26 - 10-29-2010

Initial Impressions 

26 - October 29, 2010

1.     1.  So they are bringing back one of my favorite cereals of all time, Boo Berry, just for Halloween.  But wait, they dump it in a store, Target, that is like an hour away?  So the question is do I drive that far for cereal?  Hell I did 2 hours for Chick-fil-A, right?

      2.  You ever notice that some of these meatheads at the gym look like someone literally shaved an ape and put clothes on it?  Big forehead, slack jaw, walking with their arms out to the sides like their carrying kegs under their arms, freaks. 

3.       3.  So as Thanksgiving gets closer I saw three turkeys in someone’s yard playing/fighting.  I wondered if it was something where the loser got cooked.

4.       4.  Do you ever feel like you’re being taken for a ride by someone, but they don’t even know they are driving?

5.       5.  A few days ago a pair of old ladies pulled up at work, slammed on the car horn for me, then after I told them what time we opened one of them yelled out ‘Wow!’  Like I had just explained how the universe was made.

6.       6.  After watching it enough I have decided that the character of Pam on The Office reminds me of my friend Lorena.  Those of you who know her, or if you read this yourself, I mean that as a compliment.

7.       7.  So I asked our Brazilian dishwasher Jose today about another guy named Duval who worked with us for seven summers.  He owns a small motel in the town of Conceicao do Mato Dentro.  When I asked him what the name of it was he said ‘Pousada.’  Turns out when I looked it up pousada is the Portuguese word for motel.  Yay, that was helpful thanks Jose.

8.       8.  The reason why in my opinion the Celtics will go further this year than the Miami Heat is the fact that Boston’s Big 3 is all about the team while Miami’s Big 3 have all been selfish players their entire careers and will need to adapt or it will be an epic fail.

9.       9.  It’s Halloween time, right?  It is time to be scared and watch bloody horror movies, right?  I think that if you’re a network for kids, or families, you should not be allowed to show any chopped up versions of horror movies, it is so beyond stupid, you basically never see anyone get killed and the plot is just pointless.  Well, those horror movies that have legit plots that is.

10  10.  Really love how in the NBA you are not allowed to even talk to the refs about bad calls.  Yeah because these refs are gods and never make mistakes, right.  Sorry they suck and are more often than not wrong about calls.  When will refs in any sport be held accountable for their shoddy officiating?  

11    11.  Do you think that Hollywood has officially run out of fresh ideas?  I mean I love the 80’s, my childhood but damn if I am not tired of every single idea from the 80’s being remade.  Hey there are writers out there with original stories, go find them and stop being lazy.

Quote of the Day:  “To suffering there is a limit, to fearing, none.” – Sir Francis Bacon

Song of the Day: Ekolu – You Are My Sensation buy Mp3 here

Memory of the Day:  Zips Shoes at Stride Rite  

Photo of the Day: 

Marblehead Harbor

20 - In My Footsteps Maine Trip - Day 1

Initial Impressions Maine

Day 1 - October 1, 2010

1.      1.  Beat most of the heavy tropical rain as I drove 260 miles north to Owl’s Head.  Google Maps said 4 hrs. 40 mins. but I did it in about 4 hrs. which was not to shabby.

2.       2.  Sucked it up and paid the tolls on the way up, the Piscataqua River Bridge which connects New Hampshire and Maine was the best part of the initial drive, since I see a photo of it on My Network TV every night during The Office!

3.       3.  Lot of really nice towns I passed, most I will not see again, a few are on my list.  Not too far after Portland Rt. 1 became just a regular road, just with crazy hills and dips, like a rollercoaster.

4.       4.  The house is amazing, the view is amazing, Rockland Breakwater Light is to be conquered tomorrow.

5.       5.  Did battle with one solitary fly and have been unable to take him down.  Damn thing keeps landing on my stuff to torment me.

6.       6.  My GPS decided it would be funny to tell me my destination was actually 5 houses down from the real place.  It must have looked good as I crept around this guy’s deck thinking it was the house where I was staying.  Damn GPS, it’s like my best friend and arch enemy all at once.

7.       7.  I like adventures, but the adventure of finding the house key that I lost was not fun.  Dropped it in Hannaford and had to go all the way to get it in the lost and found.  It would have been fun spending my first night in Maine sleeping in my car like a bum using newspaper as a blanket.

8.      8.  Went to 2 restaurants to check out, first was called ‘Oh Bento,’ it was closed.  Next was called ‘Chinese Jade,’ also closed, so it ended up being a KFC night.  Don’t know why I’d want to eat at a place named after one of the most foolish people I have ever met, gladly I did not have to find out how it tasted.

9.      9.  Nothing is cooler than sitting on an enclosed porch at night and watching the lighthouse light go round and round, soothing, and then slightly annoying as it kept shining on the walls of the house as I tried to sleep.

10   10. I had fun watching some crazy local tv including a random high school football game.  It literally had no commentators and no scoreboard so I had no idea who the hell was playing and what the score was, useless!

11   11. I am trying to find the video of this used car salesman guy in Bangor who is nuts in his commercials.  The guy screams and dances and looks like Chris Farley but he sells cars.  I laughed every time I saw it and wish I could remember his name.

12   12. Slept on the couch so that the sun would wake me up.  Eventually I had to switch ends so that the lighthouse light would stop shining in my face.

P    Photos of the Day:

The couch where I slept.

The view from the porch.

    

17 - In My Footsteps Trip - 9-8-2010

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

17 – In My Footsteps Trip

September 8, 2010

1.       I visited the North Shore for the 3^rd time today.  Hit Beverly, Peabody, Marblehead, and Swampscott.  I will never get tired of that place.

2.      Was worried most of the way up since it was raining, but in the end it was good since it washed my dirty car.

3.      Need to ask 5 Hour Energy to become a sponsor of my travels.  I now depend on it for my increasingly long drives.

4.      Today I ended up going about 240 miles, $20 of gas.

5.      Got to photograph the Witch House in Salem on my way up, from the car of course, but since I didn’t see it before I can now add it to my collection.

6.      Beverly was actually an easy town to shoot since most of the historic homes were on Cabot Street.  This was good since the rain caused traffic which caused my drive up to take longer, boo.

7.      I bet everyone has bitten the inside of their mouths before, right?  I like chewing gum but honestly I did it twice in the same spot today and it was pretty intense pain.  Maybe I am going cannibal subconsciously.

8.      Lynch Park in Beverly is amazing.  There is an unreal rose garden which I filmed.  There are tons of beech trees too and some statue of a guy with a falcon which probably means something.

9.      Made sure not to stand on the cliff wall at Hospital Point Light this time, did it before, quite dangerous, 50 foot fall.  I told a lady there I did travel writing and she watched me take my shots, hanging over fences and stuff.  Too bad she was old or maybe she could have been my groupie.

10.  At the Smith-Felton Historic Site in Peabody some guy started yelling that I was on private property even though there were signs for parking and such.  He asked who I was with and I said ‘nobody.’  He waited for me to leave but I was nice about it since he might read my writing someday, but honestly he was a jackass.

11.  Brooksby Farm in Peabody was great.  A real working farm with animals.  I got to watch a snoring pig which was funny.  There was also a rogue chicken who escaped his pen, he was trying to get back in through the chain link while the others laughed and talked trash.  I ratted him out to the farmers and they said that chicken always escapes.

12.  I got back together with an old love today, Chick-fil-A.  Haven’t had it in 5 years since I lived in Florida.  That was part of my reason to go to Peabody.  Too bad it was in the Northshore Mall.  Had to go wander the mall to the food court but it was worth it.  Plus I am going to email the president of Chick-fil-A and ask him to put one in the Cape Cod Mall since the same folks own the Northshore Mall.

13.  Saw a sign for Bill & Bob’s Famous Roast Beef in Peabody.  I swear we had one here years ago.  What is Peabody like the U.N. of fast food?  They also have a Sonic so I am not far off.

14.  It was like Dazed and Confused heading out to Marblehead Light as wave after wave of high school girls ran past my car.  I get older but they stay the same age. 

15.  At Fort Sewall in Marblehead I was able to take a photo through the lens of binoculars.  I got a sick shot of a lighthouse out on an island.  I became more interested in doing that than checking out the fort, but that was cool too.

16.  By the way, who in the hell goes sunbathing at a fort?  Also, why sunbathe when it’s cloudy?  And lastly, why sunbathe if you are hideous?  Nobody’s gonna look, you’ll just be tan and hideous.  Hit the gym first then worry about your tan.

17.  I still say Abbot Hall in Marblehead looks a bit like the Penn Warehouse at the beginning of The Office.  Maybe it’s the shape of the tower, or maybe I just want it to look like it so bad that I am insane.

18.  Why build a cool castle if you won’t allow people inside?  I guess just to be jerks.  Thanks jerks who built the cool castle near Crocker Park but won’t let me trespass.  Hell with your privacy!

19.  Marblehead Light is awesome, it’s a skeleton.  Oh and someone spray painted a heart on it.  I am torn, on one hand it’s graffiti, but on the other hand it’s a heart and not some dumbass gang symbols. 

20.  Oh yeah and Marblehead is sort of like a corn maze with no corn.  Way too many one way streets, and narrow ones at that.  Who the hell designed that town?

21.  Swampscott is a nice place but did not have too much in the way of important sites.  It would be nice for a beach day but not for my articles.

22.  It was cool to find a random house I had seen on my Google Maps though, no significance, just a really cool design. 

23.  Did not buy a cooler to bring home some Sonic from Peabody.  Thought about it but why not save that for another trip.

24.  Oh and I sent all sorts of Facebook updates to my page, or so I thought.  Nothing like sending witty quips to nobody, waste of texting $, boo again.

25.  Found out I have multi-color lights in my car on the way home by accident.  It was like having a dance club in my car tonight.

26.  Might have to cut my trips from 4 towns to 3, just too much work, too little light, and way too many articles.

Quote of the Day: “Hey that’s private property.” –jackass at Smith-Felton Site in Peabody

                             “Yeah?  Then why are there signs for parking here?” –me

The guy just pouted and watched me get in my car.

Song of the Day: Misunderstanding – Genesis (because it played while I was temporarily lost in Marblehead…must be some misunderstanding, must be some kind of mistake, classic)

Photo of the Day:  The Rose Garden at Lynch Park in Beverly

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.

4 - June 3, 2010

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 3, 2010 – In My Footsteps Travel Day

1.      Almost didn’t go today due to the threat of rain, luckily all we got was fog.

2.      There is nothing cooler than driving through the fog and having the sun break out up ahead.  It is also incredibly scary to go over one of the bridges when you can’t see below you. 

3.      Got to visit a cemetery in East Bridgewater where my great-great grandparents are buried, along with many other relatives.  The odd thing was walking across the cemetery and the house next door had ‘Jet City Woman’ by Queensryche playing.  Sort of a weird choice of mood music.

4.      This was my second trip to Bridgewater, second because the first time I did not bring any addresses.  A GPS can’t find places without addresses, yes I am a college grad and did not think of this before.

5.      Hockomock Swamp is the center of all sorts of supposed paranormal activity in East Bridgewater.  I did not see Bigfoot, it was creepy though when the fog rolled back in just as I arrived deep in the swamp.  I did proceed to get chewed like jerky by insects.

6.      Part of me actually started wishing the fog stayed put as it got really hot and humid after the sun came out.  Next week I should bring a change of clothes, not fun.

7.      There was a really nice little farm next to the Keith House on River Street in W. Bridgewater.  There were tons of cows that all seemed a little too interested in me.  Maybe they wanted me to swat the flies off of their backs.

8.      A great surprise was in Pembroke.  There was a carnival being set up across from the Town Hall.  It was on the grounds of the Memorial Park which meant that there were war memorials lying in and among the rides and snack stands.  It made for an interesting dichotomy, too bad it wasn’t open yet.

9.      Again my GPS seems to want to either kill me or confuse me.  It has me take a right from a parking lot and do a big square of driving when a left turn would have saved time.  Is this common in England and since I use the British voice the computer is using their driving habits?

10.  Oh and also the Friends Meetinghouse in Pembroke is really cool, but it is on this dangerous corner which nearly got me killed twice.  Eventually I parked at a party supply store and walked.

11.  I went to see the Winslow House, home of the town’s founding family, in Marshfield at the perfect time.  There was the annual meeting and fundraiser going on just as I got there which made this 17^th century home sound more like a cafeteria.  Do I get an extra scoop of mashed potatoes if I ask nicely lunch lady?

12.  Got to visit the grave of Daniel Webster, plus his law office, and estate.  His name is huge in American history and in the town of Marshfield, but there was another name now synonymous with the town that I had to visit.     

13.  The Marshfield Hills General Store was bought last year by Steve Carell and his wife.  He said he might at times show up to work.  He was not there today, but there is a bunch of ‘The Office’ merchandise for sale.  When I mentioned this to the clerk he was coy, but I got a receipt to remember that I was there.  I should have got a ‘That’s what she said’ shirt, but oh well.

14.  Near Damons Point in Marshfield there was a house along the water with a row of at least 50-60 birdhouses, seriously, it was like a bird hotel.

15.  Was supposed to hit up Kingston today too but the places I listed were not easy to find.  Yeah I know, I had the GPS, and addresses and still failed to find them.  Sorry but the Independence Mall was not going to be the centerpiece of an article.

16.  Funny how people are real quick to let me out of an intersection when there’s a cop behind me. 

17.  Gas was up to 20 cents cheaper per gallon off Cape.

18.   Finishing up the day with a visit to the Thai Garden in the Cape Cod Mall and watching the remake of Friday the 13^th, only giving it a shot because I loved the original.  Nothing special thus far.

Quote of the Day: “Toby is in HR, which technically means he works for corporate, so he's really not a part of our family. Also, he's divorced, so he's really not a part of his family.” – Michael Scott (Steve Carell), The Office.

Song of the Day:  Toes – Zac Brown Band

Photo of the Day:  Statue on Lynn Common - Lynn, Mass.