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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In My Footsteps Podcast Episode 140: The Demise & Potential Comeback of Ames Department Stores; Old School Mall Portrait Studios; Best-Selling Atari 2600 Games(4-17-2024)

 

The rise and fall, and rise again(possibly) of Ames Department Stores. Old school trips to the mall to get professional photos taken. The best-selling Atari 2600 games ever.
Episode 140 returns after a week off filled with fun nostalgia.
It begins with the story of a Northeast staple for decades. Generations of those who grew up in that part of the United States likely have fond memories of shopping at the Ames Department Stores. However the rise of competition like Walmart and Target, along with other issues, eventually spelled the end of Ames. Now there is a possibility that the chain that once was the 4th largest in the country could be making a comeback. We'll cover all of it from the rise, to the fall, to the potential comeback.
In the days before smartphones and digital cameras getting a photograph professionally taken was a chore. At times one had to venture out to an actual portrait studio. Luckily for many that grew up in decades past these types of studios could often be found in the local mall, especially Sears. We go way Back In the Day to reminisce about what it was like getting photos taken at Sears and other studios in the 1980s and beyond.
For Gen-Xers, the Atari 2600 was the first memorable home video game console. It brought many arcade games, and some non-arcade titles, into people's living rooms. But which titles were the most popular? This week's Top 5 will share the best-selling Atari 2600 games ever.
There will also be a new This Week In History and Time Capsule centered around the first ever 'World Championship' boxing match from the mid-19th century.
For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon!

Helpful Links from this Episode

• The Lady of the Dunes.com
• Purchase My New Book Cape Cod Beyond the Beach!
• In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide(2nd Edition)
• Hooked By Kiwi - Etsy.com
• Wear Your Wish.com - Clothing, Accessories, and more
• DJ Williams Music
• KeeKee's Cape Cod Kitchen
• Christopher Setterlund.com
• Cape Cod Living - Zazzle Store
• Subscribe on YouTube!
• Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog
• Retro Games.cz - Play Old Games Online
• Ames Stores.com

Listen to Episode 139 here 

Initial Impressions 2.0 #11: Car Phone Calls, Solar Eclipse, Expired Food, etc.

#11 – Car Phone Calls

1. Has anyone else walked through a parking lot and heard a ridiculously loud phone conversation inside someone’s car through their speakers? Are you ever tempted to stop walking and stand near the car and listen? I mean honestly, it’s a public place. If you are upset that people can hear both sides of your entire conversation maybe don’t have the volume cranked to 1,000 on your speakers. Or better yet just hold the phone to your ear like they’ve been doing for 140 years.

2. Always check expiration dates on food. Yeah no duh right? Well, I was at a supermarket and they sell these cheesy hash brown potatoes made by Resers. They remind me of the ones my Nana used to make on holidays. So I grabbed a pack to have as part of dinner to give me some of that nostalgia I crave. When I opened them to put in the microwave? Well, let’s say you could tell they were expired. So I looked. How expired? Try 6 months expired. Of course, I should have checked, but also, seriously? Nobody in that supermarket checks dates on food and allows it to get to 6 months expired? Wow.

Do these look expired to you?

3. Being in my mid-40s now I find that I like what I like and don’t have any interest in trying new things. I don’t want to play golf, or ski, or surf, or skydive. But the things I do like, photography, content creation, writing, exercise, etc. I love those things. I don’t think I’m totally rigid, I mean there are things I might want to try, but things I have no interest in, I don’t feel like I have to defend anymore. I think being (hopefully) halfway through my life makes me want to spend more time doing what I like, with who I like, and not feeling bad about that.

4. It wasn’t a tremendously cold winter where I live. We didn’t get much snow at all. That notwithstanding I have to admit that when I was helping my friend Steve put in a dock at a lake this week I was nearly overcome with joy at the horde of gnats circling me to signify the beginning of warmer weather. Yay bugs in my face, never thought I’d say that.

5. We had a total solar eclipse in the U.S. this week. On Cape Cod, we got to a good 80% coverage of the sun by the moon. The scene was still unique as it was a dim yellowish sky as the eclipse hit its peak. At my work, we were lucky that we each had special glasses to watch. I ended up taping the glasses over my phone camera lens to shoot a cool video of the eclipse. You can see it here: Solar Eclipse 2024: Cape Cod, MA

6. Spring brings back the blooming flowers, the budding trees, and the singing birds. It also brings back the woodpecker(s) that find enjoyment by pecking at the metal gutters right on the other side of my wall. It’s literally like a jackhammer that inevitably scares the hell out of me the first time it happens. I know it’s woodpeckers because I’ve actually gone out the front door like a crazy person and yelled at them. Yup, that’s me now, one step away from yelling at clouds.

The anger is real.

7. There’s something so calming about a long walk in early spring. The weather has warmed enough. The birds are chirping and scavenging for food. There are smells of fresh grass and fresh mulch, and even the scent of dryer sheets coming from someone’s house is relaxing. If you can go out for a walk in this type of weather definitely do it, plus you burn calories so bonus.

Get out and enjoy the early spring weather

8. There was some work being done on the septic system behind my work this week. One benefit of this was that one of the workers brought their German Shepard to hang around the site. The poor dog was stuck as it was terrified of the backhoe doing some digging, but couldn’t run away since its owner was there working. It was just in a scared in-between state with its tail between its legs. However by the time I left for the day, it ended up leaving a trail of poop and someone (not me) had already stepped in it, so there was that little bit of revenge.

9. As of the day I am writing this I am 1,309 days alcohol free. It was a long road through dark days before I could finally summon the strength to try and actually succeed in giving up something that didn’t bring anything good to my life ever. I don’t go overboard in sharing how long it’s been for me, but I do make sure to keep sharing where I am at. Partially to let others know they can do it too if they’re looking to give up alcohol. Also, I do it so that people who know me don’t start to wonder if I’ve fallen off.

10. For those wondering the Euphora good mood shot I got as a free gift a few weeks back was just ok. I don’t know what I was expecting as far as euphoria went. I wasn’t communicating with my higher self, I wasn’t floating into another realm of reality, but I did feel calm and peaceful so there’s that. If you want to try be my guest but be aware each individual shot is about $4 so weigh the cost vs. how much you want to try it. Euphora - Results RNA

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1990s Product Fails: In My Footsteps Podcast

Sometimes a product comes along that makes a huge impact and changes the face of society. This video will not be featuring any of those types of products. What we will be looking at are some of the biggest product fails to come from the decade of the 1990s. Some of these came in with major hype and flamed out, others flamed out with little hype. This segment from the In My Footsteps Podcast is all about 1990s product fails. #podcast #nostalgia #history #1990s #fails To listen to episodes of the In My Footsteps Podcast click here: https://inmyfootstepspodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Become A Subscriber to the Podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/InMyFootstepsPodcast Purchase a DVD copy of the Lady of the Dunes documentary here: https://www.oldies.com/product-view/1176D.html Purchase the new book Searching for the Lady of the Dunes written by 12th Generation Cape Codder Christopher Setterlund at https://theladyofthedunes.com/ This video contains some images created with the help of Bing AI, some videos and photos used from Canva Pro. Intro Music: James River - DJ Williams End Music: Local Elevator - Kevin MacLeod

Initial Impressions 2.0 #10: Photo Trip Day

#10: Photo Trip Day

1. For the first time since restarting this blog I actually took my camera and hopped into my car for a fun day of travel and photography. The plan was to get off of Cape Cod and head up the South Shore of Massachusetts. My best guess was that I drove a total of about 130 miles, not as crazy as my old travel writing trips, which tended to be 200+ miles, but still good nonetheless.

2. I actually began the trip by getting gas at a new Seasons/Shell store near where I live. The funny thing is that now with this gas station where it is, there are 4 gas stations on the same road within about 1/3 of a mile. That would seem a bit much even for a larger town/city but is major overkill for the relatively small town where I live. 

UPDATE: 1 of them has already closed in the time that I first wrote this so ONLY 3 gas stations within 1/3 of a mile.

3. Scusset Beach State Reservation is at the entrance to the Cape Cod Canal on the mainland side. It’s one part popular and one part out of the way. There’s camping, some hiking, and naturally a large swath of beach. It even is the starting point of the canal’s bike path so it comes highly recommended.

Scusset Beach

4. If you’re driving along the Massachusetts South Shore and aren’t in a hurry to get anywhere I would suggest taking Route 3A. It hugs the coast and keeps you close to many beautiful areas and attractions. I am always a fan of scenic routes anyway. I will admit though that there are parts of this road where there is absolutely nothing and I find myself tempted to jump on the highway for a bit.

5. I took the scenic route from Sagamore Beach north about 35 miles to Marshfield. I had one place in mind to shoot. It is what I can only describe as an abandoned lobster shack, only a bit larger, on this small rocky island in the middle of the North River. It’s near what’s called Damon’s Point and lies along what used to be a railroad thruway. Of course a picture’s worth 1,000 words.

The shack at Damon's Point in Marshfield

6. I often say I am more lucky than good when it comes to photography. This was proven again when as soon as I arrived at Damon’s Point a bald eagle from a nearby nest began to fly overhead. The photos are nothing earth-shattering, but still getting photos of bald eagles are tough regardless. I have gone to areas near me that are home to eagle’s nests and have never seen one, but totally by coincidence here I find them when looking for something else.

7. There is this really cool metal-sculpted dragon along Route 3A in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Apparently, the family that created it named it Draco. I have passed it a few dozen times and nearly every time I tell myself this is the time I will stop and take photos. Of course that has yet to happen. I’ll have to settle for this profile video from WCVB for now. https://www.wcvb.com/article/chronicleroute-3a-hes-duxburys-home-grown-dragon/8103426

8. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the town of Plymouth. I feel a deep connection there anytime I visit. Maybe it’s my love of the history but it feels like a second home to me. I typically enjoy visiting the National Monument to the Forefathers. This is lesser known and resides in what is basically a residential neighborhood. The granite monument stands 81 feet tall and is topped by the depiction of Faith pointing toward the sky. If you’ve never seen it check it out for sure.

National Monument to the Forefathers

9. I made this photo trip a dedication to the 1980s. This means you get outside and don’t come home until the streetlights come on. I took my time driving from Marshfield back toward Cape Cod. Luckily the sunset was worth stopping for next to the Sagamore Bridge along the canal. I feel happy with a sense of accomplishment after these types of long photo trip days. I just wish I could turn these passions into something more.

Sunset at the Sagamore Bridge

10. Photo trips like this have become increasingly rare, especially after COVID-19. I feel like I almost got used to being stuck in one small area for so long. I don’t know if anyone else can relate. I hope that over the upcoming months, I will regain that drive to do more trips since I love travel, photography, and then sharing what I’ve seen with as many people as possible.

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In My Footsteps Podcast Episode 139: Kurt Cobain's Death 30 Years Later; Old Country Buffet Memories; Stores That Closed In the 80s & 90s; TV Guide(4-3-2024)

 

The death of a Gen-X icon 30 years later. Memories of Old Country Buffet plus tips on how to be a meat carver. Some heavy-hitting stores that closed in the 1980s and 1990s. The legacy of TV Guide magazine.
Episode 139 of the podcast runs the gamut from heavy to light but is filled with nostalgia.
30 years ago this week the world of music, the world of pop culture, and a generation overall, lost a giant. Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, was found dead in his home. The moment sent shockwaves through Generation-X and changed the trajectory of Grunge and Alternative music forever. This week we will look at the death of Kurt Cobain and why it was such a massive moment in music history.
On the other end of the spectrum in nostalgia, we go way Back In the Day and reminisce about Old Country Buffet. Not only are we going to share some fun memories of eating until we nearly exploded, but we're also going to review a classic training video that features the ins and outs of being a meat carver at Old Country Buffet.
Giant of business that have faded away will be the topic of this week's Top 5. We will focus in on some famous stores that closed during the 1980s and 1990s.
In a new This Week In History and Time Capsule we will look back at the creation and legacy of TV Guide magazine.
For more great content become a subscriber on Patreon!

Helpful Links from this Episode

• The Lady of the Dunes.com
• Purchase My New Book Cape Cod Beyond the Beach!
• In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide(2nd Edition)
• Hooked By Kiwi - Etsy.com
• Wear Your Wish.com - Clothing, Accessories, and more
• DJ Williams Music
• KeeKee's Cape Cod Kitchen
• Christopher Setterlund.com
• Cape Cod Living - Zazzle Store
• Subscribe on YouTube!
• Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog
• The Carving Guy - Old Country Buffet
• TV Guide.com

Listen to Episode 138 here