Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #123: A Classic Story, Birthdays & Graduations, Meteors, etc.

1. It sometimes shocks me to think that I have been a part of social media for 23 years. My first profile was created for Friendster in 2003. We’re closing in on half of my life chronicled online. This is all on Facebook, as nothing original from Friendster or Myspace exists anymore. I check the memories page on Facebook daily. It creates some fun snapshots of different chapters of my life. One rabbit hole that I fell down this week had to do with the last year of my Nana’s life. There wasn’t much of substance relating to her from 2009. However, a specific memory popped up this week. It involved someone hitting my parked car while I was at my Nana’s house. In short, the guy did a U-turn and rear-ended my Jeep, destroying the rear axle. This guy was a weirdo and wanted desperately to go inside and talk to my 85-year-old Nana. Why? To tell his side of the story? It’s like, dude, you hit my parked car, tell me the story, not my grandmother. Anyway, I went way down the rabbit hole of that accident story and turned it into a great blog (I think). It was the last classic story of my life while my Nana was still alive. You can read the blog here: The Final Classic Story From My Nana's Life



2. I was asked to do an author talk about my latest book for this summer at a local library. It was all set up with the date and time. Then the person who reached out to me about the event said the date they agreed to had already been taken. Funny how they offered it and agreed to it, but then went back on that. Okay fine. So I rescheduled. I filled out paperwork to use their conference room, which I’ve never had to do for any event I’ve ever done. Whatever, it was all set. This week, the same person reached out and said they needed to reschedule yet again. No reason given. So I sent in a pair of dates I could do, making this the third different set of dates for a show at this same library. I am not sure if they are incompetent. Maybe they think they can just jerk me around and I will continue to reschedule my talk, which, remind you, they reached out to me for? While I love to do these speaking events and I will be way more flexible than I probably should be, part of me wants them to not be able to accommodate my new dates so I can just tell them to take a hike. We’ll see what happens.


3. After writing the full treatment for a sitcom I am trying to get picked up, I joined a website where people post their shows in the hopes that television companies and execs will see it and possibly want to create it. I am hopeful but not holding my breath since I know that for every person like me, there are probably hundreds of others, many likely with good ideas as well. I want to make the best impression I can, so I shot a video and shared the full details of the proposed show. Any decent profile needs a photo, so obviously, I wanted to put a good face out there. That’s where the hiccups came. No matter what I did, the site kept saying there were issues with my photo. I tried several photos before finally contacting the website. I explained my issue and then also said I could send the photo to them, asking if they could just put it on my profile. Instead, they recommended changing the size, the DPI, and the file format of the photo. Each time it didn’t work, and I reiterated that it might be easier to just send them my photo. Finally, after three times of being given advice that didn’t work, they asked me to send the photo. Gee, thanks for listening. It only took a week and a handful of messages. I don’t think that I missed any opportunities in the week that my profile was up without a photo, but still, would it have taken more than five seconds to plug my photo in? It probably took 1,000 times more effort to write three emails than it would to click and post. Oh well, it’ll be worth it if the show gets picked up.


4. Despite creeping toward 50, I still enjoy playing basketball every now and then. I don’t play competitively; my body can’t handle that. I go to a nearby recreation area where there is a court that is almost always empty. I went this week to shoot around for a while. It was a perfect afternoon. Well, except for one thing. It’s pollen season. Oh boy, did that come into play. Every time I bounced the ball, a puff of yellow dust came up. I made it 15 minutes before I was getting gassed, but I pressed on. I needed to make it to at least half an hour of good cardio. By the time I hit that mark, I was pretty much choking on the pollen. I must have had a cloud of the stuff all around the court like I was Pigpen in Peanuts. My black shirt and shorts were coated in yellow like powdered sugar on a donut. That being said, it ended up being a good shoot around, and I burned over 300 calories. Not too shabby.

Me playing basketball this week.

5. I highly recommend The Burroughs on Netflix. I had been waiting for it since I saw the first trailer a little over a month ago, and it did not disappoint. Without spoiling anything, it is basically like a perfect mixture of Stranger Things and Cocoon. It centers around a retirement community that is a town in the middle of the desert. It stars several big-time actors like Alfred Molina, Bill Pullman, and Geena Davis. She is excellent, and there is a nod to Thelma & Louise in it. It is eight episodes, so an easy binge. Or you can be like me and savor it and only watch one episode per night. Even then, it only lasted a little over a week. It has been really popular on Netflix since debuting, so my hope is that it gets greenlit for a second season because there is a lot of room for more story. Go and check it out if you can.

6. A nightmare scenario almost came true this week. Since Memorial Day Weekend has passed, the beaches have gotten their porta-potties back. There is a beach I like to spend a few minutes at on my way to work most days. I took a little walk and decided to use the facilities before heading back to my car. A few steps from the porta-potty, I spotted what looked like a septic truck entering the parking lot. I figured whoever was driving saw me. Then I heard the beeping of it backing up. It dawned on me that they were there to empty the porta-potty. For a brief moment, I didn’t know what they were going to do. Bust in through the door? Strap the thing to the truck and take off with it? Even if they didn’t see me, I knew they weren’t just going to knock the porta-potty over to empty it. They’d have to open the door, which was locked. I don’t know why I felt this sense of dread while listening to the truck backing up. I stepped out and gave a wave to the driver, and everything was fine. I hope those guys get paid well. I have seen some of the most disgusting porta-potties, and knowing that people have to clean them is just nasty. So yeah, pay the septic people more, they literally deal with shit for a living.


7. This weekend, I was able to see my nephew Landon graduate from high school. It’s an interesting feeling to watch someone you’ve known since they were born taking that step into whatever the next chapter of their life is. I say this time around is interesting because next week marks 30 years since I graduated high school, so my mind has been back in those bygone days of 1996. At times, I feel like I have one foot back in my youth with the other foot trying to keep me moving forward into the future. There are times when I feel confused. How can the younger generation of family be moving on to the ‘real world’ when I feel like I haven’t firmly established myself? Luckily, I am not the only one. Everywhere I look, I find people my age expressing how they don’t feel like they’ve got being an adult down to a science. I kind of long for the days of having a textbook to follow when going through classes in school. Now all you can do is keep walking the path you’re on and hope that you’re going the right way.




8. Pontificating aside, the graduation was a fun family event. The weather was rainy and windy. It held off when we all arrived, but by the time we walked outside, the wind was kicking up, and the rain had started falling. It’s a shock to the system to be standing outside on the last weekend of May with wind chills around 40. A sunny and warm outdoor graduation would have been better, but I’m just glad I was there at all. I didn’t get to see my nephew Liam’s graduation, and my niece Emma’s graduation was during COVID. I did manage to see it from outside the fence at the high school, but it wasn’t the same. I wish we could have had a family cookout after, like we did for my oldest niece, Kaleigh, but just being with a good chunk of family was a pleasure that I don’t get nearly as often as I wish I did. We got some photos before the rain really kicked up to remember the day.


9. Staring down 50 in 18 months, I think, has made my sentimental side take over a lot in my life. I find that there are a lot of achievements, celebrations, graduations, and such that give me mixed emotions. I am happy to see and be around family, but then I end up feeling a bit empty and bittersweet. It’s not anything they do. It is the sad reality that we don’t all get together like we used to. I miss the giant holidays at my grandparents' houses. I miss big cookouts, family reunions, and hangouts just because. As we all go down the roads of our own lives, sometimes they can take us further from each other, even though we might not physically be too far apart. Jobs take up hours, and schedules don’t match. Other obligations can make it so that only when events like achievements, celebrations, and graduations come around can the family find a way to be together. It’s bittersweet because there are only so many of those types of events. If I could, I would have family get-togethers every week until we got so sick of each other that we had to pause them to recharge. Sadly, that isn’t in the cards for me currently. All I can do is check my calendar to see what the next event is that might result in another big family gathering.


10. There was a high wind warning this weekend. It was on the day of my nephew’s graduation. It really picked up in the afternoon with winds gusting 40-50mph. Despite the terrible weather, I needed to head out to the store plus to get gas. I could feel how bad the wind was while driving. It felt like my car was being pushed side to side at times. At this point, it was only in the mid 40s with wind chills dipping near freezing, at the end of May. I stopped for gas and didn’t pay attention to the wind. When I opened my door, the wind took it. The door ended up smashing into a trash can and sending it toppling over. I picked it back up, but it made the person pumping gas next to me look worried. I don’t know if she thought I was mad about gas prices and just karate kicked the garbage over. I figured I’d leave it a mystery rather than explain to her about the wind. She probably wouldn’t have believed me, or freaked out, scared, and taken off.


11. It’s not every day that a meteor comes flying into the Earth’s atmosphere. It’s even rarer when it happens only an hour from where you live. This weekend, we had a meteor rumored to be about three feet in diameter explode through the sky around Boston. The sonic booms were captured by all sorts of cameras. Apparently, the sound could be heard anywhere from Montreal to Delaware. It happened around 2:30 pm, and I was inside, so I have no clue if we could hear it. Reports said it landed in Cape Cod Bay. Not sure if anyone is going to try to find it or not. Plus, there was a rare Blue Moon that same night. So to recap, on the same day in Massachusetts, there were gale-force winds, snow, a meteor, and a blue moon. I love my home.

Radar picking up the exploding meteor(WWLP)

12. My niece Kaleigh celebrated her 27th birthday this weekend. It’s amazing how fast time can go. I fully remember my sister Kate being pregnant with her and having me drive my beat-up old Ford F-150 down the bumpiest roads we could find to try to induce labor. I have vivid memories of moving all of our stuff into a new house with my stepfather, Serpa, on the day Kaleigh was born. He and I were the last to the hospital to meet Kaleigh. I was 21 and had orange-yellow hair, an eyebrow ring, and a hemp necklace. It was the dawning of the full-on quarter-life crisis. I remember those early months being a travel trio with Kate, Kaleigh, and the numerous people who thought she was my daughter. My sister’s reaction was always priceless. I bring these memories up because, for as much as I am not a fan of getting older myself, I can deal with aches and pains and grays because I know I got to spend so much quality time with my nieces and nephews. The bittersweet feeling I tend to get around their milestones as they grow mainly comes from knowing that with each passing day, our roads grow further apart. I don’t have regrets about not spending enough time with them as kids because I actually did. In a world where I have had way too many regrets to count, the time I spent with my nieces and nephews is not one of them. I tend to get very reflective in moments like these. It was a good week for family and a good week to be reflective.

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #76: Party Boat, 4th of July, Hairy Observations, etc.

1. While out for a walk on a sunny morning, I stopped at a favorite spot. It is a small dock on Bass River, approximately 1.5 miles from where I live. As luck would have it, a boat was coming down the river, so I waited to get a photo of it at the end of the dock, sort of a perspective shot. This was one of those pontoon party boats, which you can see in the photo. Within seconds of me snapping the photo, the boat got wedged on a sandbar in the river. They must not have been from Cape Cod because those familiar with Bass River know that there is some shoaling in that area. They were going full throttle in reverse, trying to break free of the sand. They got free and went on their way. I didn’t stick around. There was nothing I could do since they all had phones and it didn’t seem so dire that I needed to run for help like Lassie.

The moment before they got stuck

2. Updating my hand injury. It ended up with the back of my hand being a massive bruise for days. For those who don’t know, I got my right hand smashed between 2 steel bars that are a part of a piece of exercise equipment at my day job. Anyway, we’re almost 2 weeks out from the injury, and I can finally attempt to use my right hand to lift things heavier than 3 ounces. The interesting thing is that the better my hand felt, the more the enormous bruise on my hand started looking more like I had done a bad fake tan on it.

3. From the My Life Is A Movie Department. As many of you know, I developed a very close connection to Cape Cod’s infamous Lady of the Dunes murder mystery. I met producer Frank Durant, who created the Lady of the Dunes documentary that helped spur on the case’s resolution after nearly 50 years. I then wrote the book based on the documentary. I still consider it to be my proudest moment of my professional career. Through the resolution of the case, we found out that the titular ‘Lady’ was a real woman named Ruth Marie Terry. Not only that but she had a son. This is where the story becomes even more like a movie. This week I got a letter in the mail addressed to myself ‘and Guest.’ Inside was an invitation to Ruth’s son’s wedding. It is a surreal moment and an unbelievable honor. If you had told me even 5 years ago that not only would I play a very small part in the solution of the Lady of the Dunes case, but that I’d also be going to her son’s wedding, I’d have said you were crazy. But here we are. I might not be exactly where I want to be in my life but one thing is for sure: my life will be a pretty good movie someday.

4. Fourth of July can be fun with gatherings of family and friends, cookouts, and of course, fireworks. They are illegal in Massachusetts but of course, loads of people shoot them off every year. You’d think the drunken yahoos shooting off their boom sticks would be the ones to get injured, and sometimes that’s the case. This year in Mashpee, which is about 20 minutes from me, the town was setting up for a fireworks show later in the evening. So these are ‘professionals’ handling the fireworks. I don’t know what the cause was, but in the late afternoon, nearly the entirety of the cache of fireworks exploded in a massive plume of smoke and color. I know that several people were hurt, but luckily, I think none were life-threatening. The photos of the immediate aftermath are wild. It looked like a bomb had exploded on a golf course. It just goes to show you that accidents can happen whether you’re a supposed pro hired by the town, or some drunk stumbling around their backyard after their 10th Bud Light.

5. It was madness on July 4th. The weather was perfect so I went out for a run. On a favorite route, which is mainly back roads, I must have seen 100-150 people walking, running, or cycling. It felt like I was a part of a road race where I was passing people but also smiling and waving. It always amazes me how overcrowded Cape Cod gets in the summer. It’s like pouring 50 gallons of water into a bucket that holds about 5. In the end, the water gets everywhere and you have to run away to keep dry. Or something like that.

along my favorite running route on july 4th

6. During that same run, I ended up down at the local beaches. The craziness there was off the charts. There is a strip of beach with, I believe, 5 different parking lots down the entirety of the street. The line of cars to get into the first beach was at least 20 cars deep. It was like trying to park at a concert. The big difference was that unbeknownst to the drivers, there was a sign at the entrance saying the lot was full. It was a cluster to end all clusters. Me though, being a runner, was free and easy to go wherever. I thought of it like an episode of Seinfeld. I saw the sign, looked at the growing line of cars, and thought to myself, ‘well, that’s a shame.’

7. A funny observation. For about 14 years, almost straight through, I shaved my head probably weekly. I did it because I didn’t like my hair, plus it helped me stay cool when running. I know I got looks from people when I was super thin and walking around with a bald head. Now I have spent several months growing my hair out. It’s the longest it has been in I don’t know how long. I am getting comfortable with wearing it spiked up. This look gets me looks also. I’m not sure if it is people thinking of how good my hair looks, or if maybe it is people who remembered when I had no hair and are wondering what in the world is going on. Yes, I have a full head of hair. I didn’t shave it because I am going bald.

8. While out for a run on a different day, I had to stop at a porta-potty. It might have been the worst one I had seen yet. It was as if the people who had used it went out of their way to not use the actual toilet. I won’t get too graphic for those who might be eating, but you can imagine the horrors I saw. I felt so bad for anyone else who had to use it, especially women. When I walked out, I was only a few feet away when a woman walked up and went in. She’d have had better luck just going to the bathroom on the sidewalk. It was so awful. Yay tourists!

It really was this bad, sorry

9. I love fire pits. That being said I do feel like I am a magnet for smoke. It seems like no matter where I sit in the circle around the pit, the smoke from the fire finds me. I can change seats, and it doesn’t matter. I end up with a cloud choking the life out of me. So I am a smoke magnet. I’ve heard of guys being called ‘chick magnets,’ I guess I’m the first ‘smoke magnet.’ It does not evoke the same level of cool, however.

10. For as overcrowded as tourists make Cape Cod in the summer, they do pay the price when it comes time to leave. Fourth of July weekend is one of the worst for exit traffic, right up there with Memorial Day and Labor Day. There are two bridges leaving Cape Cod. Unless you’re flying out of the airport in Hyannis, you’re stuck going over one of those bridges. Before 9am on Sunday, traffic was either stopped or slowed down on the Mid-Cape Highway for nearly 35 miles. My goal on those types of days is to go the opposite direction and try to find an empty spot to enjoy a quiet moment, until they all come back the next weekend, that is.

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #74: Injury Woes, Dirty Adventures, Bologna Drama, etc.

1. You’ll recall last week that I had a close encounter with a train. I had to scurry down a rocky embankment as it approached while I was on the tracks uploading a video I had just shot. It ended up being a fun video with the train passing almost right overhead but there was a price to pay. I aggravated my sprained left ankle, which is no good. I sprained it a week and a half ago playing basketball. It was pretty stiff and swollen. Now it is almost back at square one thanks to diving down the rocks. I had to pull out of a race I had signed up for. Luckily, they were understanding and refunded my money. Honestly, though, I have no clue when I will even try to run again. Walking is fine unless I do several miles and then it gets uncomfortable. Not sure if this ends my race comeback but I feel like I am going to be spending most of the summer working on strengthening my lower body and not running.

2. I will tell you something. I was out for a walk on the bike trail and stopped to use a porta-potty. I had to wait for someone to get finished inside. The guy who stepped out looked like a backpacking hippie from the 1960s. It was confirmed when I walked into the porta potty and the smell of B.O. was stronger than the literal crap inside. It was like the Seinfeld episode when the valet driver had such bad B.O. that it stayed in the car after he left. Not sure if the guy heard my gagging but I did try to make it loud enough to be heard.

3. In the grocery store, I passed a very short woman. I am by no means tall, so my calling her short should tell you that she was sub-5-foot. Anyway, she calls to me and asks me to get her a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke off of the shelf. I grabbed one of the dozens there and handed it to her. The first thing she did was ask me to show her where it said that it was Diet Coke. Rather than ask her if she knew how to read I simply pointed to the large letters on the bottle. Satisfied that I had chosen the right product for her she turned and walked away. No thank you, no nothing. Fine. The next aisle over, we passed each other. I smiled at her. She, in return, scowled at me. Wait, what? I help you out, and you look at me like I kicked you in the back of the knee? Idiot.

4. This is the point in the year, late June, where it is a game of chicken between me and my air conditioner. This is where the weather jumps into the hot and humid stage. Granted it’s not every day, but once you feel 85 and high humidity, you don’t want to feel it again. I try to wait as long as I can to put the A/C in. Mainly, it’s because my apartment has two windows, and blocking one cuts off airflow. Also, there are plenty of days where it’s cooler and the A/C isn’t needed but I’m not going to take it out and put it back in repeatedly. That’s a recipe for a back injury. So here we are. Last year I held out until after the Fourth of July. How long will I go this year?

5. Going into my 3rd week of nursing a sprained ankle. I can walk pretty well but no running. Naturally, I saw a super cute yellow lab on the bike trail being walked the opposite way from me. This meant I needed to catch up so I could pet the dog. I ran a few hundred feet but the dog and owner turned off down a pathway. I didn’t want to chase them into the woods so I stopped. Of course a few hours later my ankle was sore and I didn’t even get to pet the dog. Double boo.

6. While out for a long 7-mile walk, I went down a section of the Cape Cod Rail Trail that goes through a golf course. I saw 4 early 20s preppy-looking guys driving by in a pair of carts. They look exactly how you’d expect them to look. I had to laugh to myself though, because I am pretty sure I burned more calories during my walk than all 4 of those guys combined during their golf game. Sorry for the hot take but I think golf is only a sport if you walk with your bag. If you drive a cart around, step out, swing a club, and drive again you’re not an athlete.

7. There is a new extension being constructed for the bike trail I mentioned, taking it from Yarmouth into neighboring Hyannis. It is only a few miles from where I live so I took it upon myself to check the extension out. It has been cleared of trees so I was able to start walking the dirt path. It was hot and dry so the dirt was kicking up. I ended up taking a shortcut that led me to mounds of dirt 30 feet tall. Too bad with my ankle I didn’t dare climb. Instead I went around the bottom of the dirt pile. There was no path, only thorns, loose sticks, and rocks. I shredded my left calf up pretty good. I made it to the point in the extension where a bridge will have to be built to carry riders over a particularly busy street. It was a fun summer adventure that brought back memories of my teenage years. Those feelings don’t come around too often anymore. Here is a short video of my adventure: https://youtube.com/shorts/h6gNbM4UWIc?feature=share

8. Late in the evening, I was listening to the birds outside. I always hear cardinals and blue jays. On this evening, I heard a bird making a squeaking call every few seconds. I thought it was weird. Blue jays make some sounds that are like a rusty swing set, so I figured it was just a blue jay. It took me way too long to figure out the squeak call was not a blue jay, or any bird at all. No, it was from my oscillating fan. Each time it got to a certain point, it squeaked. Wicked smart.

They sound the same, right?

9. Something I don’t think I’ve mentioned in this blog since its return in February 2024. As you know, I am dealing with a sprained ankle, which is really hindering what I can do physically. Back in 2011, I got back into running after not doing anything of the sort since middle school. In those early days of my running return I got injured frequently, probably as much as I did over the last several years as well. The difference is that now I work as a personal trainer, which means that any sort of ache or pain I take very seriously. If I injure a body part and I cannot demonstrate exercises then what good am I as a trainer? Back in 2011 I worked as a cook and didn’t care about pushing through injuries because as long as my arms worked, I could cook. The ultimate irony is the unequivocal fact that I was in better shape when I was cooking than I am as a trainer. It’s like if you work a certain job the last thing you want to do in your free time is that same job. I hated cooking at home when I was a cook. I’m not saying I hate going to the gym, but it just takes way more effort to get me out the door than it did 10 years ago.

10. I was sitting at the beach just enjoying a nice summer afternoon. A tow truck pulled up behind an SUV, probably 6 spots away. The driver began hooking the SUV up to be removed. I have no idea what the deal was with the vehicle. Anyway, some random fool drove by and yelled something at the tow truck driver who was just doing his job. The driver stopped what he was doing and climbed up onto the flatbed of the truck and lifted his arms like he was calling the other person back. Of course, the other person was a coward and just drove away. It’s like what are you mad that the guy was doing his job? Or did you have to turn slightly more to one side to avoid the tow truck? Phony outrage and phony tough guys are the worst. It was like social media was happening in real life in front of me.

11. Speaking of phony outrage. While in the deli section of a grocery store, an old man with a big white beard and a straw hat on was asking about getting some bologna sliced. The employee was explaining the differences between types of bologna and for some reason, this triggered this old man. He started yelling about how not all bologna is the same. To his credit, the employee stayed calm. When the old man said he didn’t know anything, the employee calmly shot back and said he must know something since he’d been working at the same place for 19 years. The angry old man walked away. Another customer made it a point to sympathize with the deli employee and said some things loud enough that the angry old man could hear. I stayed nearby for a few moments just in case there was a second act to the bologna drama.

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog - #27: Flamingo, Porta Potty Lawn Ornaments, Nostalgic Trespassing, etc

1. For the 2^nd time in a month a pink flamingo was photographed at a Cape Cod beach. First, it was Chapin in Dennis and then Bass Hole in Yarmouth. These are neighboring beaches so it seems this bird is sticking to a small area. Despite knowing that, I could go and patrol Chapin and Bass for hours, days, and weeks and never see the flamingo. I’d just end up losing what’s left of my mind. It’s much different from the snowy owls at West Dennis Beach. In winter those things practically have signs and autograph tables they’re so easy to find.

2. I now own a separate special beard shampoo. Exciting, right? For the last few years during winter, I have grown a full-on beard for months. It’s mostly white as I am now staring down 50 but I decided against coloring the hair as I did it once in my 20s and it looked so obvious because my beard was 3 shades darker than the hair on my head. Anyway, I now have a long mainly-white goatee and decided to go back to specialty beard shampoo. This means that not only is my beard all nice and clean, but I also can’t shave it until the shampoo runs out to justify spending $10 on it.

3. On Cape Cod in late July there’s a cool relatively new tradition. Big Nick’s Ride For the Fallen is essentially a motorcycle parade in honor of local war hero Nicholas Xiarhos who was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. The ride began that same year and has steadily grown to be a major event in the summer. The ride encompasses much of the Cape beginning at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. Interestingly where I live in Yarmouth is directly on the ride route, so each year the riders pass by. I was curious how big the event was. There are definitely over 1,000 motorcycles that participate. However to give you a better idea I set my timer on my phone. It began as soon as I saw the lead bike coming down the street. From that moment until the final bike passed by it was just a shade under 20 straight minutes of riders. You’re not wrong, that is in fact a lot of motorcycles.

4. During an afternoon walk through my favorite neighborhood near me I started noticing something. On one particular street, there were probably half a dozen porta potties in different people’s yards. It took me a minute to process as momentarily I thought it was some sort of new yard decorating craze. No, it was just everyone on that street having work done at the same time.

That might be too many porta potties

5. While standing in line at the supermarket I was behind a mother and father with their adorable little girl in the seat of the shopping cart. She was about 2 and just stared at me so I began flipping my sunglasses down from the top of my head over my eyes repeatedly. She in turn started playing peek-a-boo. It was so cute and so much fun that I apologized to her when I had to leave and go pay for my things at another self-checkout register.

6. The youngest client I have ever trained is 13. He plays a whole bunch of sports but is still learning the basics of exercise. His aunt signed him up for hour-long sessions with me. He really doesn’t need hours but that’s what was paid for so I’ll do it. Anyway, these sessions while a lot of fun pretty much always devolve into him asking me how to do (insert exercise) and me having to demonstrate it. I think I come out of these sessions having done more work than he does. I’m always sweaty and tired from doing nonstop deadlifts, pull-ups, push-ups, etc. Who’s training who?

7. Boston advertising legend and giant of philanthropy for decades Jack Connors died this week. In 2007 Jack purchased the Marshside Restaurant in Dennis on Cape Cod where I had been working for years. Out of respect for the job we did in the kitchen, he paid several of us full-time for 9 months while the building was completely rebuilt and opened into what people see today. He kept the restaurant going after my boss Marylou passed suddenly in 2010. He gave so much to us there and I stayed much longer than I ever intended due to the tremendous amount of loyalty I felt toward him. Jack was so much more than the owner of the Marshside. He was a good man that made you feel important whenever he spoke to you. I am very sad he is gone but so grateful for what he gave me and so many others that crossed paths with him. RIP sir, you lived a great life.

8. I saw the king of all parking lot jerks this week. I’ve seen people park halfway into a spot. I’ve seen people park inches away from the car next to them. Hell, I’ve even seen people take up 2 parking spots just because they’re entitled d-bags. Never have I seen a single vehicle take up 4 parking spots. I’m not talking about being at the very far end of a large empty lot. No, I’m talking about in the middle of a busy parking lot. Bow down to the king of entitled pricks.

9. I’m sure many of you have watched and laughed at the Planet Fitness fail videos. The ones where people do incredibly stupid things at the gym thinking they know fitness. Being a member of Planet Fitness I am here to tell you that they are all totally true. I see some of the most foolish things I could imagine by people with less than zero idea of how to exercise. Sadly at least at the locations I’ve been to they don’t hire real trainers to help these people before they get hurt, or at least go viral for a few days.

10. I took a detour on a run this week. I ended up venturing down to my former middle school. 35 years ago this fall I started 6^th grade at Mattacheese Middle School. 35 years, yikes. Anyway, it’s closed now and likely will be torn down in the coming years. There are still occasional town sports held in the gym. That was the case on this day. I was brave enough to enter and go a little way down a hall. I figured peeking into the gym might not be received well, and also taking a walk around the empty school (which has security cameras) might also not be wise. Maybe next time I’ll have more courage to fully trespass in my old school.

Just visiting 

Initial Impressions Blog 2.0: #22 - Lock the Door, Hooters, Parking Lot Geniuses, etc.

 

1. One of my favorite running routes takes me through a quiet and quaint neighborhood. It eventually abuts a golf course at a cul-de-sac. I like this spot because within 50 feet of the road are a pair of porta potties behind a fence on the golf course. So I use one pretty much every time I go by there. In years of doing this I could honestly count on one hand with fingers left the number of people I’ve seen using one of those porta potties. I walked around the fence and one was locked, the other was not. Of course, the one not locked had someone inside as I flung the door open. Luckily his back was to me. We both kind of laughed and he was cool since he admitted he didn’t lock the door. It was like on The Office when Jim walked in on the preschool teacher in the bathroom because he didn’t lock the door.

2. It’s amazing to see how different weather forecasts can be between 2 websites. Same place, different app, and the temperatures are routinely 6-7 degrees off for the highs. In the winter that big of a discrepancy can mean the difference between snow and rain. It’s the same with precipitation. How much, when it starts, when it ends, or even if there will be any at all. I end up picking whichever seems best and then cheering or booing that site depending on the accuracy.

3. The first heat wave of the season hit the northeast this week. The mid-80s on Cape Cod. Granted on the Cape it’s a good 10 degrees cooler than in Boston but it does take the energy right out of you. All I wanted to do was sit in front of several fans. Oh, I have A/C but I stubbornly try to hold off as long as I can to put it in and then try to take it out as quickly as I can.

4. I am at the point in my life where if I don’t feel a connection with a person I move on. I’m not saying within a few minutes, but after a certain amount of time, you know if you click, or if you’re wasting your and their time. I find it’s better to move on early than drag it out and lead someone on in the hopes of forcing a connection over time. But that’s just me.

5. Note To Self: When microwaving something if the cooking time you are choosing is 3 identical numbers, IE: 5:55, make sure that you press the buttons 3 times because you could end up pressing it 4 times and leaving something in the microwave for far too long. Yes, note to self, that never could have actually happened to me.

Beware

6. One thing I had forgotten that has come back in full force as I’ve started running more is how many vehicles don’t care about runners or cyclists on the road. Some give room as they pass, others don’t move at all. I have had times that if I reached my arm out a passing vehicle would have torn it off. We’re not saying swerve into the other lane into oncoming traffic, but at least make an effort to not kill us as you pass, thanks.

7. I was in a supermarket in the town where I live when a couple walked in. The woman was in a full-on Hooters outfit. Now this is all well and good, I mean I didn’t mind taking a peek. But here’s the thing, the nearest Hooters to where I live is 75 miles away. Maybe they decided to come visit Cape Cod right after she got out of work and she didn’t bother to change out of her work clothes? Halloween is not for 4 months but maybe they were going to a random costume party in late June? Or maybe she just craves attention and decided to wear that outfit inside a supermarket filled with elderly people and children. Your guess is as good as mine.

8. The vast, vast majority of people know how to navigate around a parking lot. It’s not hard, you just need common sense. That being said there are the select few who put their blinker on at the end of a row of spaces like it’s the end of a street. Even worse are those who just drive straight through all of the spaces like they’re not there. I’m sure it’s like a bell curve, tons of normal people in the middle, and those 2 sets of idiots on either end.

9. While running at the local high school track I spotted 2 women walking over. 1 walked onto the track and just stood there, the other was nowhere to be found. It was a little suspicious. I finished running and retreated to a sort of pavilion at the top of the bleachers. The 1 woman was still standing in the same place. Now it was getting weird. That was until I saw the other woman. She had a pair of rollerblades and couldn’t get them on. The other woman helped and then proceeded to lead her around the track helping her skate. I didn’t ask but it seemed like the woman with the roller blades was special needs and the other woman was a friend or relative. It made the whole situation very sweet and I stood and watched for a few minutes before heading home.

10. Speaking of that run I did. It’s that point in the summer when I have to make a choice between sunscreen and bug spray for runs. Well, except for this time. I sprayed sunscreen on my head and bug spray on my arms and legs. Seems pretty straightforward right? That was until I was sweating a lot running and like a fool used my arm to wipe my face and eyes. Yup, bug spray in the eyes. Luckily at that point, nobody else was on the track so when I yelled I only scared the birds. 

Choose wisely

11. It was incredible to get to watch the Boston Celtics win their 18^th championship, the most in NBA history. I’ve been lucky enough to see so many titles in various sports living in New England. I won’t take it for granted though. I lived through the Patriots being a joke. I lived through part of the Red Sox Curse of the Bambino. I also lived through the ML Carr years of the Celtics, although he did come and speak at my middle school so it wasn’t all bad. Congratulations to Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holliday who was the catalyst for this year’s team. Go Green!

Initial Impressions 2.0 #12 - Supermarket Hustlers, Paper Cuts, Author Events, etc.

#12: The Supermarket Hustlers

1. Look I respect the hustle, I do, but I have to be honest. I have less than zero interest in being accosted outside of a supermarket by someone, anyone, looking to sell me something, get me to sign up for something, or any of that. Now I’ll admit I am less rigid when it comes to kids selling cookies, or looking for donations for local sports, but when it’s anything with politics, or older guys ‘representing’ some company, nah I’m all set, I’m just here to get some Doritos.

2. I am learning, reluctantly, that even though I can’t run a fast half marathon, or a fast 5K anymore, it doesn’t mean I have to give up running. I teach my clients I train that they should do the best they can with what their bodies can give and that it’s more than enough. I am having to teach myself that. Running slow, but staying upright and relatively healthy, is far better than trying to run faster than your body can handle and breaking down physically.

3. During a walk on the nearby bike trail it became very clear just how porta potties can be hit or miss. I stopped at 2. The first was so fresh and so clean it could have been an Outkast song. However, I was not lucky with the second. I was able to find a (relatively) clear path to the actual toilet, but oh man things took a turn for the worse. I’ll keep this as vague as I can for those currently eating but it looked as though someone had played a game to see if they could poop everywhere but in the actual toilet. I feel bad for anyone who needs to sit down in there to go. You’re better off just going in your pants, it’ll be just as sanitary.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

4. Walking in the supermarket. Over the speakers ‘Hello, Goodbye’ by The Beatles begins to play. While it played I heard no less than 6 people happily whistling along with the song. Never underestimate the power of music to connect, and never underestimate how impactful The Beatles and their music were/are.

5. Sometimes you get a paper cut and you feel it and it stings like hell. Then other times you get a paper cut and don’t feel it, or notice it until you put the brown paper bag down and it’s covered in blood. It looked like a crime scene and I am just lucky nobody was around to see it, although you can do a good job picturing this insanity in your minds.

6. Even many years after last seeing someone in person, someone I was once very much into, I find myself going to certain places and posting certain things hoping they may see it. This person is very happy now and has a great life and family but those pangs of ‘what if’ still creep up every now and then. #crypticpost

7. I have had my current car for nearly 10 years. It is about to pass 144K miles. My goal is to get to at least 250K. By my calculations, that means probably another 10 years with the same car. Maybe I’ll get to 21 years and then I’ll give it a car wash of beer to celebrate it being old enough to drink.

A future celebration?

8. The story is that the Ames Department Store chain that existed for decades, especially in the Northeast is making a comeback in the next few years. There’s even a website for this resurrected brand. My question is if it’s successful could this lead to more old stores coming back? As a child of the 1980s I’d love a world where Toys r Us, RadioShack, KB Toys, and more were around.

Comeback incoming?

9. I’ve yet to ever gaze upon a person with a, or many, tattoos on their face and thought ‘I bet they have rational views on most things, I should ask them for advice.’

10. After putting another author event in the books I had to take a moment for gratitude. Whether or not I ever truly make it to that level of success I’m seeking as a writer nobody can deny that I have busted my ass for years on end pursuing that goal. I’ve sacrificed so much time and energy in chasing a dream I’ve had since I was 8. Now I am 46 with 9 published books. I do events where complete strangers come out to hear me speak about something I created with my own mind. It’s so humbling and I am grateful. Whether I achieve that next level breakthrough I cannot say, but I am very proud of what I’ve done and all I’ve done to get here. I’m happy but not satisfied; I still want to do more.

Another fun event in the books.

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