I probably can’t be brilliant 1/1. What sarcastic imaginary readers I have).

I didn’t do anything besides go to work and come home. Nothing exciting happened on either ride. And I could not make myself go for a run on this hot, humid day. My God, I am PATHETIC! I’ve got to get a grip on myself!

These things happen in the writing life. We try to write, we find we cannot think of anything to say. Some of us sensibly put the computer away and clean the house or play solitaire. Some of us press on, determined to make that blog post every day. And we all know which group I fall into.

I fear I do too many of these I Can’t Write a Post Today posts. Could it be time for me to stop trying to post every day? Maybe try for three times a week? No, I can’t do that. I’ll just try to write more better posts (YES, I mean “more better,” let it go). I’ll start tomorrow. Happy Friday, everyone.

I Sweated Out This Blog Post

People call this the unofficial end of summer, but I think Mother Nature is letting us know it ain’t so. As I sit writing this at my place of employment (my shift hasn’t started yet so sit back down, you have no reason to tattle to my boss), my pants stick to my legs and a coating of sweat threatens the Oil of Olay I put on my face earlier.

But I was not writing a blog post to complain about things. I mean to write about the run I took this morning. I had originally thought NOT to write about it. After all, this is not a blog about running. On the other hand, it is not a blog about me not being able to write a decent blog post either, but I seem to write a lot of those, too.

Be all that as it may, Steven had another early shift today, so i took the opportunity for another pre-dawn run. One might think the dark air would be cool and pleasant, but one would be mistaken. The humidity was thick, the temperature was none too low and the breeze seldom.

Oh, just listen to me grumble, and it gets worse before it gets better (I confess, as I write this I am laughing at myself. What a kvetch!). What bothered me first was my own legs. They felt as if I had not used them in weeks. What a crock! I ran Sunday and walked on Monday. And I did not spend all day lounging on the couch in between.

I wondered if I should have warmed up before starting. I used to stretch but then I read how you should not stretch cold muscles. Warm them first, I read, with a light jog. Well, I start my run slow, you could call it a light jog if you were so inclined. I suppose what you are supposed to do is jog in place for a minute or two, then stretch, THEN start your run. Oh, who has time for these things? And personally, I find it is best to get out the door and away from my comfortable house as soon as possible or I will find an unassailable reason for staying home (I can be very persuasive).

Before the run I had had quite a debate in my head as to where to run. I like to take different routes. But I still feel some nervousness running prior to four in the morning. Would it not be better to stick to proven safe streets? Then again, different routes can stimulate the mind. Finally I set out in my usual direction down German Street. There was no point in stimulating my mind too much.

I went all the way up German and hooked around to run back down Church Street. The only thing of note I observed were some vines growing over a privacy fence. They seemed bigger than I remembered. Had it been longer than I thought since I ran down this side of the street? Or had they grown really fast in the recent rain? It was not until I was writing this just now that it occurs to me, they may be mutant vines that will begin to eat people soon. I suppose I was still half asleep. I don’t usually miss a good B movie reference like that.

Soon I was approaching Main Street. Some people avoid Main Street. I’ve never had a problem there and continue to walk and run that way. However, early hours seem to make a difference, at least in my head. I decided to cross Main and run down Washington to Green Street. Then I could run by the police station. That would make me feel secure.

It seemed to take a long time to get to Green Street. My legs were feeling better, but I was really feeling the humidity. As I ran by the police station I realized there was a whole parking lot between me and any cops that might be there. If I was accosted by a bad guy could I count on the police hearing me? I do have a loud voice. Then again, what kind of messed up bad guy accosts a middle-aged lady running by the police station at four in the morning? Maybe there were surveillance cameras. If the extremely unlikely happened, it could at long last be my ticket to an appearance on World’s Dumbest.

As I continued towards Meyers Park I debated how much longer I should keep running. I was over 20 minutes so I had at least met the minimum goal I had set for myself. Of course one likes to do more than the bare minimum (one being me).

I took the long way home for a total run time of 33 minutes, the same length as my last run. As usual I walked around the block with my schnoodle, Tabby for a cool down. The best thing about these early morning runs is knowing that it’s DONE. As the heat and humitidy increased, I was increasingly glad that was so.

Not Running on D Street

Yesterday (Sunday) I went running with the idea that I would offer Sunday Running Commentary.  Instead, as per usual on a Sunday, I wrote some nonsense instead (I always say, go with your strengths).  Now the one thing I do not feel like doing is writing.  However, the one thing I really, really want to do every day is to publish a blog post.  So let’s see what I can do.

I started out shortly after 6 a.m.  The sun was not quite up and it was cloudy, so I thought it might be a good idea to wear my reflective vest.  After all, safety first.  Naturally I started to second guess myself as soon as I left the house (once again going with my strengths).  Did I just look silly wearing a road guard vest (as we called them in the army) when I was in fact not running in the road?  I probably looked like a huge geek, which in fact is what I am, and not the good kind either.

I crossed German Street and headed right, which is not the direction I have been going lately. Regular readers may recall I have been obsessively running up the hill to Herkimer County Community College (HCCC) this summer, in anticipation of the DARE 5K (I believe I’ve written a few blog posts about it).  I thought I might possibly run out Steuben Road.  For one thing, there is a pretty good hill there so I would feel bad ass.  For another reason, the sidewalk ends, so I would feel a little less silly in my road guard vest.

For the record, I really like my reflective vest, a very thoughtful gift from my sister.  I think it is definitely a good thing to wear when the light is dim and/or when running in the road.  It is just a bad habit of mine to perpetually feel that I look foolish.

Where was I?  Ah yes, still on German Street, when I saw a deer cross the road.  How cool is that?  She continued up a perpendicular street.  I thought to turn there too and see where she went, but when I looked she was standing in the middle of the road looking around.  I didn’t want to scare her.  Or have her scare me.  You never know.  That deer might have thought, “Hey, I have hooves.  I can take her!”

As I ran on, I tried to remember the name of the street, for my blog post.  D, D, something with a D.  Dorfman, that was it!  The street makes an L and comes out on Steuben.  When I got to that place on Steuben I double checked myself.  Dorf Street.  Silly me.  I must have been thinking of Ava Dorfman, a Roman of some note who recently died.  She started a senior citizen center which bears her name.  I believe my grandmother used to work for her husband, Dr. Dorfman.

Up Steuben I went.  It was a worse hill than I thought.  When I was done thinking about the deer and Ava Dorfman, I started to notice the weather.  It was dreadfully humid.  Will anybody get my reference if I tell you I thought, “This humidity is as thick as peanut butter!” “You mean pea soup.”  “You eat what you like, and I’ll eat what I like!”

I ran uphill till my watch told me I had been running for 15 minutes. I wanted my total run time to be about a half hour. I’ll go back to increasing it soon, but I didn’t feel like getting too tired yesterday. I ended up doing 33 minutes, which is how long I ran last time. Holding steady is good.

I confess I did not feel particularly bad ass at the end of my run. As usual, I was glad I had run, especially when it started pouring ran shortly after Tabby and I returned from our cool down walk. And, look at this, I seem to have written my blog post. I wonder what else I can get done today.

A Leisurely Post-DARE Run

I took a week off running following the DARE 5K, because it seemed I had a shin splint. My legs felt much better after rest and compression (I skipped the ice and elevation parts of that RICE acronym). When I found out Steven had to get up extra early for work on Tuesday, I decided that it would be a good idea for me to get back on track.

I got out the door shortly after 3:30 a.m. The temperature seemed pretty good for a run. It’s getting cooler at night, but I think it’ll be a while before I need leggings and long sleeves. I felt confident running at this early hour because I had mentioned it to a police officer during Coffee and Conversation with a Cop. He agreed with my assessment that the bad element is usually in bed by that time.

Seeing as I was recovering from an injury, I did not plan on running very far nor on running any hills. This would be a leisurely jaunt, just to ease back into things. It did not take me long to realize that my legs felt fine and my breathing was no problem. Then I pointed out to myself that I had just barely started running. I might feel differently as the run progressed.

I waved to my paper deliverers as they drove by. I couldn’t see if they waved back, but I feel sure they did. I saw another car at the three-way stop where Caroline Street meets German. That was unusual, seeing two vehicles so close together at that hour.

As usual I looked for lights in houses to feel less lonely. Hmmm…. that looked like a bathroom light, maybe a hall light. There was an upstairs light. Insomnia? Up early? Or just a night owl? These are the speculations that add interest to my early morning runs. I saw several basement lights but felt they didn’t do me any good. A basement light is the most common light to leave on accidentally (although I have not actually compiled any statistics on the subject).

I saw a glow in the sky in the direction of State Street. Probably businesses. It was nowhere near dawn and I didn’t think that was the east anyways. Of course I don’t know. I have a dreadful sense of direction. Later on in the run I noticed fog in the distance. That accounted for the glow, I thought. Wouldn’t the light reflect off the water droplets that make up the fog? Or am I full of beans? I knew I should have paid more attention in science class.

The fog was coming further into Herkimer as I neared the end of my run. I started seeing it in the lights from street lamps. Cool. I like fog. It looks mysterious.

I ran for 32 minutes, which I thought was pretty good. I felt sure it would help me reach my weight loss goals. Yeah, I know, not eating like a huge honking hogger would help too. Let’s not expect miracles.

When I got to work I was yawning my head off (not literally) (although that makes for an interesting mental picture). Too much of a run after almost 10 days off? Merely the result of too early out of bed? No matter. I felt better as the morning progressed and I knew that Wednesday I could sleep in till the leisurely hour of five.