Oh, What’s Wrong With Another Vampire Post?

I sip just a little more wine while I make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  Oh, don’t shake your finger or your head at me (or your booty, for that matter)!  I haven’t had that much, just a glass or two to end my weekend on a relaxing note.  Earlier I relaxed by watching the rest of the vampire movie I started watching Friday night, Dracula  A.D. 1972. I dug that groovy soundtrack.

He looks a little worried, and somebody needs to hand him a napkin.

Christopher Lee was the Dracula in the movie, as I probably mentioned in my Lame Post Friday post.  He is a fine vampire, but not as dapper as Bela Lugosi.  Never mind, though, I did not mean to make another vampire post.

But if I did, I would include this little cutie.

I had meant to make a blog post about purchasing my mother’s birthday present, which I did on Saturday.  I still intend to make that post, a shout-out to Weisser’s Jewelers, a local business of note.

“Are you sure you don’t want to make a post about vampires?”

That being said, I do not have a whole lot to blog about, nor a whole lot of brain to blog with.  I just now added today’s headline.  I hope no vampires read it and are triggered by the word “post.”  When you think about it (and I always think about these things), a post is practically the same thing as a stake.  Some even have a pointy end, and many of them are wooden.

See what I mean? Dapper.

I close with the quintessential Count Dracula, Bela Lugosi.  Some may disagree, but I say in general you can’t go wrong with a classic.

In the meantime, I am approaching 300 words.  I hope they have been at least mildly entertaining.  I rather enjoy these foolish posts, but I will try for better ones in the future.  No promises about tomorrow, though.  Monstrous Monday, you know.

 

What the Hill?

I went on a two mile run this morning, thinking I could do a Saturday Running Commentary post.  It may have been a better idea to make said post soon after the run, when it was still fresh in what’s left of my mind.  Of course that ship sailed, as it usually does.  Isn’t it funny how my ship never comes in, yet that ship sails all the time.  Points to ponder.

This morning as I got up I could hear drops on the tin roof over part of my back deck (it doesn’t cover much of the deck, but it sure makes a good noise when it rains).  Can’t run in the rain, I told myself. However, the drops were merely falling off the tree that’s right there; it had stopped raining.  After coffee (which took a damn long time to drip), I got dressed and set out.

I had both my Garmin and my cell phone with Map My Run app working for me, which was good, because I am never sure if I will have my legs working for me.  Today they worked on and off.  One minute I would be loping along (faster in my head than in reality, but you’ll have that) with grace and audacity, the next minute my legs felt like macaroni, overcooked and sticking to the plate. I ignored them, although sometimes I add to the entertainment of the run by speculating what kind of sauce would be good on such macaroni.  Cheese?  Marinara?  Alfredo?  Hey, I have to keep myself going any way I can.

NOT this morning’s hill.

Well that was annoying.  I just spent a ridiculous amount of time searching my Media Library for a picture of the hill by Valley Health, which I ran up this morning.  Regular readers may recall (although I do not flatter myself that anybody need remember anything in particular about me) that that hill is the first one I run up when I am getting back into shape.  As a matter of fact, there are a couple of minor hills that I run up before that, and I have run them recently, but the one by Valley Health is the first real challenge.  The hill shown is the one up to Herkimer College (previously known as HCCC).  I assure you it is steeper and longer than it looks.  I will be running up that hill soon, I hope.

Today’s run was not particularly memorable, except for the fact that I went up that one pretty good hill, and that I ran over two miles.  However, I see I am over 400 words in talking about it.  Perhaps they were boring words. I can’t worry about that now but will content myself with making another on-time blog post.  I hope you are all having a delightful weekend and once again I thank you for tuning in.

 

But Dracula Isn’t Lame

I am looking at Dracula A.D 1972, a Hammer Horror movie on a DVD collection of four such pictures.  Recently somebody on one of the horror pages I follow on Facebook said this was a really dumb movie, and somebody else asked for opinions.  I said I found it fun, not one of my favorites, but worth popping in once in a while.  With that in mind, I popped it in tonight.  Alas that I have no pictures to share of it.  I still can’t figure out how to download pictures on the Chromebook, and I am far too lazy to get on my Tablet, download a picture, put it in my WordPress Media Library, then get back on the Chromebook to make the post.

He is scary, yes?

Here is Christopher Lee as Dracula.  I do not know which movie it is from, but he does not look a whole lot different in this one.

I would rather drink a glass of wine a day.

Taste the Blood of Dracula is also on this disc, on the opposite side.  I put that side in at first, but I had it in my mind to see A.D 1972. 

Well, this is a boring blog post, even for Lame Post Friday.  Sorry, I am feeling quite tired but hoping to make my Friday post on Friday.  Still, some might enjoy the pictures of Christopher Lee.  He is rather a horror icon.  In any case, I am over 200 words.  Regular readers know that is my standard.  Once again, I will try for a better blog post tomorrow.

 

Brains Are As Brains Do

I continue posting late, making my Non-Sequitur Thursday post early Friday morning while the coffee drips (I would like to say “perks,” but my sense of accuracy forbids me) (now I feel like I am a drip, as opposed to being perked up) (but I digress).  I’m thinking those parenthetical comments may be the start of another post, but perhaps I flatter myself.

THERE’S that brain!

I was looking for a random picture to pep things up, as I often do on these foolish posts, when I found the Brain from Planet Arous!  Regular readers (and my WordPress Stats assure me that I have some) know I like to use this picture to illustrate when I am feeling brain dead (which occurs with lamentable frequency) but often cannot find it in my Media Library.  Don’t you always find things when you are looking for something else?  Oh, I suppose YOU never have to look for anything; “a place for everything and everything in its place” (you know who you are).

One reason I was too tired to make my blog post on Thursday was that I went for a mile and a half run.  Chicken-feed to hard-core runners, of course (I first put “real runners” but felt that was degrading myself and others), but hard enough for me after a full day’s work. Before the run, I took care of a couple of chores, nothing worth blogging about, but I mention it to prove to myself that I am less useless than I sometimes feel.

I see this nonsense has brought me over 250 words.  Score!  Maybe one more picture to round things out.

Plans for later.

Who me, drink wine?  Well, maybe after work.  Right now my coffee is done.

 

Family, Food and Fun at Asteroga

Wednesday night I walked down to Asteroga Ale House in Herkimer, NY, to meet some members of my family for dinner.  It was half price burger night. I got there a little early so sat at the bar and sipped a glass of wine while I waited. My sister Cheryl and my parents soon showed up, and we sat at a table.  We were joined by Cheryl’s daughter Kimi, Kimi’s boyfriend, Matt, and his daughter Athena.  We were a merry group, having a lot of laughs while we enjoyed our meal.

Kimi and Athena.

I had a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and red onion, well done.  Athena had the same but no tomato, and added waffle fries to hers.  Mine came with homemade chips and a pickle.  Athena is particularly partial to pickles, as am I.  Kimi opted for a Reuben and regular fries.

Athena and Matt.

I forget what kind of burger Matt got, but it had an onion ring on top.  Cheryl got the bacon-mushroom-Swiss burger.  That sounded yummy.  Mom got the same, and Dad got an Italian burger.

Mom and Dad.

I did not take any pictures of the food.  Quite frankly, I was too interested in eating it.  My dining companions graciously agreed to have their pictures taken for the blog.

Cheryl and Kimi.

I took half my burger and some of the chips home, for future enjoyment.  It started to rain when I walked home. I often say, I ain’t sugar; I won’t melt.  Lately, however, I begin to wonder:  would I melt like the Wicked Witch of the West?  At least this time I survived to make the blog post.

 

Phyllis Would Probably Laugh

So… what was I saying Monday about not liking the pressure of making a post early the next morning as opposed to on time?  Well, here I am shortly after 4:30 Wednesday morning, making the post I was too tired to make on Tired Tuesday. I am still tired, and I overslept by 20 minutes.  I dreamed about my late, dearly missed friend, Phyllis, during the oversleep.  I was just thinking yesterday how I dream about my late husband all the time but had never dreamed about Phyllis.  If dead loved ones come to visit you in dreams as some say they do (my schnoodle, Tabby, does it all the time), why would Phyllis not drop in?

A wonderful memory.

Here are Phyllis and I (I am on the left), toasting friendship at Gerber’s 1933 Tavern in Utica, NY.  We were there with our husbands for lunch.  Some of my best memories are getting together with Phyllis and Jim.  They were also members of Ilion Little Theatre.  Jim shone onstage while Phyllis helped out offstage, often acting as prompter. She and I had some good times backstage during Dirty Work at the Crossroads.  At one point during the show (in an added attraction suggested by Jim), Jim was onstage singing, “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”  When he got  to “I’ve a Yankee Doodle sweetheart,” a young actress backstage (she was playing my daughter), would make a grand gesture toward Phyllis.  Phyllis would get a huge smile on her face, acknowledging that it was her.

One of my all-time favorite couples.

And here are Phyllis and JIm, when we met for lunch another time.  It was during COVID, when restaurants were allowed to open with restrictions.  Once again, a wonderful time was had by all.

Look at that, I am over 250 words.  I had no idea what I was going to write about, either last night or this morning.  I guess Phyllis showed up in my dreams to give me a little inspiration.  My late, much loved Aunt Carlyn would say, “This is how God works.”

 

At Least I Made It On Monday

Hello and welcome to yet another Monstrous Monday post.  I have been staring at the blank screen, hopping over to Facebook as a delaying tactic, and indulging in the type-it-in-back-space-it-out disease (can you indulge in a disease?  I am really groping for words today).   I prefer to make my blog posts on time, not prior to five in the morning the next day.  For one reason, I have to do other things I put off till morning, like make my lunch (make lunch, not war!).

It isn’t only Monday, truth be told.

I was actually looking for the Brain from Planet Arous, my usual illustration for my brain-dead condition, but I thought “No Like Monday!” would also apply.  I don’t know why I get so set on having a Monday through Friday work schedule if it is only going to make me hate Monday so much.  Do I really want to feel miserable for five days and happy for two?  That’s silly!  Anyways, it isn’t true.  I manage to find some happiness in every day, or at least a good laugh  Life is not bad when you can have a good laugh once in a while.

Relaxing with a cup of tea is nice, too.

I thought I would show the Monster in a more relaxed mode as well.  Right now I am relaxing with a glass of wine.

A gift from my late, dearly missed husband.

I was over 200 words but wanted one more picture.  I thought this one was appropriate, because I mentioned earlier that I preferred not to be making my blog posts early in the morning.  In fact, I do not mind making the post with or before my coffee.  It is the pressure of making a late post that bothers me.  Maybe I will try making my Tired Tuesday post tomorrow morning.  But will I make my lunch tonight?  A little uncertainty adds interest to my Monday.

 

Is the Weekend Really Over?

That title suggested itself to me as I logged into WordPress to make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  That is a silly way to put it.  As if the title is an entity walking around looking for work.  There is an absurdist play I read a long time ago, Six Characters in Search of an Author  (I forget who wrote it and I may even have the title wrong);  this would be A Title in Search of a Blog Post.  As if it was some sort of honor or at least a good job to be the title of a blog post.  Now I am becoming a little absurd myself.

This set was not in search of a play.

I wanted to throw in a picture to distract from my own silliness and decided to continue with the theatre theme with this shot of two guys working on a set.  I believe it was for Fallen Angel, which was presented by Ilion Little Theatre back in 2017.  I was not in that play but helped with costumes.  I don’t imagine I was a lot of help, but one does what one can.

Oh yeah, these two.

This picture relates, because Fallen Angel was about an historical local murder case, just like the case of Grace Brown’s murder by Chester Gilette, which I think everybody around here has heard of.  The portraits on the bottom are the real Chester and Grace, while the picture above is a reenactment from the documentary A Northwoods Elegy: Incident at Big Moose Lake.  That is a good movie, by the way.  I have it on DVD and now am thinking about watching it.

You see, my original plan for today was to watch a few movies while knitting, then do a Sunday Cinema post.  I see by the clock on my Chromebook it is only 6:10 (my watch says 18:10, because it is on military time) (long story, not very interesting).  I have time for at least one flick.  Additionally, this silliness (absurdity?) has gotten me over 300 words.  Score!  Another on time blog post!  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

 

Some Semblance of a Saturday Post

I forgot to make a Saturday Running Commentary Post earlier today after I ran.  I had an enjoyable Saturday after said run.  Not surprisingly to anybody who knows me, the Saturday involved some alcoholic beverages.  I am now at at my house, a little tipsy (I did NOT drive while achieving said tipsiness), remembering how I have been a faithful daily blogger  recently, and thinking it would be a good idea if I made some sort of a Saturday evening blog post.

Just one more thing…

I am watching an episode of Columbo on DVD.  It is an episode I have seen several times before, so I am able to make a blog post while it plays.

Yummy!

Earlier, my friend Kim and I enjoyed a couple of drinks and some food at Yetty’s in Herkimer, NY.  This picture was taken at another visit, which was equally as yummy.

Another Yetty’s photo.

The head is always behind the Yetty’s bar, with different hats and accessories.  This is also a picture from another visit.  Full disclosure:  I did not notice what the head was sporting this time.

Another place, another time, but the same sweet smile!

My friend Kim was my partner in today’s Mohawk Valley adventures.  This picture, of  course, is from a different day, but we had equally as good a time.

Will this count as a Scattered Saturday post?  The content of the post is not scattered, but my brain definitely is. You will have these things on a Saturday. In my defense, I am of age, and I was not driving.   With your permission (or without, as it happens), I will return to my enjoyment of Columbo, and whatever entertainment follows.

 

An Impromptu Stroll Down Memory Lame

I interrupt my Friday night debauchery for a Lame Post Friday post.  In case anybody is interested in what my debauchery consists of, I was sipping a little wine, knitting, and watching episodes of City Confidential on Roku TV.  I don’t remember if I ever mentioned I had finally gotten one of them there Roku thingys, thinking I might like to watch more than I could get with the antenna.  The antenna, in case I never mentioned, enabled me to watch WKTV News in the morning and Svengoolie on Saturday night, when I remembered to tune in.  A total of four channels actually come in, but I have never explored the other two.

I still do not own a rubber chicken.

I searched my Media Library for an embarrassing amount of time looking for a picture of Svengoolie, even though I had only mentioned him in passing.  I do like to have an illustration.  It’s kind of funny when I think of how I blogged for over five years with no pictures.  I think it definitely added to the blog when I finally figured out how to include them.

The picture that started it all.

Since I brought it up, I share the first picture ever used in the blog.  It was in November 2016, a post about a display of costumes outside Boscov’s in Sangertown Mall, New Hartford, NY, shortly after that store had opened.  I do not get to the mall very often, although I used to work there.  It was not a delightful workplace (the particular store I was in; I have nothing against the mall), however, so I shall say no more about that.

Yes, I just have to share Steve again.

I conclude my impromptu stroll down Memory Lane (hey, that might be a good title) with another picture from November 2016.  This is my late, much loved husband, Steven, at Pumpkin Junction in Sauquoit.  However, I must not begin looking forward to Halloween.  We just barely got some spring!