12 - June 24, 2010

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 24, 2010

1.      To all of the girls checking me out at the gym, think of me as the NFL, you need 2 years of college before I am interested.  Been waiting a while to bust that one out.

2.      Something is starting to come over me, I might actually be turning into a soccer fan.  Maybe not looney like the ones who’d kill a player for a mistake, but a normal fan none the less.

3.      Imagine, the U.S. winning its group in the World Cup for the first time since 1930 while Italy and France go home.  There might not be a title coming but I’ll bet it will be a great ride.

4.      To all of those who watch The Office, I feel like I am Jim.  My life is eerily following the show.  I feel like I am here right now: The Office: Season 2 Episode 22 - Casino Night

Where it goes from there is all up to whoever is writing my life.

5.      Honestly, some guys at the gym just don’t realize how much of a tool they are.  Some white trash guy today with his gold chains on making a point to shout out his rap music as he walks around the gym.  Wow he needed a dumbbell upside his head.

6.      Okay there has been a lot of debate about this on WEEI but here are the facts.  It is Papelbon with an ‘N,’ not Papelbom, damn you idiots can’t you read the back of his jersey? 

7.      It’s not everyday that you see a turtle in your yard.  He was coming up the driveway as I was leaving, so I snapped a few shots of him and then carried him out back since that was where he was heading.  Haven’t seen him since, hope I didn’t get him eaten by a hawk or something.

8.      When I say my life is like a Seinfeld episode it is for things like this.  Go to Subway for dinner, pull into the lot and there are two girls fighting.  One fat one yelling she owed her money from the bar across the street, the skinny one trying to get into some apartment.  Some old white-haired guy tried to break it up, all we needed was a ‘Jerry, Jerry!’ chant.  Dinner and a show, the cops came but I don’t know what the ending was.

9.      Dr. Tim answers your questions: “What’s the difference between cooking with salted or unsalted butter?”  A: “One has salt, the other doesn’t.”  Thanks Dr. Tim.

10.  You ever look up and realize you have sort of gone off the tracks?  Been a hectic month or so and I just realized this fact.  It’s all about focus, someone I know says that ‘if you want to get to where you want to, you have to be selfish.’  Amen.

11.  Getting stir crazy not traveling the past few weeks, next week comes Gloucester Part II, along with probably Ipswich and one other spot.  Can’t freakin’ wait!

12.  The washing machine I use is a liar, it took about 20 minutes for it to count 5 minutes.  Liar!  Maybe it’s evil?  Or like if Forrest Gump was a washing machine?  ‘I am not a smart machine, but I know what clean is.’  Whatever.

13.  Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Jackson.  I was one that was able to keep his personal oddities separate from his musical genius.  No matter what people think of him there is no denying that he is one of the greatest musical talents to ever live.  He was also a huge part of my childhood, rest in peace MJ.

Do You Remember?: Classic Public Service Announcements: Snuffy the Talking Fire Engine, Abominable Snowman – Balancing Your Meal, Time for Timer – Hanker for a Hunk of Cheese, McGruff the Crime Dog

Quote of the Day: “Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.” - Anonymous

Song of the Day: Billie Jean – Michael Jackson  buy the song here

Photo of the Day: A turtle in the driveway.

Getting Acquainted

I got this idea from a little blog I did after a recent trip to the North Shore in Massachusetts.  I do another blog entitled In My Footsteps which features my travel writing.  Those blogs are to the point, they give history of places I visit as well as interesting places to visit.  I realized that a lot of weird and funny things happen during the course of my trips and I wanted to share them as a simple, journal-like blog.  That is where the idea for Initial Impressions came from.  In daily life we all see and experience things that are funny, or sad, or confusing, we just normally don't write them down.  I am going to do that.  It will not only include things I see, it will also be thoughts on deeper topics as well.  I want to connect with as many people as I can through this, I know everyone will be able to relate to at least one thing I post in each blog.  Enough explaining what this will be about, what I am going to do is repost my first blog that dealt with my North Shore trip last week, that might give you a better idea as to what Initial Impressions will be all about.  Check it out and let me know what you think.  Thanks for reading!

Initial Impressions - The Pilot Blog - May 20, 2010

1. I am absolutely in love with Nahant, Mass. Very small semi-island, my fav spot of the day.
2. In going off the beaten path at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus I happened upon a young male deer, mating season, he was not thrilled to see me. Got photos and video before he snorted at me and ran off.
3. Kelly's Roast Beef is every bit as good as the hype, roast beef sand. and fries while sitting at Revere Beach, and that was my first stop.
4. My Nina was born in a house on Revere Beach, it's a three-mile stretch, kind of hard to pinpoint the exact location.
5. Saw a guy at Revere Beach with so much white hair on his back it was like he had a white glow to him, or shoulder pads, not cool, I'm eating here sir.
6. Added more color to my left arm by driving 250miles, $20 in gas, love the new car.(2009 Ford Focus)
7. Just because you miss rush hour does not mean that traffic in and around Boston is not a nightmare.
8. On the way up on Rt. 3 some douche New Yorker was on his phone and swerving all over the place, sort of hoped he'd just crash to protect everyone else.
9. CVS in Saugus looks exactly the same as CVS everywhere else.
10. I still have bitter memories of working at Target in Vegas and got a cold chill when I passed one in Saugus.
11. Mosquitos and other terrible bugs are out, they suck, that's all.
12. Why weren't High Rock Tower and Stone Tower in Lynn opened yet? Yeah, it's only a week before Memorial Day, no nobody goes out before then, right?
13. Have you ever heard of Dunkin' Donuts Cafe? That's what it was called on Nahant. Even their Dunkin' Donuts is freakin' cool.
14. A family of squirrels were living in a wooden wheel well at the Saugus Iron Works Museum, is that a safe place? What kind of parents are these squirrels?
15. Taking timed photos of yourself is hard, damn camera tipped over several times as I tried to shoot myself in front of High Rock Tower in Lynn.
16. Even the thugs in Nahant were classy, just sayin' is all.
17. Revere Beach was a three-mile stretch of hot girls or hideous ones, no in between.
18. Got to see a guy sucking booze out of a paper bag today, hey man you're just adding to the stereotype.
19. My car's SYNC system literally reshuffles my IPod's songs after each one, I passed some songs ten times in my trip, variety is key you idiot car.
20. I think at times my GPS is trying to get me killed. What British lady voice? Did you want to go out with me and I turned you down? I own you, do as you're told!
21. Saw the same little girl on a scooter three times on Nahant and waved to her every time.
22. Even on a tiny semi-island there is a golf course, what else would middle-aged white guys do? Maybe go to the freakin' beach?
23. At Lynn Woods two ladies were walking their dogs, a boxer and some little brown dog, and the dogs started fighting, their leashes got tangled, it was a mess, the ladies were yelling, which is why I had to wait until I was far enough away to laugh.
24. Took 200 photos and 3 videos and my camera's battery was still more than 1/2 full.
25. Am burned and tired but fresh and clean, watched The Hangover while eating D'Angelos. Perfect end to a nearly perfect day. Hope y'all enjoyed my recap, photos and articles to come later.

Song of the Day:  Brand New Day by Sting 

Photo of the Day: Nahant Beach