Tag Archives: writing

What a Sunday!

Posted on April 15, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

OK, if I do my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post now, I will only be one blog post behind.  I had wild thoughts of doing three posts yesterday or today, but, well, you can guess how that went.  Anyways, I have had a busier than usual Sunday, giving me a real reason to swoon (posing dramatically with the back of one wrist on my forehead, of  course).  It also might make this a Scattered Sunday post.  You decide.  I’ll just keep typing.

I went for a run this morning.  I multi-tasked by putting in a load of laundry before I left.  No hills, and I only ran for 25 minutes.  Once again, I wanted to recruit my energies for Mohawk Valley adventures.  I did not feel I had a sufficiency of them yesterday.  However, planning said adventures hit a snag when our internet when out.  Undaunted (it takes a lot to daunt me), I took our new phone book out of the plastic wrap and started to look at the Yellow Pages.  Lots of leads!

Eventually, though, I just decided to drive to Richfield Springs and hope for the best.  In fact, I knew there was a good diner there.  I was hungry, having only consumed my recovery beverage of chocolate milk after my run.  If the diner wasn’t good to write about, at least I could eat.  Well, I think Cassidy’s (as I was reminded it is called) will be good to write about, but I have not done so yet (see yesterday’s post about waiting till the last minute).

I drove out of Richfield Springs, telling myself I would NOT go all the way to Cooperstown.  As it turned out, I did not have to.  I discovered Audrey’s Old and New, a charming little consignment shop.  That will be good for an article, a blog post, and at least one more visit.

Returning home, I studied my lines for Morning’s at Seven, the play I am in at Ilion Little Theatre.  I kind of lounged on my bed while I did so, making a nap seem like a really good idea.  I did not sleep too long, though.

After getting up, I folded some laundry, put away the dishes Steven had washed earlier, and looked around for other useful things to do.  Eventually I went to the store to get some food and yarn (not necessarily in that order).  Now I want to return to watching television and crocheting an afghan, my favored activity for a Sunday (many other days, too).  I see I am over 400 words on my blog post.  That is more than respectable, according to my rules for me.  400 entertain words?  Once again, you decide.

 

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A Little Fun in Little Falls

Posted on April 14, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, I am making my Scattered Saturday post on Sunday morning.  You may judge me, and I will neither protest nor defend myself.  Never mind that, on with the post.

I was missing a Girl’s Day in the Finger Lakes with my sisters and Mom, because Monday is the deadline for Mohawk Valley Living magazine, and once again, I am behind the eight ball (that is a cliche for “I don’t have my act together,”  but I thought I would sound cool by referencing billiards) (go ahead and tell me pool and billiards are not the same thing; I deserve it for using a cliche to try to be cool).  Where was I?  Ah yes, looking for something to write about.  I feel a little uncomfortable admitting I write these things so close to the last minute, but that behavior used to get me all A’s when I wrote papers in school.  Why would I mess with success?  Or how can I fight nature?  But I digress.

Steven and I drove to Little Falls, NY, one of my favorite places, in search of a distinctive, fun local business I have not written about.  Unfortunately, I have written about a lot of them.  We parked on Main Street and took a slow walk down it.  It was a lovely day for a walk, at least.  We stopped into Designs by Shelly, a flower and gift shop.

Just a few gift suggestions for my husband. I’m helpful that way.

I sadly noted a couple of places no longer in business, giving Little Falls’ Main Street something in common with Herkimer’s.  I would have liked to stop into Meeples Mug House, even though I already wrote about them, but they were not open yet.

In front of what used to be West End Steak House, long closed, still missed.

We did stop into White Rose Bakery, which I have written about, and had a cup of coffee and a treat.  Yum!  We considered continuing down to Paca Gardens or Fall Hill Bead and Gems, both of which I had written about, but decided against it.  We headed back to Herkimer, in search of other adventures.  Did we find any?  That will have to await future posts.

White Rose Bakery: yummy coffee and treats, pretty windows.

 

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Still 2 Posts Behind, How Lame!

Posted on April 13, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

So last night I was all determined to get back on track. Regular readers may remember I was two posts behind, after missing Sunday and Monday.  Then I managed two posts on Tuesday, so I was only one post behind.  Two posts today (Saturday) would have put me back on track.

Well, last night, I looked at the Add New Post page, then decided I could go back to being two posts behind.  So here I am, early Saturday morning,  typing one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet , because now the laptop is acting up (although I admit to finding the anticipatory text thing kind of fascinating).

Shall we take this as a lesson in the evils of procrastination?   Or wait until tomorrow to do such a thing ? (See what I did there?)

I feel a little silly not making my post last night when it only had to be a Friday Lame Post .  I fear this one is even more lame.  Oh dear.  Maybe more coffee would help. Or a monster.

“Oh, the sun’s not up yet.”

A little Nosferatu can brighten the gloomiest morning.

I plan to go on a few major Mohawk Valley adventures today.  I hope to have a fun Scattered Saturday post later.  I hope I’m not too tired.

 

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Finally a Mid-Week Run!

Posted on April 11, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Running Commentary post instead of me whining about how tired I am and I can’t think of anything to write anyway?  If it doesn’t work out, we can always call it a Wuss-out Wednesday.  I’m flexible like that.

I surprised myself by going on the run.  I had spent the day trying to psyche myself into it, mostly to have something to make a blog post about. Naturally I was tired at the end of the day, and confirmed in my decision NOT to run the Boilermaker 15K.  So it didn’t MATTER if I didn’t run, did it?  Well, I suppose it never matters to anybody except me.  At any rate, when I went upstairs to take a shower, I realized I did NOT feel like taking a shower.  For some reason, running felt like less trouble, so I sought out a couple sports bras and got ready to go.

It was sunny with clouds out, cool air, especially when a breeze blew.  Still, it didn’t feel too bad in leggings and long sleeves.  I could rock this.  I was glad I had gotten myself out the door.

And then I was sorry, because my body did NOT feel like running.  Well, what a surprise, after a full day at work.  I have not been running after work in a while.  I need to get back into doing it on a regular basis.  I reminded myself that I only require myself to do 20 minutes on these mid-week runs.  Then I remembered that on my weekend runs, the run only started to feel really good after 20 minutes.  What’s a slacker to do?  Just keep going, I thought.  However far you go, you go.

As I ran, I noticed that other yards were not covered with crappy brown, flat, old leaves, like mine is.  It snowed before I finished raking, although I did make attempts last fall.  Had these folks been more ambitious last fall or this spring?  We did have a lovely weekend, during which I was too busy with a murder mystery and rehearsal to rake.  I admired a few Easter decorations and wondered in a vague sort of way when I might have time and ambition to do something.  Not in time for Easter, probably.  Still, I could put some fake flowers in the box on my front porch (it gets too much sun for the real thing).  I passed one house who had a nice display of those.

I only passed one dog, which I asked to pet.  The guy walking her told me the dog was scared of people, which she demonstrated when I put my hand out for her to sniff. She did give me a quick lick, so I contented myself with that and ran on.

A couple was sitting on their front porch, something I am looking forward to doing.

“I’m going inside to take a nap!” the man told me.  “You’re making me tired!”

“As soon as I get home, I’m taking a nap,” I assured him.  In fact, I have not napped yet, but I foresee an early bedtime.

I ended up running 22 minutes.  I can’t say things felt a whole lot better as I ran, but I persevered.  The cool-down walk felt wonderful as usual.  The chocolate milk recovery beverage was even better.  Yes, that is one reason I run: the promise of chocolate milk afterwards.

As usual with Running Commentaries, this has been my longest blog post in a while.  Has it entertained?  I hope so.  Tomorrow will be another hasty pre-rehearsal post so no promises.  But I hope you are having a lovely mid-week.

PS.  I did take a shower.  I knew some of you were concerned when I said earlier that I didn’t feel like it.

 

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Tired Tuesday Masquerading as Monstrous Monday

Posted on April 10, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here I am, back to my usual hasty post before rehearsal.  Since I missed this week’s Monstrous Monday post, perhaps I could indulge in a monster picture or two.

Kafka knew from monsters.

I open with this, because I have not been writing enough lately.  I think I would make a pretty scary monster, so maybe there is an upside to not writing.

I don’t remember the Wasp Woman flying in the movie.

Here is a good female monster.  She got this way from trying too hard to stay young and beautiful.  There may be a moral to that tale, or an opening for a discussion of the unreasonable demands society places on women.  I am naturally not up to such a discussion at present.  This post is veering into Tired Tuesday territory.

Monsters and coffee: two of my favorite things.

Since we’re talking about lady monsters, I thought I’d throw in Deadly Women, one of my favorite guilty pleasure shows.  I have not seen it in a while.  I’ll have to look for it.  I just can’t get enough murder and mayhem.

Full disclosure: I do not own this Blu-ray, or indeed, any blu-rays.

I was looking for The Bride of Frankenstein to round out the post, but I think The Brain That Wouldn’t Die works just as well.

So now I am only one blog post behind.  Let’s see how long it takes me to catch up.  Full disclosure:  it may not happen tomorrow.  After rehearsal tonight, I may not be rising at 3:30 like I did this morning.

 

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Lame Excuse, and It’s Not Even Friday!

Posted on April 9, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I found out that if I go two days without making a blog post, the world does not come to an end.  Well, we knew that, and anyways it is a cliche.  My brain is not firing on all cylinders (cue unkind remarks about my brain’s general lack of cylindrical capacity).

My laptop clicked off as I typed that last sentence.  My husband, Steven, never has any problems like that.  He gets on and the computer stays on as long as he likes.  It must be operator error, but I’m damned if I know what I’m doing wrong.  But I digress.

Digress from what, I ask myself.  I got up early to make a blog post but I have no idea what to write about and, as I said, very little brain to write it with.  I’ll just mention that it was not a problem to get up early since I went to bed practically as soon as I got home yesterday afternoon.  Actually, I ate something, took a nap, got up and took a hot, hot shower with the water pounding on the back of my neck (it felt GOOOOD!), and got dressed for rehearsal.  Then I realized I could not possibly drag myself to rehearsal, much less actually rehearse.  I emailed a lame excuse to the director and stage manager, and went back to bed.  I think it helped.

And the computer clicked off again, just as I typed in that last sentence and was composing the next one in my head.  I was about to say and now I am offering a lame excuse to my blog readers.  By my new rules for myself, I must make two posts on two days now, and then I will be caught up again.  I hope my brain returns soon.

 

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A Labor of Lame

Posted on April 6, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have about 12 minutes to make a blog post before the next episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen.  I want to sit on my couch and knit!  But I do not want to make this post tomorrow morning. I want to make it now.  So here I am.  I originally wanted to have a blog to get myself to write every day.  Alas, as Truman Capote once said, “That’s not writing, that’s typing.”  I have applied that quote to this blog before.

I just got back from the last rehearsal for Murder by the Book, the murder mystery we are doing tomorrow at Morning Star Methodist Church in Ilion, NY (see Wednesday’s post for more information).  Last night I had rehearsal for Morning’s at Seven, the full-length play I am in at Ilion Little Theatre.  I have had rehearsal for one or the other all week, feeling grateful that I did not have any days of two rehearsals (but only because Monday’s second rehearsal got cancelled).  I am rehearsaled out! I know, I know, that should be “rehearsed out.”  Sometimes the grammatically correct expression just doesn’t feel right (feel write?).

Have I mentioned yet that today is Lame Post Friday?  Or did you perhaps catch on by the title?  And I see I am over 200 words, just in the introductory paragraphs.  Do I dare hit Publish on this meager nonsense?  YES! Happy Friday, folks!  Let’s all hope for a better post on Saturday.

 

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It Will Probably Be a Monstrous Monday

Posted on April 1, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Here’s a funny thing: in the past I have been posting at 4:30(ish) in the morning because I am posting late for the day before. Today I am posting early for TODAY!  I call that progress.  You see, I got up early for a different reason (not worth recounting), so I have a few minutes extra time, which I will not have tonight, so…

Still, this isn’t going to be much of a post.  I cannot completely disrupt my morning routine, or this will be an even more Monstrous Monday than usual.  I don’t even know how far down my Media Library I will scroll to find a few monster pictures to post.  Lame Post Monday?  Let’s not call it that; it only reminds me how far away Friday seems (which is not a completely bad thing, since I have a murder mystery on Saturday I am still getting ready for).

“You’re just getting up? It’s almost my bedtime!”

I’m thinking vampires hate summer, because they must spend more time hiding from the sun.  Then again, maybe they like the extra sleep.  I do not purport to know how a vampire feels, although I do not rule out guessing for the sake of fiction.

“Put my head back, you monster!”

Not exactly a monster, but two horror movie icons, Peter Lorre and Vincent Price (yes, I know I did not need to tell some of you).  It is an appropriate picture for me, because this week I may be running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off (writer’s trick:  you can use a cliche if you insert the words “the proverbial” in there; it’s kind of like “sic” but more hip) (or do I flatter myself?).

I know just how he feels. Come to think of it, I know pretty much how she feels, too.

A splash of color and a big ape to close this week’s Monstrous Monday post.  I gotta run now; I’m missing my Local on the Ones.  I feel more secure once I’ve heard the weather report.

 

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No Scatter to my Saturday

Posted on March 31, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday (Saturday) morning, when I was making Friday’s post, I had a headache.  I thought to myself, “Look what I can do with a headache!”  I was making a note to myself that I can so post under adverse circumstances.  Well, who knew that headache would blow up into a full blown migraine (oh, YOU probably did) (you know who you are).  It was the sort of headache where I could not do anything else but have a headache, if you know what I mean.  It faded to manageable proportions eventually but left me too drained to do much besides lie on the couch and watch Cold Justice, my new favorite show.

The other bad thing about yesterday was that I did not have any Mohawk Valley adventures to blog about, unless you call walking to the local lab to have them take a couple of vials of blood.  It was a 12-hour fasting blood test, and I had not even had any black coffee, which I understand is allowed.  Maybe that was my problem, although I would think the coffee I had while making my blog post would have cured it.

In short, yesterday was a true blogger’s sick day, with yours truly unable to even type a whiny post about how I could not make a post.  And today’s post is really, really lame.  However, technically, this is not today’s post but Saturday’s post.  I still have time to redeem myself with Sunday’s post.  Preview of coming attractions:  I have rehearsal for Morning’s at Seven at Ilion Little Theatre.  I hope to bring my tablet and take a few pictures.  A little illustration always livens up the post.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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In Search of Oomph

Posted on March 27, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I am back to last week’s malady: posting the next morning for the day before.  I just couldn’t make myself do it.  Full disclosure:  I did not try very hard.  Let us not delve into the sordid reasons why I was having a Bad Attituesday (OK, they were not exactly sordid, but I felt the need to be dramatic just then) (regular readers will understand) (did you notice how I refrained from calling you Shirley?  That was what I first typed in) (I don’t have to explain that joke, do I?) (but I digress).

So I guess this is going to be a post with lots of parenthetical comments, to disguise the fact that, as usual, I got nuthin’.  In fact, I had a few things I could type about yesterday, but, as I mentioned, I lacked the oomph.  I think that is one thing writers need above all other things: Oomph.  Where exactly does one get oomph?

Ah yes, I was afraid somebody would say that it comes from within.  I have known for years that motivation follows action. You can sit there and say, “I just don’t feel like it,” or you can start to do whatever “it” is, and soon you will feel motivated to continue.  Well, if that magic formula worked every time, we would not continue to feel so discouraged when we just didn’t feel like doing it, now, would we?  Because it cannot be denied that it does not always work.

However, today it seems to be working out just fine for me.  Here I am over 250 words.  It could be the addition of coffee that is responsible.  Or it could be that these are, I admit it, not particularly inspired words.  I was going to say “interesting,” but how do I know what other people are interested in?  To each his own, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow.  If you have read thus far, thank you for playing.  I hope you’ll tune in later today for what might turn out to be yet another Wuss-out Wednesday Post.

 

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