Tag Archives: writing

Have You Missed Me? Or the Monsters?

Six days! It has been six days since I made a blog post! What the hell, me? This is a monstrous situation!

Artist’s depiction of my troubles getting the better of me.

How’s that for a melodramatic caption? I actually do not feel that I am being eaten alive by giant insects. I do not imagine they would find me to be an appetizing treat, but of course I don’t know these things. I am really just trolling my Media Library for monster pictures so I can post something, anything.

“Could I be of help?”

No, I am not ready for the Grim Reaper! But it was a pretty cool decoration at the Halloween party we went to at the Herkimer VFW last October.

They would surely starve to death around here!

I do like to share this poster when I am feeling brain dead. Will my brain ever revive? Will I ever go back to making good blog posts and posting on a regular basis? Will I ever upgrade and start posting new pictures? For the answers to these and other burning questions (and a few luke-warm ones as well), stay tuned to Mohawk Valley Girl.

Has It Really Been 11 Years?

Yesterday was my blogiversary, if that is a word (my autocorrect seems to think it is). Eleven years of being Mohawk Valley Girl (here is a Freudian predictive text: my Tablet suggested “self-indulgent” after “being”). I think ten years is a pretty good run, and I believe I was over that when I fell apart and began posting so sporadically (as usual, too lazy to go back and check).

I suppose it would be nice to do a State of the Blog Post or even a Look Back, remembering my not so humble beginnings (although I suffer from low self-esteem, I have never been what you might call humble). In fact, it would have been nice to post at all on my actual blogiversary. Instead, last night I began a kind of a whiny thing then gave it up and watched Dateline. In the interests of Waste Not Want Not, I include it here:

I was going to attempt a Monstrous Monday Post, but I was simultaneously trying to get answers to questions about my WordPress account. I find myself completely unable to do so. I daresay it is, as usual with me, a case of Operator Error. However, I also have to find fault with WordPress. They say that if I do not stay on WordPress, they will email me an answer, but I have yet to receive an email answer to any of my questions.

I suppose I only ask stupid questions anyways. They say there is no such thing as a stupid question, but that is just not true. However, that discussion will require a whole other blog post to answer.

I was just “talking to an expert.

That is where I left off. As you see, I did not even put the end quotation marks. When I reach a frustration level, that’s it.

Quite frankly, I suspect WordPress of using computer generated answers with a face tacked on pretending to be a person. What answers I have been able to get have that generic, not-really-listening quality. Of course automation has been the wave of the future since, well, most of recorded history. I use the automated check-out at the store sometimes myself.

One could argue that WordPress has millions of bloggers and individual attention is impossible. One could further argue that since I am still on the free level of blogging, it is not worth WordPress’ time to talk to me. To the second argument, I would point out that at the bottom of every post I make is an ad. I do not profit from the ad, but I suspect WordPress does, so free blogger though I am, I am not entirely a drag on WordPress’ bottom line.

I will add that I have always been reasonably happy with WordPress. I am aware that I am whining. It would probably be a good idea to just make the upgrade and either leave my questions unanswered or trust that amswers will eventually make themselves known.

In the meantime, I see I am over 500 words. Wow! What a long whine! Uh, I mean Post. Thank you to all my readers (if anybody read the whole thing), especially any that have been with me since the beginning (Hi, Aunt Mary!).

Who, Me? Whine About Not Posting?

Once again I have let days elapse without making a blog post. The question now is can I make a Tired Tuesday Post without whining too much? I guess another question is how much whining is too much? If the answer is “any whining at all is too much,” I am in big trouble.

At the risk of whining too much (and sharing too much), I will share that I have been having a hard time doing much of anything these days. I make it to work. I manage to get one or two things done: a run, a load of laundry, a few fun things. But major and minor projects remain unfinished and un-worked-on. What the hell, me?

As I type this post (one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet), I am trying to have a conversation with “Ask the Expert” on WordPress. I am still hesitating on my upgrade and hope to get questions answered. So far I am not having much luck.

I am anxious to upgrade, because I keep wanting to share more pictures. However, I want to make sure the upgrade is right for me before I spend the money. Additionally, and perhaps more to the point, I worry that with my current lack of blogging reliability, it will not be worth the money to upgrade. Will the upgrade perhaps inspire me to return to my daily blogging ways? Can I take that chance?

I suppose I will take the leap soon and we will all see what the result will be. In the meantime, I am over 250 words. Let us not calculate how many of those were whining.

Operator Error on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

I am trying to post more often and feel I can manage a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post. Or maybe not. Quick, put in a picture to pep things up.

Everything’s coming up rose`?

This is not the picture I was looking for, but it takes FOREVER to scroll through my Media Library. A problem with WordPress or with my Tablet? Or is it, as is often the case with me, Operator Error? However, the above picture is appropriate, because I did enjoy a glass of rose` earlier. The accent is wrong, but I do not know how to put on a proper accent. That is definitely Operator Error.

I know just how you feel, dear!

After searching the Media Library once again, the best image I can find is our skeleton Bonita having a wrist to forehead moment of her own. What can I do? The internet defeats me.

It seems odd to me that after over 10 years of writing this blog, technical difficulties are causing this much problem. I have clicked of the Ask The Expert option on my WordPress site, but apparently I did not do that right either. What the hell, me?

In any case, I think I have eked out at least 200 words from this nonsense. I will try again tomorrow. Maybe before I start on the rose`.

304 Lame Words

I have been missing days and days of posting! When I do nothing, I have nothing to post and feel bad about it. When I do something, I still do not post and feel even worse. What the hell, me?

I thought I could at least manage a Lame Post Friday post. For one reason, it is actually Friday. I know in the recent past I have made Lame Post Friday posts early Saturday morning, so I could congratulate myself that I am ahead of the game. If only I had posted more than once since last week. I could beat myself up about that.

But enough with the beating myself up (and why does autocorrect think “hough” is a word? That is what it put when I left the “e” off “enough”). It does not improve my behavior and it does not burn calories. Why does it not at least burn calories? Life can be so unfair!

This is becoming a rather ridiculous post, even for Lame Post Friday. Every time I make a post about not making a post, I worry that it will be worse than making no post at all. But how can that be? Nobody is obligated to read my posts. People can read it or not as they choose. However, nobody can read a post not written. So there’s that.

There is also this: if I want to be a writer, I need to write. Good posts, bad posts (Oh, what the hell, autocorrect? You change “bad” to “and”? Bad is a word!) (And “wod” is not, so why did you let that stand when I left the “r” out of “word”?) etc.

So here is my latest post, judge it however you choose. But I am approaching 300 words. I am going to call it a win.

Running Into Bad Attituesday

Today is definitely Bad Attituesday. My attitude is TERRIBLE! At the same time, I realize all my problems are petty, foolish, and for the most part due to Operator Error. So nobody needs to shame me.

But never mind all that. I went for a run and hoped to make a Running Commentary Post. The run, I must confess, was more of a trudge. That’s OK, though, because I used to have a feature called The Tuesday Trudge.

I have been having the damnedest time getting back into running, but I do not despair. Saturday and Sunday I ran for just over two miles. Maybe not so great compared to others or even to what I used to be able to do, but you can make yourself crazy with comparisons. I did not run yesterday, because, well, Monday. I was feeling discouraged today (long story, not very interesting) so went in search of endorphins.

And I did not find any. I ran slow. I ran thunkily (autocorrect does not think thunkily is not a word, but I stand by it). However, I ran up a small hill. Go, me! I ran perpendicular to the hill up to Herkimer College (HCCC to natives). I saw another runner going towards it. I was all set to yell something like, “Go, you! Up that hill!” but he turned off. I did not blame him, but I promised myself I would run up that hill again. Just not today.

At one point, I reminded myself how sometimes my runs do not start to really feel good till at least 20 minutes in. That was a problem, since I have not been able to achieve 20 minutes in a week-day run for some time now.

I can’t say today’s run ever felt terrific, but I did keep going for 21 minutes, over a mile and a half (yes, that is a very slow rate; we have already established that I am a slow runner, you do not need to belabor the point). As I said, no endorphins yet, but one must work up to these things.

On the brighter side, I am over 350 words. That is pretty good after missing four days. Perhaps I can improve my blogging, my running, and my attitude.

Lame Is As Lame Does

Have I used that title before? No matter. I typed it in and it stays. This is my sadly usual late Lame Post Friday post. I make no apologies but merely mention it in the interests of accuracy.

I have not had coffee yet but I think my lovely husband Steven is getting me some now. And, yes, I call him lovely largely because of the coffee. Ahh yes, here it is: the magic elixir that makes morning possible.

As I type this (one letter at a time with the stylus; I really must get a new laptop) (I certainly am a stickler for accuracy this morning), I contemplate the day ahead. I really want to do something other than sit around and watch movies. Of course that is a pleasant way to spend a Saturday or any available day, but today I want something more.

Here is a funny thing I add for entertainment purposes: when I typed in “that is a” my predictive text suggested ” horrifying thought.” I find that highly amusing. One woman’s pleasant is another’s horrifying thought. I can think of a few horrifying thoughts but will strive to stay positive.

My positive thought for this morning is that I will find something blogworthy to do today. Yes, I have a history of writing posts on arguably non-blogworthy subjects. However, I am no hand at argument. On the brighter side: I am over 200 words. Bring on Saturday!

Who Me? Have a Bad Attitude?

I used to have a feature called Bad Attituesday. I am reviving it for today. Oh, am I ever in a rotten mood! And, you know, sometimes you just have to feel that way until you don’t feel that way any more.

It’s not that I have a good reason to feel that way. Yes, some things are bothering me. There is no point in listing them. For one reason, nobody wants to hear me bitch. Moreover, most people would read them and say, “That’s not so bad. What’s her problem?” I, on the other hand, might in the act of describing them become ever more incensed and convinced of the validity of my rotten mood.

Gee, that doesn’t paint me as a very good writer, does it, when the only person I can convince is myself. Although it does give me a bit of a laugh. That is my saving grace: I can usually laugh at myself.

Additionally, it seems that writing the preceding paragraphs has alleviated my rotten mood. I am not yet feeling jolly, but I am no longer at the teeth grinding stage.

So this is today’s blog post: a few words about my bad attitude with no useful insights. But at least I got to 200 words. And I guess it makes a change from Tired Tuesday.

Lame for the Deadline?

Here is Yet Another Late Lame Post Friday Post. It is almost another feature here at Mohawk Valley Girl. I am feeling sad this particular Saturday morning, because the winter storm the weather forecasters threatened seems to be materializing. It’s not that I do not enjoy a Saturday spent at home, I do. But I need to have some Mohawk Valley Adventures!

Regular readers may remember that I write for Mohawk Valley Living magazine. I got the gig because Sharry Whitney, one of the publishers, read my blog. Every month I try to come up with something, sometimes coming embarrassingly close to the last minute.

Last month I had nothing, due to being sick. I am kind of sort of recovered now but have yet to return to my adventuresome ways. What to do?

I do have one or two places I could write about, places I have been to prior to getting sick. But I always like to visit a place just prior to writing. Then again, perhaps that is just me wanting to go out to eat or shop.

It is easy to beat myself up for not planning ahead, but no amount of planning would have made me recover from COVID any quicker. Then again, a certain amount of planning might have helped me get my article written despite COVID. Perhaps I can plan to do better in the future.

In the meantime, I am over 200 words. I guess I’ll call this a post.

Blog Post to Nowhere

I think I can just about manage a Tired Tuesday Post. But no promises. How pathetic am I? Well, I will try not to whine too much. The fact that I am tired but attempting to blog ought to encourage me; on previous tired evenings, I have just said to heck with it and gone to bed. And I haven’t always said “heck.”

Hmm…. It seems no words are forthcoming. I am in my bed pecking away at my Tablet. I knew when I headed up the stairs that I had little idea what to post about. I trusted my meager brain to come up with something. Regular readers know, as I do, that sometimes it does.

I have been trying to write more during the day, before work, on breaks, even after work. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes not so much. Sometimes all I can do is reach for my puzzle book and work on a cryptogram puzzle. Sometimes all three things happen in rapid succession.

Some writers do not find writing to be so mysterious. They just sit down and write. I am tempted to ask their secret but on reflection, I fear they do not know what it is themselves. They would probably give me a scornful lecture on discipline and recommend me not to be such a lazy, whiny baby. I don’t need that; I can beat myself up, thank you.

Where was I going with this? I guess I was just hoping to reach 200 words, and I have. Thank you for bearing with me.