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Tag Archives: Wuss out Wednesday

Sweet Halloween Spirits on Throwback Thursday

Posted on October 21, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

We can call yesterday either a real Wuss-out Wednesday or a real Blogger’s Sick Day; the result is the same, and the least said, soonest mended.  Already I have said too much.  I continue to say too much by complaining that headaches continue plague me.  I daresay I do not lead a healthy enough lifestyle.  I must work on that, but in the meantime,  let me attempt another Throwback Thursday Post.

That is a good quote.

I went back to October 2016 for a shot of one of my favorite places, the So Sweet Candy Shoppe in Utica, NY.  I have not been there recently so cannot report on their current Halloween decor.

Must have spirits on Halloween.

I looked in my Media Library in October 2017 and found this shot from Dikin Durt Distillery in Herkimer,  NY.  I do not know that it is overtly Halloweeny, but it does involve spirits.  I say that counts.

Those are some big pumpkins!

Skipping ahead to October 2019, here is a more Halloweeny shot from Pumpkin Junction in Sauquoit, NY.  I have been there once this year (perhaps you read my blog post about it) and hope to go again.

I think my concluding paragraph will bring me to 200 words, my admittedly arbitrary blog standard (it did).  I will provide the headache and healthy lifestyle update in a future post.

 

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I Run and Blog on the Same Day!

Posted on August 25, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I would attempt a Running Commentary Post in lieu of the threatened Wuss-out Wednesday.  For one reason,  I ran.  As regular readers know,  what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the term.  Then again, generosity is an admirable quality, most of the time.

I was a little later getting started than my usual after-work runs, because my husband, Steve, and I had to drop my car off to be inspected (luckily for me, they are not inspecting it for lack of clutter, but I digress).  However, I did not talk myself out of it but put on running gear and set out.

And right away could not make up my mind of where to go.  I started to turn right onto German Street but saw a group of pedestrians ahead so turned around and headed left.  This set me up for my old faithful weekday run:  down German to Caroline Street,  then across Park Avenue (ooh!) to Margaret, up Margaret back to German, down Henry, and eventually back home.

When I got to Caroline, I changed things up by crossing the street and continuing on German.  I don’t usually do that, because it tends to be a busy intersection.  I don’t imagine anybody would hit me, but I like to give myself every advantage.

It was not bad weather for a run, but I found it much more pleasant in the shade. After hooking around German Street near the high school, I chose which streets and which side of the street based on where the shade was. I had it in my head to run for 20 minutes.  I am up to 33 on my weekend runs but have only managed 17 during the week.  You see, I am building myself back up slowly and gently.

I managed 20 minutes without too much trouble, which makes me feel encouraged about future runs.  I might be ready for a 5K by September, if one comes my way. Dare I dream of the Utica Boilermaker 15K in 2023?  It’s a possibility!

In the meantime,  I am over 300 words and am making my Wednesday blog post ON Wednesday!  I feel inordinately pleased with myself.

 

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Surprise! It’s Running Commentary!

Posted on June 4, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Running Commentary Post in lieu of my usual Wuss-out Wednesday.  I surprised myself by actually running.  Let’s see if I can further surprise myself by writing a decent blog post about it.

Full disclosure:  it was running only by the most generous definition of the act.  Of course this is always the case with me, but today was an especially egregious example.

I did not get out as soon as I got home.  First I talked myself out of it, which is what I did yesterday (Monday I counted mowing the lawn with the non-power mower as my exercise, so did not need an excuse).  I sat and checked my email, looked at Facebook, got hungry, wondered what to eat.  Then I changed into running clothes, put a load of laundry in the washer, and off I went.

Like the proverbial herd of turtles.

Oh, I thunked.  I clunked.  I huffed and puffed.  But I kept going.  I had a deal with myself that I only had to run for 20 minutes.  That, with my ten minute cool-down walk, would bring me home just about when the washer finished.  Surely I could rock 20 minutes (I’ll call you Shirley if I feel like it)!  I was running more up to 45 minutes on the weekend.  Come on, me!

I did not rock anything.  However, I kept going.  I looked at the grass, I looked at the trees.  I ran in or across the street when I saw other pedestrians, because, you know, social distance.  I called a greeting or waved to many of them.  I saw other people’s irises which had already bloomed (mine are still buds, as pictured in yesterday’s post).

I’m thinking this is a short, and I am afraid rather dull Running Commentary Post.  So I did not surprise myself twice.  I must say that does not surprise me.  Does that mean if I had surprised myself with a terrific blog post, I would have been surprised three times today?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

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Signs of Spring

Posted on April 16, 2020 by mohawkvalleygirl

On today’s walk to the post office, I took a few pictures, so today won’t be a complete Wuss-out Wednesday.  It was cold but sunny, and I found a few signs of spring.

On a previous walk I had taken a picture of a lone daffodil trying to grow where last fall an invasive plant was growing.  That picture did not turn out well, but today I saw a couple more blooms so tried again.

Previous home of The Plant That Ate Bellinger Street.

 

Full disclosure: It did not eat the whole street.

Here is a picture of the invasive species, taken last August (perhaps you read my blog post about it).  It could have grown into horror movie proportions.  Maybe.

After dwelling fondly on memories of what might have been (meaning my ambition to write a horror novel), I turned around and tried to get a picture of the red buds on the trees nearer the road.

They looked prettier in real life.

I continued down Bellinger Street until I saw some lovely flowers in a front yard.

I positively must plant more perennials.

After mailing my correspondence (only one letter today), I continued my walk, hoping for more photo ops.  Then I remembered I wanted to get a shot of Olivia’s Happy Tails’ new location.  Full disclosure:  I have not patronized this business (I SO want to get a dog!), but they have sponsored Herkimer County Historic Society’s murder mysteries.

In the former home of the Evening Telegram!

I continued down the street and up Washington, where I thought I might as well give a shout-out to another local business: Carney’s Corners.  I have enjoyed many good subs and salads from Carney’s.

This may be a good idea for dinner tonight.

I decided to go by my favorite Historic Four Corners.  As I went, I saw a woman further up Washington singing on her front porch.  I did not get a picture, but I waved to her and she waved back.  Then I saw a tree with white flowers.  I love a flowering tree.

 

Pretty!

I said a prayer as I went by the funeral home, for those that cannot say a proper good-bye to their loved ones because of social distancing.

Spring flowers are such a comfort.

Back home, I remembered to walk out back to see if our daffodils had done anything.  They had.

I felt better for having taken a walk, and now I feel pretty good about sharing some spring time pictures.  Happy Wednesday, everyone!

 

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Planning Ahead After Not Planning Supper

Posted on October 17, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a fast shout-out to one of our favorite local businesses instead of my usual Wuss-out Wednesday.  It has not been the best of Wednesdays for me, largely because my body kept thinking it was Thursday. I hate these time warps, especially when I have to keep reminding myself that I am NOT one day closer to Friday (those of you who work weekends,  don’t hate on me, just substitute “next day off” for Friday).

When I came home, my husband Steve told me he had not gotten anything out of the freezer for supper.  I suggested a few meals, but I pretty much knew where he was headed.  I only felt bad for making a delivery person come out in the rain.  Then again, these are the hazards of the job.

We called our beloved Salvatore’s, getting chicken wings Siciliano and a small antipasto salad.  The good thing about these choices is (1) I can take leftover salad for my lunch tomorrow and (2) I can grab a leftover chicken wing tomorrow after work before we hustle off to rehearsal.  You see how I think ahead.  You might almost suspect I have my act together.  Nah!

Salvatore’s is located at 650 1/2 German St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-2600.

 

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Mummers and Monsters at Mid-Week

Posted on August 22, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about some Mid-Week Monsters?  I’ve been sitting here, knitting when I’m not hot flashing, and thinking it would not be so very bad to go to bed early and make my Wuss-out  Wednesday post early Thursday morning.  Well, it is still Wednesday, and although I am feeling quite brain dead and devoid of words, I shall make some semblance of a post.

Check out the masks!

OK, these are not monsters, they are mummers.  Mummers Along the Mohawk,  to be exact.  I believe I wrote a blog post or two about them.  I was looking through my Media Library and had not seen any monsters yet.  I thought the large stick heads looked fairly monstrous.

It brings back memories of my own wedding day.

Here is a bonafide monster: the wonderful Elsa Lanchester as The Bride of Frankenstein.

I think the skinny guy wants to dance.

Here is another memorable monster, from House on Haunted Hill,  a favorite movie of ours.  We recently watched it again, with a glass of champagne.

Nobody’s perfect.

Here is a monster that did not get a lot of screen time yet played a pivital role in The Brain That Wouldn’t Die.

“I believe you were expecting me.”

I’m sure regular readers were just waiting for me to include my favorite,  Nosferatu.  It is ironic that he is my favorite when I rarely ever watch the movie.  Sad but true: I do not often watch silent movies.  I find it too difficult to pay sufficient attention while I am knitting or crocheting.

Oh, look, I am over 250 words.  Happy Mid-Week, everyone!

 

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I’m Pleased with my Mid-Week Run

Posted on May 16, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

At least I have a good reason to be tired tonight:  I went running.  Although, considering the pace (slow) and distance (short) I managed, perhaps I don’t have a good reason but merely a lame excuse.  What a situation when it is NOT Lame Post Friday!  Never mind.  My plan was to do a Running Commentary post in lieu of the threatened Wuss-out Wednesday.  Let’s see how I do.

I was actually pretty impressed with myself that I automatically went upstairs to put on running clothes and gather laundry (I love to multi-task like that on mid-week runs).  I had had the vague plan to run, of course, since I had not run Monday or Tuesday (rain was my excuse those days).  I knew it would be a pity not to run, since I had run both Saturday and Sunday last.  I really want to get my running mojo back (and my writing mojo, and my house cleaning mojo, and any other number of mojos I have lost, but let us not digress) (and I truly thought “mojo” was a word, but my computer does not).  Where was I?  Ah yes, putting laundry in and getting out to run.

It was the first day this week that felt like May.  At work, we have all been griping about the blankety-blank cold (only we don’t say “blankety-blank”) (in our defense, we work in a factory).  Where was I?  Ah yes, in shorts and short sleeves in the sunshine.  I forgot to put on a headband.  I knew I would not need it to keep my ears warm but thought I might need it to absorb forehead sweat.  Oh well, I would just make the best of it.  I hate to turn around and start a run again.

Right away the run felt terrible.  I’ve had a bit of a sore muscle in one thigh since Sunday, which is to be expected when one has not gone running for a while.  I encouraged myself to persevere.  Just go for 20 minutes, I thought.  Then I thought, my weekend runs had only been 24 minutes.  Maybe 15 minutes would be OK.  No, no, not 15, I argued.  Well, maybe 15, I wheedled.  Just keep going.

So I just kept going.  I admired some tulips and other flowers.  I especially like the wild violets, purple or white.  I even enjoy dandelions, although I am allergic to them.  Personally, I prefer a lawn that is not manicured to purely grass and nothing else.  I like a more natural look.  One nice thing about running around the village (Herkimer, NY, where I live) is that you get to see a wide variety of yards.

I had to really push myself to get the full 20 minutes, but I did it.  Full disclosure:  I also had to push myself to get this blog post written, and I left out a lot of the narration in my head, with which I entertained myself while I ran.  Oh well, there’s no saying my gentle readers would find it as entertaining as I did. However, it kept me going, so I feel pleased with myself.  And I did not entirely wuss out on my blog post.  So I say, Yay, me.  And if anybody wants to shake their head (or their finger or their booty, of course) and say something like, “It takes so little to please some people,” feel free.

 

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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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Not a Timely Post

Posted on March 21, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have wussed out on Wednesday to this extent before, but let’s not talk about that.  I guess all my posts this week are going to be I Missed Posting on the Day, So Here’s a Late Post.  Can I break the pattern?  Time will tell.  Time is certainly a blabbermouth.  That is a joke I like to make.  My sister Diane says, “Time is relative.  Not our relative. But I digress.

At first I made those jokes in parentheses, but then I thought of the headline and brought them out into the main text. I wonder if the words feel better out in the open or safer in the parentheses?  Yes, I anthropomorphize almost anything.  But with words, I am not the first. I distinctly remember in Alice in Wonderland (which I read more than once as a child, although I refused to watch the movie in later years) the Caterpillar misusing a word and saying, “When I used a word, it means when I pay it to mean!”  That may not be the exact quote, but he goes on to speak fondly about how they all eagerly await their wages on payday.

Well, now I’m talking about time AND Alice in Wonderland (which I ought to read again; perhaps I could find the annotated version), the the headline is less apt.  Then again, I’m posting Wuss-out Wednesday at 4:30 on Non-Sequitur Thursday morning.  I say it’ll do.  Will I break the late post curse?  I hope you’ll stay tuned to find out.

 

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Pre-Audition Post After All

Posted on July 26, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I cannot, can not, CAN NOT take another blogger’s sick day.  My readers will think I am a hypochondriacal whiny baby!  I know, I know, we’re not supposed to care what others think about us.  On the other hand, I want readers, and I am sadly addicted to getting Likes.  Let’s just call it a common or garden Wuss-out Wednesday and drive on.

The title of today’s post was supposed to be “Pre-Audition Post,” which I may or may not have used before (I can’t be bothered checking now). I had planned to head to Ilion Little Theatre to watch (but not participate in) auditions for Shattered Angel, the play being presented by Herkimer County Historical Society.  There are only three female roles, and I don’t think any of them are good for me.  Moreover, I have a murder mystery with LiFT on one of the performance nights (more about that on a future post) (preview of coming attractions). However, I thought I could volunteer to do SOMETHING: costumes, props, prompter… AND I can write multiple blog posts to publicize the effort.

Not that I think they will need much help with publicity.  They sold out two weekends of Roxy, the play the historical society presented in 2015 (I was in that one; perhaps you read one or more of my blog posts about it) and turned people away.  Already they have sold tickets to Shattered Angel.  I’d better figure out when I want to go and purchase mine.

My problem is, I don’t feel so good.  I was kind of overcome with the heat and humidity at work this afternoon.  I got quite light-headed and had to sit down.  My nice friend Karen brought me some Gatorade, which helped.  Perhaps I should have some Gatorade now… There, I went and got a glass.  I am still feeling rather light-headed. Sorry to keep complaining.  I guess I am a kind of a hypochondriacal whiny baby.

Be that as it may, auditions for Shattered Angel are tonight (July 25) and Friday, July 27, at 7 p.m. at Ilion Little Theatre, 13 Remington Ave., Ilion, NY.  Well, maybe I will head over after all.

 

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