Initial Impressions

The Death of John Lennon 30 Years Later

2010-12-08T09:19:00.000-05:00

This is a little different from my typical Initial Impressions blogs. I felt the need to share this with you all as the topic of this particular blog is one of the main reasons why I am a write at all.

Remembering John Lennon

     Today is the 30th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest artists of all-time. John Lennon, along with Kurt Cobain, are the two biggest influences on my writing. Every time I try to write a song/poem for someone I care about I take a listen to Lennon's 'Woman' and try in vain to express myself in that way. Anytime I try to write something about how I am feeling about the way things are going in my life I listen to songs like 'Watching the Wheels' or 'Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out,' depending on the mood I am in. His music and what it represents is never far from my mind when I am writing, or in my daily life for that matter.
     Even though I was only 3 when he was killed I still have vivid memories of John Lennon from that era. With my father being a huge Beatles fan I can remember Lennon's 'Double Fantasy' album, released shortly before his death, being a soundtrack to many of my childhood days in the early 1980's. 'Beautiful Boy', '(Just Like) Starting Over', along with the aforementioned 'Watching the Wheels,' and 'Woman' always bring me back to a simpler time in my life.
     Now as a man in my early 30's these songs take on a different meaning as I grow and see the world through different eyes. The songs with great music, or catchy lyrics, as I thought as a child are now much deeper to me. I feel what Lennon felt as he traveled through his 30's and I have come to appreciate his work even more.

'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans' - Beautiful Boy

     Today I will keep John Lennon's music running in my car all day, and maybe I will try to create my own version of 'Woman' for someone who inspires me. I will never forget this legend because he is never truly gone. God bless you John Lennon and thank you for inspiring me to become a writer, someday we will meet in heaven and I will tell you this face to face.

Wrote this in 2008, as I tried to capture his spirit with my words as best I could.

27 - 12/2/2010

2010-12-02T20:47:00.000-05:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

27 – 12-2-2010

In My Footsteps Trip

1. Took my first trip since Maine two months ago. Visited New Bedford, Dartmouth, and Acushnet. 160 total miles, $15 in gas.

2. Went to Dartmouth first, it is actually more of a small rural town than I thought since UMass is there. After getting off of the highway and through the center it was nothing but farms until I got to my first destination.

3. Had to walk once I got to Demarest Lloyd State Park since the gate was closed. It was worth the mile each way once I got to the beach. Although I did find it funny that there were tons of those mini grills and nowhere to park, nothing like a long hot walk for a family in summer to cook outside.

4. I ended up passing 2 places I was going to shoot thinking I’d see them again, which I did, after getting lost and doing a couple huge circles around Dartmouth.

5. At the Apponagansett Park there was an awesome giant ice cream bucket Gulf Hill Dairy it was called. Wish it had been summer to see that 30 foot ice cream bucket in action. I went from delicious thoughts of ice cream to no appetite when I found a perfectly white fish skeleton on the other side of the parking lot though.

6. Has anyone heard of a ‘Compost Toilet?’ There was one behind the Apponagansett Friends Meeting House. Wondering what the hell it is.

7. There was a donkey behind the Russells Mills Library, I asked him if he worked there, he did not reply, but he did stare at me a lot. Probably daring me to step over the fence so he could kick me.

8. It was funny how I went back to Fort Taber and Fort Rodman and the weather was identical to when I went there in February. Windy, mid-40’s. Rather than trying to describe how eerie it is inside the earthen Fort Taber I videoed it. It is tough to narrate a video though with people around, don’t want to look crazier than I am.

9. I don’t advocate damaging historical landmarks but the holes punched in the brick covered windows at Fort Rodman make for some awesome photos. Though reaching in the holes with the camera kept making me think a ghost’s hand was going to reach out and grab me.

10. Nastiest thing of the day was a porta-potty at Fort Rodman. It made the fish skeleton look like a rose garden. Details aren’t necessary except for the fact that stuff was everywhere, f’n gross!

11. The Rotch-Jones-Duff house in New Bedford has an awesome rose garden with a tiny hedge maze to lead you around it. Probably looks better in summer, and it would have been less creepy without the guy sweeping leaves out of the street near my car.

12. The New Bedford Historic District is definitely one of the coolest areas I saw. The cobblestone streets are so crazy, every car goes by and their tires rumble over the stones. Got to see some guys fixing a section of one of the streets too, that was neat. Not to mention the fact that my parking meter was already paid for, sort of a perk I guess if I really want to stretch it, hell it was probably 75 cents.

13. Acushnet did not have much for me to see. The Town Hall was cool, and the Christmas display in front of the Fire Station as the sun started to sink was great. The rest was a little let down.

14. I think I was a little disappointed after finding out that the Panda Chinese restaurant I was so craving ended up being Panda ‘Chinese Food’ and not Panda ‘Express,’ Sorry but ‘Chinese Food’ is not the same as ‘Express’ another lie from Google Maps, damn it. So I hit Sun On down here instead.

Quote of the Day: “What should I do?” – LeBron James. It is his return to Cleveland tonight after all. Hearing the crowd call him an asshole over and over is so sweet.

Song of the Day: Groovy Reggae Music - Ekolu

Photo of the Day:

Oxford Creamery at the Bucket, Dartmouth

26 - 10-29-2010

2010-10-29T21:59:00.001-04:00

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

25 - In My Footsteps Maine Trip - Day 6

2010-10-20T19:41:00.001-04:00

Initial Impressions Maine

Day 6 - October 6, 2010

1. This was my 'go home' day from Maine, as always 5-Hour Energy was the key to getting my mind ready for the 4 plus hour drive.

2. I forgot to mention from my trip to Lubec yesterday that I went to a gas station that had their prices in Canadian dollars. It was a bit confusing. The lady also told me I could pump first then pay which I had not been able to do in years, since gas prices got jacked way up. I asked for $20 worth, she charged me like $19.10, so I got 90 cents of free gas, don't know how far that got me but hey.

3. How about this for bookends, it rained on my way up to Maine, so naturally it had to rain on my way home. I had 4 stops planned, the rain came during the first stop in Freeport. I got through that one soaked and canned the rest of the stops and headed home.

4. I did get to go to the Desert of Maine in Freeport which is like someone dumped a beach in the middle of the woods. Even on a cool, cloudy day it was an awesome sight. There is a house buried under the sand too, must have sucked to spend your time building it only to have nature come and dump sand on it, yay.

5. I guess the best way to sum up the Desert of Maine is that there was a farm there but the people did not know how to farm so they ruined the soil which eventually became basically beach sand. No offense to the descendants of those farmers but they should have looked for another line of work.

6. Oh yeah and nothing says ‘desert’ like 54 degree temperatures and rain. However, nothing could stop me from getting my photos of the mama and baby camel statues,even at the risk of soaking my camera.

7. There are tons of outlet shops on Main Street in Freeport, like a mall only outside. Too bad that I spent my time running to a couple of historic homes and shooting a photo before running again while getting soaked. Thanks Mother Nature you really did me a solid there, ass.

8. I would love to go back when it is nicer, they have L.L. Bean, Nike, Reebok, and other huge companies with shops on the street. I could see myself losing tons of money shopping there, so maybe it was for the best that it was rainy.

9. In Freeport they actually had a Chinese food cart along the roadside, normally it is for hot dogs or things like that. Nope here we have crab rangoons and beef teriyaki at a cart. Pretty swanky little town huh?

10. I had to make a stop over in Portland to the Allagash Brewery to pick up some booze drinks for my pal Rob Blake. His instructions? ‘Here’s $40, just get the most expensive beer they have.’ My answer, 2 bottles, each $19, they’d better be good. Oh and I helped myself to an Allagash sticker as compensation for the extra toll I had to pay getting back on the Maine Turnpike. Turns out the lady did not charge me for it so it was a win-win for me and Rob.

11. One good thing about the crazy amount of rain is that it sets me up for a future trip to Portsmouth and Rye, New Hampshire since I had to skip both. Probably a day trip though, just over 2 hours drive for me. I would have tried to stop even if it was only showers but man it was such crazy downpours I would have needed several changes of clothes for each stop, not happening.

12. I was surprised by how many people still found it necessary to go insane speeds on the highway as the torrential rain and wind made it impossible to see. I felt like I was driving a sailboat at times. No better feeling than nearly being blown off the road and knowing you still have more than 2 hours to go.

13. Also, be careful when driving alongside an FW Webb 18-wheeler, they decide that it's cool to drift into your lane in the wind and rain as you try to pass. Hey, FW Webb, you need to hire better drivers, these ones suck.

14. I can’t believe it costs three dollars to cross the Tobin Bridge, no wonder I choose to set my GPS to the ‘avoid tolls’ option. It would have been cheaper to drive my car through the water, good old 'Tax-achusetts.'

15. Thought about taking a detour near Boston so I could snag me some Panda Express, but the rain told me don’t stop. Also there is a place in the Cape Cod Mall with all of the same stuff so the Panda will have to wait for another time.

16. So that concludes my week in Maine. The most fun I have had during my travel writing adventure. Thanks to Steve Davis for allowing me to use his home in Owl's Head, it was amazing and I am so grateful.

Photos of the Day:

Cows at Wolfe's Neck Farm

Panoramic View of the Desert of Maine

Desert of Maine camels as the rain started pouring.

24 - In My Footsteps Maine Trip - Day 5

2010-10-16T17:50:00.001-04:00

Initial Impressions Maine

Day 5 - October 5, 2010

1. So that turkey sandwich from Hannaford gave me a stomach ache this morning. Pay for what you get I guess, but I still would not have rather gone to see that tranny at Subway.

2. My mentioning that I was a travel writer did not help me get any discount on my motel room. I will still give them a positive write up, but it would have been way sweeter if I had gotten a perk. Maybe I should have taken that stupid bottle opener/cork screw off of the wall, that would have shown them!

3. My payback for no perk was to leave a stack of business cards neatly tucked in between a pair of brochures. No, they were in the open, I'm not gonna hide them, then nobody sees them, come on.

4. Thought of hitting this local restaurant called the Log Cabin. Breakfast buffet for $7.99, how can I lose, right? Then I read all of these online reviews about how crappy it is so I got on the road before eating. My stomach was growling about 20 minutes later.

5. Once I got through Ellsworth, just north of Bar Harbor, I realized how wide open Maine’s coast is. There were more hills than on MTV, and no places to eat. Had to drive an hour into a town called Machias to find a McDonald’s.

6. I had a breakfast platter, three bucks and it had sausage, pancakes, eggs, hash browns, and a biscuit. That was good eatin’. It was pretty much the only area during the entire 2 hrs. 10 mins. drive to Lubec that resembled a normal town, the other areas were like stuff out of 1950's calendars.

7. As a side note, on the way up to Machias I found myself behind a truck of old Texans. They were so damn slow that I finally whipped past them, legally of course. Then they caught up with me at McDonald’s and gave me the evil eye. Nothing like coming out of the bathroom and being face to face with angry old rednecks. So I flew out of there but met up with them again in Lubec at West Quoddy Head Light. They stared again but were more interested in putting their Texas flag near the lighthouse for a photo.

8. The ride out to Lubec was smooth until I ran into about 5 miles of nonstop road work. There were 3 areas nicely spaced so that once I got up to highway speed there was the damn construction sign. At one point I had to drive sideways in the dirt to get by, I swore my car was going to flip, at least there was equipment to get it turned back over right there.

9. Every now and then on my drive up the coast there would be this overpowering stank of fish with the wind. I thought to myself ‘is this how it always smells up here?’ And if so how the hell can people stand it?

10. Seeing West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec was like meeting a rock star for me. I have been dying to see it since the beginning of the year but a 7 ½ hour drive from the Cape was not happening. So I did 4 hours to Owl’s Head, 1 hr. 40 mins. to Bar Harbor, and then 2 hrs. 10 mins. to Lubec, that’s much easier!

11. I did hug the lighthouse when I saw it, that was not a lie. I was like a kid meeting the Jonas Brothers, screeching and crying. Well, not that bad but I was happy, felt like I had reached a seemingly impossible goal.

12. Had a sort of magical moment while shooting the ‘spark plug’ lighthouse near Lubec. I left my car running and ‘Hey Jude’ was playing, a nice warm sunny day and the sound of The Beatles filling the air, I just stood with my arms open wide and soaked it in. Wish someone had been filming it, quite inspirational!

13. That lighthouse is called Lubec Channel Light, just to share correct information.

14. I then got to see Canada! From the Maine coast, sorry, no passport. I was so close to Campobello Island in New Brunswick that I could hear the people across the water with their ‘eh’s’ after every sentence.

15. I shot Mulholland Point Light in New Brunswick since it was only about 300 feet away once I got out on the breakwater. Don’t know why I am so excited that I have a Canadian place in the photo collection. Oh and I also got to see some seals diving for fish there. The seagulls were flipping out trying to catch the loose fish guts that floated up to the surface.

16. Only when I got back to Owl’s Head did I realize how far I had driven. It ended up being over 400 miles. That's longer round trip than any trip I had ever taken, besides the New Hampshire one. The funny thing is that it was just another day at the beach for me which shows me that I can definitely handle the long drives.

17. I was ready to pass out but got back in time to find out Randy Moss was going to be traded. The Patriots are worse in the short term, but an angry Moss would not have done them any good since it's obvious he was being phased out of the offense.

18. I ended up doing almost 6 hours of driving just today, but it was still worth it to see that barber shop pole-looking lighthouse. I wanted to steal it and bring it home with me.

19. Speaking of that, like an idiot I didn't even stop at a gift shop to buy one of those little lighthouses. So now I have to order one, plus shipping charges, damn it!

Photos of the Day:

West Quoddy Head Light, Lubec

I was so sad to leave it,obviously.

Mulholland Point Light, Campobello Island, New Brunswick

Penobscot Narrows Bridge, old and new, in Bucksport

Lubec Channel Light

23 - In My Footsteps Maine - Day 4

2010-10-13T17:29:00.001-04:00

Initial Impressions Maine

Day 4 - October 4, 2010

1. Woke up really sick, headache, stuffed up, plus it was rainy, almost thought about postponing the rest of my trip. It came down to asking myself if I could deal with being sick, or if I could deal with missing out on so many things in Maine I had been dying to see. That changed my mind really fast.

2. It was an hour and a half to get up to Bar Harbor today from Owl's Head, it rained much of the way. It gave me ample opportunity to make an excuse to turn around but I sucked it up. Lucky for me the weather and my head cleared up right before I got there around noon.

3. As it has so many times before, 5-Hour Energy helped me through my driving. I will keep on name dropping them and asking them until they sponsor me or send me a Cease & Desist order.

4. Just seeing the signs for Acadia National Park flipped me out, ever since seeing Ansel Adams’ photos of it when I was in high school I have wanted to go there, got my chance today.

5. The only chain restaurant on the entire Mount Desert Island is Subway. You want McD’s? Got to drive 15 miles back off of the island to find one. Didn't want their food that badly to do so.

6. Mount Desert Island ended up being much bigger than Google Maps made it seem. Wanted to check out Bass Harbor Head Light on the other side of the island, it took me 25 minutes. It was worth it though. Scaled down into the rocks by the water to get shots of the lighthouse from underneath.

7. A recurring theme for me on this trip was how many people from out of state and out of country were there wherever I went. I though driving up from the Cape was far but then out on the rocks at Bass Head Harbor Light was a young Asian couple asking another guy to take their photo with the lighthouse in the background. The world really is smaller now.

8. Bar Harbor is very Cape Cod, sort of like a Chatham on steroids where their main street (Cottage Street) is filled with quaint shops but it's much larger. It was crowded on a Monday in October, but that could have been due to the Norwegian Cruise Ship docked in the harbor.

9. Oh so I ended up getting Subway and was hit on by a very obvious transvestite with 5 o’clock shadow. When he/she asked me if I was from around there I said I was from Cape Cod and going back home tonight!

10. My motel room had no shampoo in the bathroom but there was a bottle opener/cork screw on the wall. So I could not have clean hair but I could open a beer while brushing my teeth. Who the hell was the person that came up with that? A serious alcoholic I'll bet.

11. Was hoping to see a moose or a bear at Acadia, no such luck though I did have a deer run past the car ahead of me. I am surprised I didn't swerve off of the road, every time I passed any body of water I was scanning for moose and bears, then yelling at them for not being there. Damn it moose!

12. It was really cold 1800 feet up on Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunset. There must have been 40 people up there to watch as well. One of the best things I have ever seen was this sunset. You could see for so many miles, it was worth the 15 years I had waited to visit Acadia.

13. I was so excited to see that sunset that I didn't even mind the know-it-all jackass that was giving a class on how to be a great photographer behind me. The funny thing is for all of his yapping I never saw him take a single shot, I mean talk is cheap man, show us, and shut up while you're at it.

14. The Thunder Hole at Acadia was something unbelievable. It’s basically a small cove where the water rushes in and rumbles off of the rocks in a thundering noise. The waves at times come crashing up over the platform where people stand to see it up close. I shot a video of it because my words won’t do it justice.

15. I did happen to get a shot just as a wave was hitting a few kids that were standing and waiting on the platform, I was glad I got out of there when I did, plus I could laugh and they wouldn't know.

16. It was one scary ride coming down Cadillac Mountain after sunset. A few spots only had a couple of rocks between the road and a nice drop. I did get to watch that Norwegian Cruise Ship exiting Bar Harbor from way up which was really cool.

17. Wanted to try this Chinese place in Bar Harbor for dinner but the roads were packed as they had been during the day. I could not find a spot within a half mile and was not feeling walking all that way.

18. Went to Hannaford instead rather than try Subway again. It is very small, like it is straight out of the 60’s. Wanted some chili, of course there was none left, stuck with a premade sandwich and a piece of cake which was good. Have eaten so badly over the past few days gonna have to correct that once I am back home.

19. Got to watch the Patriots whip that Miami Dolphin ass which made my trip even sweeter if that was possible.

Photos of the Day:


Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse


Bar Harbor Inn

People about to get soaked at the Thunder Hole.

Sunset from atop Cadillac Mountain.

22 - In My Footsteps Maine - Day 3

2010-10-11T21:40:00.001-04:00

Initial Impressions Maine

Day 3 - October 3, 2010

1. I was woken up at 7am after being buzzed twice in my ear by another fly. Thought I had killed them all and was so mad that I smashed him flat, maybe that is the end of the flies tormenting me.

2. It was 39 degrees this morning in Owl's Head. It made me realize I am in the middle of Maine, not Florida, not even Cape Cod for that matter.

3. There was no highway leading into Gardiner so I had to take a very curvy and hilly road, after 30-plus miles I felt like I had ridden a rollercoaster. There was very little in the way of civilization, houses spread out along the way. It was a nice ride, as they all were, don't get me wrong.

4. Gardiner’s main street (Water St.) was deserted when I arrived, then I remembered that it was Sunday and church was in session. Though it came in handy since I was able to navigate the streets like a ninja with nobody around.

5. An old lady on Water St. who was just hanging around outside her apartment actually came up to me and said it would be busier if there was something fun to do in Gardiner. There’s a nice endorsement for your town!

6. Got to see a mother and father letting their little boy pee next to their car on the street, no restrooms available? I mean how classy of a family are you? Then you scoop the kid up and hurry into the store like nobody saw you?

7. In Augusta I saw some more intelligent folks at Fort Western. These trashy people walking around with a pitbull-mix running free. Oh yeah, that type of dog never hurts anything, right? Hey, morons put your dog on a leash you idiots, then it won’t get loose and go off attacking other dogs at the place which is exactly what happened.

8. Visited the Kennebec Arsenal, a collection of really old granite buildings that were one of the oldest military complexes ever built. It was really dilapidated and creepy but the creepiest part was the random guy that showed up out of the woods to tell me about its history. He told me that the buildings must have caught my eye. Yeah I got out of there pretty fast before I ended up dismembered inside one of those buildings.

9. Maine’s State House was virtually empty because it was Sunday, made for some amazing photos. The Capitol Park across the street helped too, an awesome wide open green field. There was a cute little boy playing on a stone marker who saw me and began yelling to me and trying to follow me while I shot some photos. His Dad didn't think so, guess random bearded strangers with a hoodie are seen as dangerous now, news to me.

10. The State House did not have a golden dome like the Massachusetts and New Hampshire ones, it was still really cool though and I got up closer than the others thanks to it being Sunday. I kind of was expecting security at some point to come ask me why I was shooting all of the photos, but I guess there aren't too many security threats in Maine, right?

11. Still trying to get 5-Hour Energy to sponsor my trips, even took a photo smiling with their product. If that doesn’t convince them I might have to just lie and say the already do sponsor me. Of course until the lawsuits start showing up.

12. Had some good Chinese from China Garden in Rockland. My fortune cookie said ‘You will do well to expand your business.’ They must have read my mind, that’s all coming once my trip is over.

Photos of the Day:


A Fall scene of Water St., Gardiner

Water Street in Gardiner


Fort Western and the Old City Hall in Augusta

The State House in Augusta seen from Capitol Park.

21 - In My Footsteps Maine Trip - Day 2

2010-10-08T20:17:00.001-04:00

Initial Impressions Maine

Day 2 - October 2, 2010

1. Glad that it was a bright and sunny day, and yes the sun did wake me as I had hoped.

2. Birch Point State Park is absolutely classic Maine with the pine trees on the rocks.

3. The best view so far is from Owl’s Head Light, I have never seen a lighthouse at the top of stairs on top of a hill.

4. There was a guy in an orange shirt who basically shadowed me at Owl's Head Light, he took every shot I did in the same spot. He saw my skills.

5. I saw a DeLorean today too, had to pull off the road to take a shot of it. I wonder if it was for sale? I wanted to take it and drive 88 mph and see if I could go back in time.

6. I love it when I put a location into my GPS and the GPS brings me round in a circle to almost the same spot, one way streets will do that. I could have just walked.

7. The Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse was awesome, granted it was a mile walk out but I got to go up in the lighthouse. That is the lighthouse that shines through the window as I am trying to sleep. Oh yeah and got some awesome shots of the light from a dock, too bad it was rolling from the waves so much that I felt sea sick!

8. Of course there was a golf course next to the lighthouse, I’ll bet some of those holes have crazy views. I wonder if after a hospital and maybe police station the towns all decide where a golf course could be built?

9. Rockland has a great Main Street, one way but that’s all right. It is even cooler driving through it when it's dark, there was an awesome sign for a diner which had the word E-A-T on different signs and each lit up one at a time. Don't know why that interested me.

10. They have raspberry Fluff at Hannaford, do they have that anywhere else? Don’t know why this interests me so much also.(By the way they do have it elsewhere, bought it at Shaw's when I got home to the Cape.)

11. Popped my Walmart cherry, yeah I had actually never been in one until today in Rockland. I only went to the Dunkin’ Donuts inside though, so I still haven’t bought anything from them yet.

12. Thomaston seems like an average little town except for the fact that they have a “Museum on the Streets.” It’s like a scavenger hunt trying to find the historic plaques in front of the historic places. It was so much fun except for running back and forth across the streets and also pulling over quickly which did not please some of the locals. Hey, what do you expect?

13. Camden Hills State Park is one of the best spots I have seen yet. I got tons of amazing photos from the top of Mount Battie. Although it’s only 800 feet high it actually helped because you can still make out homes and other buildings below.

14. There was even a tower much like Scargo Tower up top, I basically saw all of the places I am going this week from that spot, well not all of them, but you get the point.

15. I stood by and listened to a husband and wife argue as to which direction south was from the top of the mountain. The husband was right, but I figured it would be better for him if I did not confirm this to his wife.

16. Camden is every bit a classic ski town. The only trouble was visiting it on a Saturday meant that the main streets were clogged and it took way too long to drive short distances. Again it would have been easier to just walk.

17. I had been driving up and down Bay View Street in Camden trying to find the best view of Curtis Island lighthouse only to discover that it was shielded by trees no matter where I looked. Even on top of Mount Battie I could only make out the very top of it. Damn trees!

18. Finally defeated that damn fly, I know I swatted him at least 3 times, but finally he went down.

Photos of the Day:

Owl's Head Light at the top of the stairs.

Delorean in Owl's Head

Rockland Breakwater Light

The town of Camden from Mount Battie.

20 - In My Footsteps Maine Trip - Day 1

2010-10-06T22:53:00.001-04:00

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.

19 - In My Footsteps Trip - September 21-22, 2010

2010-09-22T22:19:00.001-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

In My Footsteps Trip: September 21-22, 2010

1. 1. My first overnight trip. Stayed at a nice little motel in New London, NH called The Lamplighter Inn.

2. 2. The traffic heading north out of Boston was nothing short of hell, we need flying cars ASAP.

3. 3. Once you pass through Concord the drive on I-89 is out of this world. I am surprised I wasn’t killed staring off at the green mountains.

4. 4. My stay at the Lamplighter was the first time I have ever received a ‘perk’ for being a travel writer, half off my room. Glad my writing is good or else maybe I’d have been charged double.

5. 5. I was also told that if I return to the area that the motel owner knows some folks in Sunapee who might give me a similar deal. Oh yeah, life gets sweeter every day.

6. 6. I loved New London, a small town postcard for sure, lots of bull statues painted various colors, did not seem out of place at all.

7. 7. Passed through Sunapee to get to Newport, again it was like something out of a brochure or magazine. I can’t stress enough how great this trip was.

8. 8. Found 1 of the 2 covered bridges I was looking for in Newport. First, it had a damn porta-potty next to the entrance, nice photos. Then I ended up so far in the middle of nowhere looking for the other one that my GPS literally was just a blank screen with my car in the middle.

9. 9. A walk down the Main Street of Newport was like being lost in time, I think I took photos of every building. There is an amazing mural of old Newport on the side of a building which I wish I could have stolen, I mean bought legally.

10. 10. Nothing is cooler than a McDonalds with mountains all around it, well unless it’s a Dunkin’ Donuts that is literally someone’s house.

11. 11. The highways had no cops and loads of hills, this made for NASCAR speeds by me.

12. 12. Driving along the Merrimack River made me realize how small Bass River is. Like a Great Dane next to a Chihuahua.

13. 13. The State House in Concord was incredible. Even the little boy banging a bell with his hands from underneath it was cool. You know what’s not cool though? Parking meters. They suck.

14. 14. Although, these meters had a credit card slot, and you could choose your time. So they were a cool sort of suck I guess.

15. 15. There were a lot of apple trees, I didn’t dare eat one, or taken any home, I need my preservatives.

16 16. Visited the grave and home of the 14^th President Franklin Pierce. It was neat to see a former president’s grave, but I don’t think he is famous for anything really, is he?

17. 17. Saw the coolest baseball field at White Park in Concord. It is the home of the Sunset Baseball league organized in 1909, brick dugouts, too cool.

18. 18. Even cooler was the mother letting her son lay in a mud puddle while she smoked. White shirt, ruined, she didn’t care though, stay classy white trashy.

19. 19. There is a science center named for astronaut Christa McAuliffe who died in the Challenger explosion. It was a nice place and great that she is remembered like that.

20. 20. 2 towers in Manchester. 1 I had to walk to because the road was closed, and then it was surrounded by an iron fence. The other one I got to see but they forgot to mention it was on the grounds of a veteran’s hospital. Yeah, I got more than a few awkward stares from those folks.

2 21. Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, it f’n rules. There are labels on the counter where famous people sat. I sat at Sarah Silverman’s seat. Adam Sandler had his own burger. Bison burger for me, and some world famous chili.

22. 22. It was a true diner experience, everyone who sat down talked to me. It was like Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, especially with the autographed Guy Fieri photo on the wall.

23. 23. Manchester even has horse cops, no, on horseback, the cops are not horses, although that would be cool.

24. 24. In total the damage was 450 miles, $40 in gas, 3 hours 15 minutes to New London, don’t know how long to get home since I did a lot of stopping.

25. 25. Have chugged 2 liters of Gatorade and am ready to pass out.

26. 26. Huge week long trip to Maine starts next Friday, I love doing this, obviously.

Quote of the Day: “We have your number and we’re going to call the cops.” Waitress at the Red Arrow Diner to a customer that called in a ‘to go’ order and failed to pick it up for 2 ½ hours. He then bitched them out because they wouldn’t make him new food. The idiot sent his daughter in to pick it up once ‘cops’ were mentioned.

Song of the Day: Life Is A Highway – Rascal Flatts

Photo Of the Day:

New London, NH


The Train Mural in Newport, NH

The State Capitol in Concord

Merrimack River from Notre Dame Bridge in Manchester

18 - September 15, 2010

2010-09-15T20:39:00.001-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

September 15, 2010

1. 1. Took a really nice trip up to Provincetown to visit their lighthouses today. 5 miles of total walking on the sand and breakwater. Wood End Light, Race Point Light, and Long Point Light(I was too tired to hike the extra 4 miles each way).

2. 2. Met a nice lady on the walk back to my car from Race Point Light on the Province Lands bike path. It was a nice long talk which ended when she asked me if I would like to read a book on Jesus. She didn’t push too hard but still not exactly where I wanted to take a first conversation.

3. 3. Oh yeah and it was a much nicer walk out there today on the bike path rather than going through the ice cold water in winter. I mean, what kind of idiot does that? Oh wait…

4. 4. What do you think of that guy Vince and his Slap Chop? Wasn’t he arrested for doing that to a hooker? Slapping and chopping? He looks like a weasel though for sure.

5. 5. One of our dishwashers I swear is actually two 8 year olds dressed up in a man costume. He squeals and giggles like a child so much that it is hard not to think that.

6. 6. I keep wondering how that Education Connection website has not been shut down. Every ad of their features a different website which absolutely screams ‘scam.’ Same goes for that Free Credit Report.com site as well.

7. 7. By the way just saw that I am totally burned after my walks today. September sun burns aren’t that common, might be my first, that fact doesn’t make it any less painful though.

8. 8. I am trying to get 5-Hour Energy to sponsor my travels considering that I use their product all the time it sort of fits.

9. 9. Root Beer Vodka is a great investment. Though it did leave me with a headache all day today which made my traveling a little less enjoyable. Still, it was delicious.

10. 10. Daisuke Matsuzaka and a prospect to the Dodgers for Andre Ethier? I will help Dice-K pack and drive him to the airport once it’s done.

11. 11. Hey New York Jets, you will not win the Super Bowl, will not get to the Super Bowl, or AFC Title Game, you are severely overrated, get used to being 9-7 chumps.

12. 12. It figures that the first overnight trip I plan to New Hampshire might get postponed due to rain. What am I supposed to do, rent a room ahead of time and waste money, or drive up the day of and find no vacancies? Oh yeah great choices.

13. 13. Hypothetically, what do you do when you meet someone that makes your whole world brighter but there is a huge roadblock keeping you from being together? Hypothetically speaking of course.

14. 14. My idea of buying an RV and traveling the country went up in flames as soon as I saw prices. Most were over 100 grand, damn! I’d rather take the bus, oh wait, maybe not.

15. 15. Should I or should I not buy a hammock for my room? Leaning toward I should.

16. 16. How long do you stay in a situation where you don’t feel appreciated? I will say this, we will find out soon, if the ‘appreciation’ doesn’t come by about Christmas this ‘situation’ will be ending.

Quote of the Day: "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." Vince Lombardi

Do You Remember?: When cereals used to have the word sugar in them? Sugar Pops Commercial

Song of the Day: Call On Me - Chicago

Photo of the Day:

Teacher, mother, secret lover...

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

2010-09-08T22:10:00.004-04:00

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

15 - July 8, 2010

2010-07-08T20:47:00.003-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

July 8, 2010 – In My Footsteps Trip

1. Visited Scituate, Cohasset, Hull, and Hingham today, $15 in gas got me home on fumes, total of about 175 miles.

2. Finally got sunburned today, knew it was coming eventually, it took me this long to remember bug spray, now sunscreen is on my list of things to get. Face, neck, arms, lobster red, yes.

3. Seems like I see deer on almost every trip now. Saw one at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham trying to cross the road, it hid in the woods but I distracted it long enough to get a few shots.

4. Got to see a place in Scituate called The Old Oaken Bucket, the only reference I had for this place was the fact that it was a joke in a Three Stooges short, but hey that’s more knowledge than most I guess.

5. Once again my GPS tries to kill me. It tried to get me to cut across Rt. 3A in Weymouth, not to mention go over a center median. I wanted McDonalds but not enough to kill myself, damn British Nanny!

6. I love it when a guy is speeding and weaving in and out of traffic and then ends up getting behind me where I slow down to piss him off. I could see the veins pulsing in his neck, ha ha, ass.

7. Had a great visit with the head of the Historical Society in Scituate. He happened to be locking up Lawson Tower when I arrived. I used my clout as a writer to get him to let me inside, that’s a first. It is a really cool place, you have to see it.

8. I did feel kind of bad when he was showing me around inside and started falling all over these scattered boards, I told him we could go back outside before he got killed.

9. Is it sad that when I was at the Historical Society building and saw a patch of sunflowers that all I thought of was the racist sunflower on Family Guy?

10. It’s amazing how many dark blue Jetta’s I see on the road, like 7 today. Didn’t think that many were made, I mean who even drives one? Oh yeah, sorry, ha ha.

11. So, I got these bug repellant wipes, they worked good except for the fact that it was 95 degrees and when I started sweating I got sweat mixed with bug repellant in my eyes. Of course this got worse when I foolishly wiped my eyes with my bare arms which also contained the repellant. Sucked to be me then.

12. In a real bit of random humor some guy left a box of Nutty Bars on the hood of his truck at the Cohasset Sailing Club. Hadn’t seen those in years, and also how smart is it to leave chocolate out in crazy heat. Bet those tasted good.

13. Saw so many amazing spots to photograph while driving that I was literally jerking the wheel off to the side not caring about human life. Yeah I hear you beeping but my photos are worth more to me than you sucker.

14. Did you know that the ancestors of Abraham Lincoln have roots in Hingham? Neither did I until I happened upon a statue of him in a little green area, across the street is a house built by a Samuel Lincoln who settled Hingham, still trying to find out how he is related to the President.

15. So you will not believe this, while walking around the Cohasset Green this church next door starts playing music, no not religious music but Ernie’s ‘Rubber Ducky’ and ‘Sing A Song.’ Yes, the church was playing Sesame Street songs with its bells. Un-freaking-real.

16. Actually saw a cop helping a pair of landscapers in Scituate change a tire today, didn’t know cops actually did stuff like that, maybe they get a bad rap from the fat lazy ones directing traffic.

17. The cool tower at Fort Revere in Hull was of course not open again, but instead I got to chase a lone turkey around the grass. It was like Homer Simpson chasing squirrels with his high pitched giggle.

18. At Wheelwright Park in Cohasset there was a rock called ‘Devil’s Chair,’ it looked like a seat, being a bit superstitious I chose not to put my butt down there.

19. I got to refill my water bottle with fresh spring water from a place called Mount Blue Spring in Wompatuck State Park in Hingham. Then I proceeded to take a photo of myself enjoying it, in case my words didn’t do the trick.

20. Speaking of the spring, some guy there had at least a dozen gallon jugs he was filling. Is water that expensive guy?

21. To celebrate their 375^th anniversary Hingham painted a parade route with red, white, and blue lines on the street. I got a good shot of it as cars kept trying to force me to cross the street, waving me on over and over, if they’d have left me alone I’d have gotten the shot sooner.

22. The ride home was so easy, too easy, had to make up for it by having 3 registers go down at Stop & Shop in Hyannis, seriously, all I had was burn spray for my lobster skin, you’d think they’d have 1 person who knew how to fix those things.

23. I really can’t wait until the day when travel writing is a full-time gig, it’s all I ever want to do, being inside working now is torture.

Quote of the Day: “A real man elevates himself to see above the trees rather than cutting them down to his size.” – Christopher J. Setterlund

Song of the Day: Radiohead - Weird Fishes

Photo of the Day: Statue of Abraham Lincoln in Hingham, Ma.

14 - July 7, 2010

2010-07-07T18:29:00.001-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

July 7, 2010

1. Got a phone call the other day from someone with the same number as me, just a different area code. Thought it might have been me from the future calling to tell me last night’s lottery numbers. No such luck.

2. In a weird moment on the 4th we had the film Independence Day on and the song ‘Hallelujah’ was on Pandora, it synced up as the aliens began blowing up the cities. It fit so well that it was eerie.

3. Has anybody seen this Shake-Weight product? It’s basically a vibrating dumbbell. There is something quite provocative when you see a woman using this weight, check out the ads and you’ll see what I mean.

4. Okay, so if ESPN is all about sports why the hell do they clog up time with poker, spelling bees, and hot dog eating contests? Did these suddenly become sports when I wasn’t looking? I’d rather see them throw water polo and ping pong on there then this junk.

5. Can’t believe that I had to get up earlier than I do for work to go to jury duty. Oh yeah and they also sent me to the furthest courthouse, nearly an hour away, it was 95 degrees, and I got sent home at 10:30. I was pretty steamed, wish there had been a trial, I would have fried whoever it was.

6. On the bright side I did get to watch a cheesy video about jury duty. You ever see the old Simpsons episodes with the Troy McClure videos? It was like that sort of cheese.

7. Have you seen the video called ‘Drinking Out of Cups’ on YouTube? It might be the most random, funniest 3 minutes. The recording is of a real guy locked in a closet tripping on acid. You’ll love it.

8. I finally heard the ‘Please Stay, Lebron’ song that the folks in Cleveland did to the tune of ‘We Are the World.’ It might be the saddest thing I’ve heard, and very funny. It includes local ‘celebrities’ like car salesmen, news reporters, and politicians. Of course the only real star the city has, Drew Carey, is nowhere to be found. Smart move.

9. Happy 70^th birthday on the 6^th to former Beatle Ringo Starr, wonder if he got a yellow submarine?

10. So Lindsay Lohan gets 90 days in jail for violating her probation? Part of me says ‘good, maybe she’ll now smarten up.’ Still, part of me feels bad, it’s been said enough that in today’s society we build people up to tear them down, and then at times build them up again. I hope she realizes she has caused a lot of this and can lead a ‘normal’ Hollywood life in 3 months.

11. Visited my Nana’s house today which is being cleaned and painted by my Uncle Bob for sale. I could not go inside, it has been six months but it still makes me sad to know she is not here. I know change is inevitable and something you cannot stop, but it seems like the only change I keep seeing is loss, I hate losing, especially loved ones.

12. Saw an old favorite today, there is this guy with a cane and tourettes that walks all over Yarmouth and Hyannis yelling obscenities to himself. He was walking down Rt. 28 today. He has a younger, chinless, brother that goes to my gym and does the same. Seriously, the guy has no chin, just a mouth and neck.

13. Bought some beer today and did not get carded. It was sort of cool until I realized that my grey in my beard is not helping me look young.

Retro Impressions: For this insane heat wave I thought I’d wheel out my first ‘retro impression’ which will be like what I mention every time except that it took place years ago. They are still relevant though.-à I remember landscaping back in 2002, working on a job digging out a 6 foot deep ditch in Sagamore. No shade, about 100 degrees, insane humidity. Oh yeah and I left my water in another truck. After an hour I started seeing purple spots. Got home after a long day and wanted to take a cold shower, the water hit and it was like Andre the Giant putting me in a bearhug. I can only assume it was heat exhaustion, not quite heat stroke, but no fun none the less.

Quote of the Day: “True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation." - George Washington

Song of the Day: Hot Fun In the Summertime – Sly and the Family Stone buy mp3 here

Photo of the Day: The Man At the Wheel – Gloucester, Mass.

13 - July 1, 2010

2010-07-02T10:06:00.003-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

July 1, 2010 – In My Footsteps Travel Day

1. Returned to Gloucester, I had an even better time since I knew the places I wanted to see.

2. Also hit Rockport again and Ipswich, the North Shore is like a dream every time I go, 3 trips thus far and probably 1 or 2 more to go.

3. There was so much traffic from just north of Boston down about 10 miles, it was the only hiccup on a nearly flawless trip. Even that was cool as I got to flirt with girls passing by, hey you never know, right?

4. Did over 230 miles today on $20 of gas, did I mention how much I love my car?

5. At Stage Fort Park in Gloucester there was a lot with a guy at a shack looking for $10 to park for the beach. Little did he know that across the street were free spots, for 20 minutes at least, which is all I needed. Ha ha, sucker, I smiled and waved, he was not amused.

6. Got to see a drawbridge go up today in Gloucester, I was stuck on one side with two hot college girls. Oh no, whatever shall I do!

7. So I am walking out on this trail or rock pieces to see the Thacher Island Twin Lights in Rockport when what do I see sort of hanging out on the rocks but a big gray Tupperware bin, yeah I thought it was random too.

8. At a great little spot called Bearskin Neck in Rockport I got to witness this Crocodile Dundee looking guy holding up traffic by repeatedly saying to one car ‘Welcome to Rockport.’ It’s like, dude, they know where they are after the first 10 times you said it. Then he also was yelling at a guy fishing to ‘rip ‘em out of the water.’ Funny, but crazy too.

9. There was this dog in the doorway of a store staring at me, he was fine until after I snapped a photo, then he flipped out. Maybe he doesn’t like his picture being taken?

10. There was a little blond-haired boy calling out ‘Opa’ over and over, then it hit me that he meant Grampa in German. How did I know? From having to write German dialogue in my book Second Coming. Yes, I officially rule, understanding German on the streets of Rockport.

11. Bearskin Neck also was home to a yodeling pickle as well as creepy mannequin heads in a second floor window. The place is great, like a big outdoor mall made of old fishing shacks.

12. I remembered seeing in Stop & Shop this week lots and lots of the refills for the OFF repellant clip-ons but none of the clip-ons themselves. These would have served me well walking through the woods where I became an afternoon snack for tons of bugs.

13. Oh yeah, and a greenhead fly stowed away in my car for the ride home in traffic. Nothing beats trying to kill something and drive. It’s probably still in there now, sleeping and waiting for me to go to work tomorrow.

14. They need to make Annisquam Lighthouse in Gloucester a little easier to find, without a GPS it would stay lost. The long search was worth it though, lots of great shots of it.

15. There was this little guy going round checking all of the parking meters along Bearskin Neck, at least I thought it was a guy until she turned around, ugh, cold shivers, with her buzzcut, I had to go dive in the harbor to escape.

16. Went to a place called Castle Hill in Ipswich, turns out it was used in the movie The Next Karate Kid, the one with Hilary Swank, never saw it but hey I lied to the gatekeeper.

17. In the latest edition of my GPS trying to kill me, this time my British Nanny tried to tell me to take the carpool lane on I-93. I refused and then as I was stuck in traffic I watched several cars with only one person inside go by in the carpool lane. I could hear my Nanny voice saying ‘I told you so silly Yankee.’

18. My last stop in Ipswich was to be the Turner Hill Mansion, or so my GPS said. I drove inside this place and it ended up being a damn golf course and resort, no mansion. So I figured I’d take a photo, too bad this jerk that had been tailgating me decided to park in my shot, so I had to stand there like an idiot waiting for him to move.

19. Was excited to visit a place called Dogtown in Gloucester, it was an abandoned old settlement from the 17^th century. Never got to see it since the bugs were killing me, but I did get to hear a fight between a couple construction guys, that was almost as good.

Quote of the Day: “Welcome to Rockport.” –Crocodile Dundee looking guy, over and over, to a car trying to park at Bearskin Neck. Maybe he was a robot whose circuits got scrambled?

Song of the Day: Between the Lines – Stone Temple Pilots buy mp3 here

Photo of the Day: Motif #1: Rockport, Mass.

12 - June 24, 2010

2010-06-24T17:18:00.002-04:00

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.

11 - June 20, 2010

2010-06-20T21:14:00.003-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 20, 2010

1. So I spent nearly 72 hours without television in my new place, tried everything possible to get the cable to work. Turns out that I had the TV hooked into a cable outlet that had no power, that made me feel really smart.

2. I find it humorous that a 50-something man from Haiti who speaks almost no English, and a 50-something man from Brazil who speaks almost no English can somehow carry on hours of conversation. What the hell do they say? No. Yes. Busy. No good. Stimulating.

3. Am starting to believe that mosquitoes plan their days around when I will be getting in and out of my car at my new place. They come out of nowhere when I hit the car, maybe there are alarms going off at their nests with me on a big screen.

4. Today I was trying to get the Italy/New Zealand World Cup game on TV at work. Messed around with the remote but got no picture on the screen. Finally figured it out and got a picture, it was the On Demand porn section. Being guys of course we checked out all the titles, but I stopped short of ordering when I realized even though they agreed the guys would point the finger at me as the trigger man.

5. It is incredible that we have reached the point where all of the 80’s movies and television are being remade. Transformers, A-Team, Karate Kid, Smurfs, Fraggle Rock, Thundercats, GI Joe, and now Pac Man. Feel like I am 8 years old again, but the Mannequin remake, uh we can do without that.

6. Which would you rather have to deal with pollen or humidity? Man I’d settle for 60 degrees and pollen rather than clear air 85 and sticky.

7. You need to exercise great patience and be willing to wait for something you really want.

8. I know that the beaches become free again sometime after 5, but when do these gate keepers arrive in the morning? I mean if I got there before them there’s nothing they could do, right? I am going to go to the beach at 6am and see who’s there.

9. So I woke up after the disappointing end to the Celtics Game 7 and suddenly realized the Red Sox have the 3^rd best record in baseball. Guess the stories of them being dead and buried were false.

10. Heard Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ today, just have to wonder how you follow up a song that ends up being one of the most famous ever? Should you just retire, or make inferior music and damage your rep?

11. Wishing a Happy Father’s Day to my Dad, Jack, my Grampa, Sully, and my stepdad, Serpa.

Maui Quote of the Day: - being asked if he wanted some Italian bread for a sub – “Do I look Italian? F*ck the French!”

Song of the Day: Take Me There – Rascal Flatts buy the mp3 here

Do You Remember?: Odd 1980’s Cereals – OJ’s Cereal, Rocky Road Cereal, Circus Fun, Ice Cream Cones, Nintendo Cereal

Photo of the Day: Wellfleet Harbor

10 - June 16, 2010

2010-06-16T22:10:00.002-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 16, 2010

1. So my first night in my new place I came to realize that the showerhead faces the door to the shower. Found this out when the water pressure blew the door open. Thankfully I solved that problem real fast.

2. It’s always great when you go to take money out of an ATM and the screen is covered with some sticky liquid. I did not want to test and see what it was, I had to pick and choose where I touched the screen, just nasty.

3. Listen, I know people are upset and disappointed in the Celtics performance in Game 6, me being one, but hearing a guy call WEEI and cry made me rethink exactly how bad things really are. Crying? Dude, watch soap operas and leave sports to men.

4. Just a little something I have noticed, women always call their friends ‘girlfriends.’ How do you think it would go over if guys referred to their friends as ‘boyfriends?’

5. Some people just don’t realize how great they are and settle for much less than they are worth. Just an observation.

6. I have asked several people this: Do you think Phil Jackson is overrated or underrated? I say overrated and I’ll tell you why. Although he is one of the best coaches ever, he is not Red Auerbach. Red created the teams that are some of the greatest of all-time, Phil Jackson inherited them. He did not acquire Jordan, or Kobe, he just got more out of them.

7. So writers are saying Kobe is playing for his status as one of the all-time greats. Here are my Top 5 basketball players of all-time in no particular order: Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson. Discuss.

8. Haven’t looked them up but have found myself wondering if there are porno flicks named after the Choco Taco, and the song ‘Come On, Eileen.’ Am I the only one who think there are?

9. “We need a nice clean towel here at summer camp. Not one who shoots heroin and has sex for money.” Only South Park can come up with something so random but so insanely funny. That is from the episode ‘Crippled Summer’ if you want to check it out.

10. Happened upon my barbell earring today which formerly resided in my right eyebrow. Hadn’t seen that thing since about 2001, yes I had my eyebrow pierced, actually before my ear, it was a quarter-life crisis deal.

11. I find it very amusing when celebrities update their status on Myspace that a bunch of people leave comments like their talking to them. Hey, loser, they don’t know who the hell you are and they don’t read your stupid comments! ‘Duh, Alicia Keys, I totally agree that such and such a film is great too.’ Fools.

12. Looking at my Nana’s microwave and my Nana’s television only serves to remind me of how much I miss her, but I know that she is with me.

Quote of the Day: “There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart’s desire. The other is to gain it.” – George Bernard Shaw

Song of the Day: You Are the Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder buy the mp3 here

Photo of the Day: Roger Williams Park Casino, Providence, RI

9 - June 14, 2010

2010-06-14T21:53:00.003-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 14, 2010 – Sh*t Maui Says – Volume 2 – The Stories

1. Lighting and attempting to smoke the wrong end of a cigarette.

2. Dropping his glasses on a sheet pan of raw chicken and then proceeding to cook them for 45 minutes at 500 degrees.

3. Forgetting his glasses and attempting to read a slip, beginning to put food down only to realize that it was the special sheet and not an order.

4. Finding the oddest places to lay down, a shelf in the shed, bags of flour, inside the hall closet where we keep our plastic containers.

5. In the old days when he wanted to fire someone there was a single chair in the barn where he would sit to deliver the ‘bad news’ to his intended victim.

6. Having more extravagant dinners than most customers Ex: prime rib, homemade éclair, shrimp cocktail. That’s good eating.

7. Having more candy in his reach-in fridge than food to serve, more chocolate than the Hershey factory, and a stash of ice cream treats in the freezer. He knows what he likes.

8. Letting me fill his IPod with music, 800+ songs, and then proceeding to erase it all when he added Pandora to it. This was after I had filled it and erased it myself and then refilled it, going in circles.

9. When I did prep as a teen there was always a full piece of yellow-lined paper with two columns of work to do, no punching out just TCB, Liam and Brian can back me up on that.

10. One day I needed a ride into work, I woke up at 4:45am and saw Maui coming up to the door to wake me up! I told him thanks but that I would never ask for a ride again after getting up that early.

11. The ‘wolf’ Maui’s alter-ego that comes out during the final hours of his last shift of the week. It spells doom for those in his path keeping him from the back door.

12. Convinced me to buy an entire cd by an artist named Michael Franks that had 1 good song, it was a waste of $14, ended up giving it to him, happy flippin’ birthday.

13. Begging me to leave a few cd’s behind to listen to at night, several years ago, coming back in to find them soaked in grease and dust, instantly ruined.

14. When we recently switched to a slightly smaller round plate Maui spent several minutes staring at it thinking he had lost his mind.

15. The old days of constantly sending people up to Tedeschi’s to buy scratch tickets, Five Dollah, Five Dollah!? All-time classic.

16. Recently grabbing his beer too fast and it spraying all over his face, seeing him standing there with it dripping on the floor was too funny.

17. Buying hundreds of dollars worth of stuff from the chef catalog, hats, pants, shoes, the whole works. Where are my damn shoes!?

18. Being the Mayor of Cape Cod, he knows everyone that walks in the door.

19. That being said he forgets everyone’s name, if he pauses, or calls you ‘honey’, ‘brutha,’ or something like that it’s because he has no clue what your name is.

20. I love you Maui, you’re my mentor and this is all out of love!

Song of the Day: Burn One Down – Ben Harper

Photo of the Day: Old school Marsh beer, provided by Dana.

8 - June 13, 2010

2010-06-13T21:47:00.003-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 13, 2010 – Sh*t Maui Says Volume 1

1. Maui on Tips for Wait Staff – “It doesn’t matter about the food, it comes down to service and looks. Better looking means better tips.”

2. Maui on Chocolate – “Breakfast of champions.”

3. Maui when one of the dishwashers get upset – “Shut the f*ck up before I kick your ass.”

4. Maui on the wait staff in general – “Why are you all so stupid!?”

5. Maui on college kids working at the Marsh – “Stop wasting your parents’ money, obviously you’re not learning anything.”

6. Maui on Customer Complaints (overcooked meats) – “Tell him come back here so I can choke his neck until it is the right color for his steak.”

7. Maui on allergies – “I don’t believe him/her, I want to go out there and see their face swell up first.”

8. Maui on getting the job done – “Take your time but hurry up.”

9. Maui on working together – “Get out of my space.”

10. Maui on executives – “He’s a f*cking bonehead.”

11. Maui on horse racing – “Stupid f*cking horse, you’re gonna be hash by tomorrow!”

12. Maui on cleanliness – “I want this place to be clean like my ass.”

13. Maui on a dishwasher complaining of headaches – “What’s the matter? You been whacking off so much that it made you dizzy?”

14. Maui on special orders – “What the f*ck is this bull sh*t!? They making their own f*cking menu out there?”

15. Maui on his birthday celebration today – “We need to order some strippers, oh hey you’ll do!”

Song of the Day: Pakalolo - Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau

Photo of the Day: As the Village People, Halloween 1999 (Me, Maui, Remi)

7 - June 10, 2010

2010-06-10T20:36:00.002-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 10, 2010

1. After hearing him on WEEI yesterday I can honestly say that Charles Barkley is the funniest man in sports. I could listen to him talk all day.

2. An old couple went to the supermarket today, the woman got out and went inside. The car alarm started going off and the old man did not know what to do so he sat in the passenger seat with his fingers in his ears. I immediately knew that was going in here.

3. Does anybody know where that Fiber One salesman is from? British accent and Middle Eastern? Also why is he never mad that people are opening the boxes and eating the cereal in the supermarket?

4. The ‘that’s a low price’ guy from Staples needs to get smacked.

5. Sometimes great things come from where you’d least expect, it means you should look everywhere for your happiness, not just in the safe places you know.

6. The best way to find out the truth about something is to ask. Yeah, I know, real deep insight, but I am notorious for jumping to conclusions in my own head. Usually right, but not always.

7. I believe that Stephen Strasburg is about to take baseball on a wild ride. 14 K’s in his debut? Are you kidding? Pirates or not the kid is money, could Washington be a playoff team in the next few years? I think so.

8. My nephew Landon decided to run out through the backyard right after his bath. Literally had to catch him before he dove in the mud, I made a great save though, good uncle I am.

9. Landon also just beat the hell out of me, jumping on my back and grinding my face into the rug, he’s 2 now, imagine when he’s a teen? He’ll be using me as a backpack.

10. My niece Emma was online looking for YouTube, what she found was YouPorn, absolutely classic we laughed, she was mad.

11. Sending my thoughts and prayers to 16-year-old Abby Sunderland, attempting to be the youngest person to sail around the world alone she is feared lost at sea off the coast of Morocco.

12. Tonight is Game 4, Celtics/Lakers. Got no gut feeling on this, just hope that the C’s can tie it all up!

Quote of the Day: “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Song of the Day: Never Give You Up – Raphael Saadiq

Photo of the Day: Fort Phoenix State Park, Fairhaven, Mass.

6 - June 7, 2010

2010-06-07T18:59:00.002-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 7, 2010

1. Woke up Saturday at 8:45am with it pitch black out, the line of severe thunderstorms that rolled through were sick. It actually got really bright when the rain came down like one big sheet. I pity those who were outside in that.

2. Did not know there was a such thing as a Sharpie tree until I saw one hanging on a branch leaving work today. Where do I buy Sharpie seeds so I can grow my own?

3. Nothing beats cold, raw chicken juice as it runs down your leg into your sock. Sadly it was not the first time, nor was it the worst thing I’ve spilled on myself.

4. I guess I am the last person to get smacked by the pollen, it worked its way down the ladder and now has me hurting. Should I even bother to buy allergy meds since the pollen season ends soon?

5. I can’t be the only one that gets annoyed by people who start eating chips in line at the sub shops. I mean, are you that hungry that you can’t even wait to pay for them first? Chew some gum to take your mind off it.

6. Food for thought: If you made just ½ of 1% of what Alex Rodriguez is making this year you would be making $165,000. That’s right .5%, just sick, especially since he’s a jackass and a Yankee.

7. My mother was so happy that she had washed my nephew’s balls. Of course she meant his toys he plays with, but it was still good for a laugh.

8. I think its time to invest in some new gym shirts, wearing the same collection of 4 for nearly two years have left them impossible to get fully clean/fresh. It’s not a good look, smell, or feeling.

9. Got to bear witness to a crazy old man sitting in Subway talking out loud to nobody, it was even better when a crazy middle aged man showed up and tried to have a conversation with him. Wow, it was like break time at the nut house.

10. Highbank Bridge in Yarmouth has been worked on for so long I swear these people damage something else while they fix one thing just so they can milk the crazy money they get for holding their hands up to direct traffic. Trained monkeys will do it cheaper you know?

11. Wishing my brother Matt a happy 27^th birthday, well it was yesterday but it took me 2 days to finish this.

12. If you want a good laugh hit the Subway in Hyannis at the Exit 6 off ramp at night. There is a guy who works there that literally sings your order to you. If you can make it through your order without laughing you are better than me. I sort of want to see someone try to piss him off to see if he’d sing angrily at the person.

Quote of the Day: “The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” – Sven Goran Eriksson

Song of the Day: Everybody Here Wants You – Jeff Buckley

Photo of the Day: Pembroke, Mass. - A war memorial statue stands among rides for an upcoming carnival.

5 - June 4, 2010

2010-06-04T22:59:00.003-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

June 4, 2010

1. Sorry lady, but if you are going to start changing into your workout clothes in a room with a huge window facing the gym of course people are going to stop and stare. Not all dumb jocks are men, you are an example.

2. I believe that on Cape Cod there are more Dunkin’ Donuts per capita than people. They out number churches, police stations, and hospitals combined. I guess coffee is more important than religion, safety, and health, oh wait, hell yeah it is.

3. Not every day that I nearly step on a foot and a half long brown snake as a hawk hovers overhead. Not sure if it was looking to eat it or if it was coincidence, but it was cool none the less.

4. Only 6 months ago I saw Wes Welker tear two ligaments in his knee. Now he is practicing during the OTA’s? I just want to know what he took to heal so fast so that I can have some on hand in case I get hit by a bus.

5. If you keep missing a connection by one second does that mean it’s not meant to be, or that you need to arrive one second earlier?

6. Didn’t realize how much twin beds suck until I slept in a queen-sized for the first time in 7 months last night. Twin beds are like sleeping on balance beams, roll an inch too far and you’re on the floor.

7. One of my all-time favorite sports heroes, Ken Griffey Jr., retired today. With all of the steroid-era players I believe in my heart that he was clean and therefore one of the greatest ever to play the game. We will see him again, in 5 years at Cooperstown.

8. Why does Hollywood feel the need to remake/reboot so many films? Now it’s The Crow, one of my favorites. Think up some new ideas, I have plenty, give me a call.

9. Umpire Jim Joyce made possibly the worst call in history as he called a man safe at first with 2 outs in the 9^th. Why the worst? Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga had a perfect game going. The man was clearly out and this umpire ruined it. Apologies only go so far. They should reverse his call.

10. In the Gulf of Mexico the oil is still pouring out, just thought I’d keep that in everyone’s minds since it’s been more than six weeks. It was a joke to begin with, a disgrace after a week or so, now it might be the beginning of the end of oil period, the outcry for clean energy is going to go off the charts.

11. The phrase ‘get your (blank) on’ needs to go, it is so irritatingly over used.

12. So sad to hear about the loss of the legend John Wooden. One of the greatest coaches in sports history and one of the greatest ambassadors for basketball as well. At age 99 he lived an amazing life, rest in peace sir.

13. Only when you go off Cape do you realize just how much open space/farm land there is even just over the bridge. It blows my mind each time.

Quote of the Day: “Every artist was first an amateur.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Song of the Day: All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers

Photo of the Day: The Bourne Bridge

4 - June 3, 2010

2010-06-03T21:06:00.001-04:00

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.

3 - May 31, 2010

2010-05-31T19:16:00.003-04:00

Initial Impressions

Christopher Setterlund

May 31, 2010

1. The fires in Quebec sent smoke all the way down to Cape Cod. Early this morning it was like the apocalypse with a gray haze hanging over. Falling flowers looked like ash, it was a surreal scene.

2. Outside of the Marshside ended up being the end of the Memorial Day parade route. Our lot was packed, people, marching bands, fire trucks, all hung out in the street. Glad I worked early because some people were late because of it.

3. Prediction: The Celtics will defeat the Lakers in 6 games, they are just plain tougher, the Lakers will try to match it but won’t be able to keep it up for an entire series.

4. Happy Birthday to my niece Kaleigh who turns 11 years old today! It makes me feel old just saying it.

5. Ted Green, columnist for the LA Times wrote that Paul Pierce’s idea of a good time is going out clubbing and getting stabbed?! Wow, just like hot blondes, jackasses grow on trees on the West Coast.

6. Should have bought a greenish-yellow car so that the pollen would just blend in with it.

7. Everybody that is in your life is there for a reason. In mine there are some I wonder why, and there are others that I am hopeful are there for the reasons I am thinking they are.

8. What could be worse than being on the highway and hearing that there is a six-mile backup waiting for you that is only going to get longer? I believe that it’s there that the pain in the ass tourists pay their penance.

9. Everybody should check out America: The Story of Us on History. It’s my favorite subject but I think most people would enjoy seeing how we got to be what we are today.

10. America is the king of the frivolous lawsuit. Now a lady in Utah is suing Google for their directions on Google Maps. She claims they led to her being struck by a car on a rural route with no sidewalks. It’s called common sense lady, it’s free, you should use it often to avoid things like this.

11. I keep wondering if Bret Michaels is living Final Destination right now. I mean, was he supposed to be killed at some point and now death keeps sending hemorrhages, strokes, and heart conditions to finish the job? Just wondering.

12. Now that I finally have all of the information I have been able to change my opinion on some things.

13. I have realized today that I am more afraid of beautiful girls than I am of grizzly bears, serial killers, flesh-eating bacteria, everything, is there a cure?

Quote of the Day: “Now it seems to me some fine things have been laid upon your table. But you only want the ones that you can’t get.”

Song of the Day: Right Me Up – State Radio

Photo of the Day: The Man At the Wheel Statue – Gloucester, Mass.