Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #73: Closure, Train Dodging, Vanity Plates, etc.

1. Closure is a funny thing. You can be searching for it for almost 20 years and still not be prepared when you finally get it. I was going through a journal I had written when I was in the most important relationship of my life 20 years ago. For so long after it ended, I had been unable to find her and never was able to get closure. It was a constant loose end that needed tying up. Amazingly, I got that closure this past weekend. After years of searching, I eventually found her through a simple Google search. Not sure what changed but earlier in the same day I had put it out into the universe that I wanted to find her. Sure, that hadn’t worked before but I always try. I’ll just say that she is happy in the life she has, and that makes me happy. If you want to know the full story, I wrote about it. Here is the link: https://christophersetterlund.blogspot.com/2025/06/peaceful-emptiness-finding-closure.html


2. Any time I visit the local college library it’s like my brain goes into serious mode. I feel like I write better when I am there. I wish it were closer. Granted it’s a 15-20 minute drive, but I’d go write there more often if it were closer. It’s like I sit at a desk on one of the quiet studying floors, and my brain tries to fit in with all of the people continuing their education. I can write well at home, but I tend to get distracted by surfing the web way more. It’s like I don’t want to be seen doing that at the college.


3. There was a hilarious interaction with a chipmunk this week. I was heading out the front door and spooked a little chipmunk. Rather than running around the side of the house instead it dove into the gutter spout. I could hear it trying to climb up in the gutter but eventually slipping down. Next, I spotted its little face sticking out of the drain, hoping I would leave. I took a step toward the gutter and the chipmunk squeaked and again tried to climb up the inside of the gutter. This time I could hear it squeaking inside like it was cursing me out. Again, it poked its head out but I had my fun and left it alone.


4. I am super excited for the return of King of the Hill. I was a big fan of the show during its initial run from 1997-2009. A revival in the form of a 14th season is set to drop in the first week of August on Hulu. I have been waiting for a reason to do a free trial of Hulu, and oh boy, this will be it. If you’ve never seen King of the Hill it was created by Mike Judge who did Beavis & Butthead, and Greg Daniels who helped create the American version of The Office. It’s got bits of both shows, but a lot that is different. My hope is that the new episodes will live up to the hype, but I’ll be happy just to see everyone back and aged somewhat.

5. While out for a walk, I was in a beautiful, quiet neighborhood not far from me. I had a podcast on, so I could also hear the sounds of nature. I thought I heard muffled dog barks, so I stopped. I have had instances where a dog has suddenly shown up next to me while I’m walking. The last thing I want is to be attacked by a dog, or to step on one that I don’t see. I saw that two dogs were barking at the bay window of a house. I thought it was funny but the lady in the house didn’t. I could see her yelling at the dogs and then she even pulled the shades down. Sorry dogs.


6. One good dog story deserves another. I was at the beach walking pretty far out on the flats to get away from the crowds. It was so peaceful and nice. I soaked in the atmosphere before returning to the parking lot. As soon as I got close I heard an old man in a pickup truck telling these 2 women that dogs aren’t allowed on the beach in the summer. This is true but many dog owners are selfish and entitled so they don’t care about laws. Anyway, these 2 classy ladies with their disgusting cigarettes and the weathered faces to prove it, started yelling and swearing at the old man. He swore back and gave them the finger while driving away. Me? I just wanted to get to my car without making eye contact with those trash bags.

Not seen, the trashy 'ladies' with their dogs on the beach.

7. In most weeks, the return of King of the Hill would have been the biggest news for me. Then, a few days later, it is matched by the return of Spaceballs in 2027 for the 40th anniversary. As a child of the 80s, this is like a Schwartz ray right to my nuts, in a good way, if there is one. The trailer is basic so I can’t wait to see an actual preview with as many of the actors returning. Sadly, there won’t be John Candy or Joan Rivers but there will be Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, and hopefully Mel Brooks, who is 99 years young now. May the Schwartz be with us all!


8. When I was younger, I had aspirations of getting some sort of vanity license plate. I figured something like my initials, ‘CJS.’ It never happened. That being said I do enjoy seeing what people choose to put on their vanity plates. Many are initials but then every now and then I see one that makes me audibly laugh. I saw a plate that read ‘EIEIOH.’ If you know, you know. But still, Old MacDonald? That’s what you chose for your license plate? Maybe if you were a farmer? This was just some run-of-the-mill pickup truck. Very creative and funny regardless.


9. Shenanigans seem to follow me wherever I go. I went out for an afternoon adventure after it had rained. After a lot of driving, I made my way to a place in Sandwich called Scorton Creek. It’s loaded with trails, marshes, a few abandoned shacks, and it crosses the railroad tracks. I couldn’t find an old abandoned shack I had found years ago. I made my way to the tracks to make better time back into the woods. I filmed a quick video joking that I was living the movie Stand By Me as I walked the tracks. I said if I saw a train, I’d have to dive off the tracks. 30 seconds later, the dinner train comes rolling down the tracks. I was in no man’s land. I didn’t know how fast the train was going, and I was at the creek so I was stuck. I had to scale down the embankment and watch as the train passed by, basically right overhead. I don’t think any of the people on the train saw the crazy guy at the bottom of the embankment, but you can be the judge, as I made a video about me jinxing myself. Enjoy.
https://youtube.com/shorts/yVuXXWwtlhg?si=FB2PViWGD_T8Dw20



10. Also during my visit to Scorton Creek. The ground was wet from the day of rain so my shoes quickly got soaked. While on the lookout for the abandoned building, I kept hearing a voice over a loudspeaker coming from somewhere in the distance. At first, it sounded like a graduation where the voice was announcing names alphabetically. Then I started thinking it might have been a graduation party or even a wedding as music was getting played as well. This included The Beatles ‘In My Life’ which made the walk through the woods magical. While walking back to my car, I came across a man walking with his two dogs. I asked him about the voice, and he had no clue. I mentioned my interaction with the train, and he just laughed. Only when he walked past me did it make sense. I could smell the weed he was smoking. He will likely think I was just a dream.


11. Happy Father’s Day to all of the good dads out there. Despite not having a good dad myself, I was blessed to have many great men who I consider second fathers in my life. Granted, it would have been better if the man who helped bring me into this world had given even a D- grade worth of effort to raising me. His karma is living his life now knowing that his actions led to his kids and grandkids wanting nothing to do with him. I cannot change the past but I can look back and look at present-day and feel grateful that I learned how to be a man from some truly good men throughout my life.

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog - #25: Squeaky Wheel, Soupy Air, Deja BBQ, etc

1. It usually pays to be a squeaky wheel. I placed an order a few weeks back for some books for an event I am speaking at on July 19^th. Everything was good on my end with the person at the publisher confirming my order. The only thing was I didn’t get any sort of receipt email or shipping confirmation. I reached out after the 4^th of July weekend just to be safe and sure enough, the person at the publisher had never even placed the order. Nice. That person was even away on vacation so if I had waited I’d never have gotten my books. Instead of pitching a fit I just thanked the new person who helped me, lest they get mad and then not place my order, again.

2. On Cape Cod it finally made it to the overwhelming heat and humidity that summer is known for this week. Wanting to keep on my running comeback trail I met a friend to do some evening running around a school track. It was so soupy that I felt like I had just gone swimming in my clothes. We also had done a lap around a neighboring cemetery, which was appropriate because I was so beat after that run that I could have just picked an open spot and dug myself a bed there.

3. So in a fitting bit of insanity I was at the grocery store and couldn’t for the life of me remember if I had any BBQ sauce at home. I thought I didn’t so I grabbed a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s. I got home and not only did I have BBQ sauce but it was Sweet Baby Ray’s down to the exact flavor, Sweet & Smokey. I am a creature of habit even when my mind is blank.

Maybe I have too many of the same BBQ sauce?

4. While on a bike trail run in the afternoon, I came to a road crossing. Coming out of a parking lot was a friend’s father. Not taking into account how I looked or sounded I just started yelling at him and waving. Now, he might not have heard me, or more likely he thought I was a wacko looking to carjack him. Or possibly his dog told him to floor it to get away from me.

5. For the last month or so I’ve been using Duolingo trying to relearn French. I took it for 4 years in school and was curious about what my brain retained even though it had been almost 30 years since I last studied it. Surprisingly more of the French came back than I expected. Granted I’m only into the 5^th unit of study but it’s almost like muscle memory except using your actual memory. Je suis impressionné!

6. One of the most annoying things while driving is when you stop to let a car pull out and then the car behind them comes barreling out too. Talk about entitled people. I let one car out at an intersection and then pulled forward to make my left turn when the car behind the one that pulled out began turning right into me. Luckily they actually looked at the last second and didn’t t-bone me. The looks on their faces plus their stupid vanity license plate confirmed their ‘entitled’ status.

7. I read this week that the current stretch of humidity, at least on Cape Cod, is the worst it has ever been for July. We are currently setting a record for most consecutive hours of the dew point above 72 degrees. By the time it(hopefully) gets drier late next week we will likely pass 260 straight hours of the soupiest air I’ve felt in my life. I like summer but am already looking forward to the crisp fall weather.

8. A true mark of my selective laziness is that my mother gifted me a nice new bedding set, sheets, pillow cases. She said I should wash them before putting them on my bed. I waited 2 days with the intention of not washing them and just using them. I mean how dirty could they be in a sealed package after all? I did relent though and threw them in the washer. At least now I won’t have to lie when she asks me if I did. I never could lie to my mother which I guess is a good trait.

9. Fun Fact: For most of my life I thought that the occupation known as a Notary Public was actually a Noted Republic. Misheard song lyrics, misheard job titles, it’s all the same. In case you were not sure of what it was A Notary Public is an official appointed by a state government to serve the public as an impartial witness during notarizations. I may or may not have had to look that up to make sure I was right.

10. There are summer days on Cape Cod where I don’t want to go to the gym because it’s packed like sardines in there and I’d rather be outside in the warm weather. There are summer days on Cape Cod where I don’t want to be outside driving because it’s packed like sardines on the roads and I worry about bad drivers. Then some days are both and I think it would be best to hibernate until Labor Day.

11. I am lucky that I live close enough to the Cape Cod Rail Trail that I can run it pretty much whenever I want. Over the years they have slowly expanded it west. It used to end suddenly at a random road after going through a golf course. In the last year they have continued expanding from there. It’s been little bits, a hundred feet here, hundred feet there. So in order to keep my designation of running every step of the CCRT I have to run to the new end each time it gets expanded. In total it’s been extended about 1,400 feet and I’ll be there when it goes to 1,500.

The new 'end of the line' on the bike trail