In My Footsteps Podcast Episode 211: Super Mario Bros Turns 40, The Debut of ESPN, Defunct Supermarket Chains(9-10-2025)

 

*Donate on GoFundMe to help me direct my first short film!*

When sports got its own network. When the most famous video game character burst onto the scene. Supermarket chains that faded into history.

Episode 211 of the podcast bridges the gap between Labor Day and the beginning of fall with a heavy dose of Gen X nostalgia.

The show starts in the olden days of the 1970s. Back then, sports were limited to local news broadcasts and a select few games on major networks. Then, in 1979, a revolution began. The letters ESPN have become synonymous with excellence in sports broadcasting, but it had to start somewhere. We take a deep dive into the beginning of the first 24-hour sports channel.

40 years ago this week a plumber changed the world of gaming forever. We go back and look at the debut of Super Mario Bros. for the NES. In the decades since his humble beginnings, Mario has become the most popular and profitable gaming franchise ever. It is a trip down memory lane just with lots more coins, mushrooms, and koopas. 

In a new Top 5 we will take a trip around some defunct supermarket chains. Did you ever get your groceries at any of these?

There is, as always, a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule looking at the first self-service supermarket, Piggly Wiggly.

You can support my work by becoming a member on Patreon. Or you can Buy Me A Coffee!

Helpful Links from this Episode

• Searching For the Lady of the Dunes True Crime Book
• Cape Cod Beyond the Beach Photography Book
• In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide(2nd Edition)
• Hooked By Kiwi - Etsy.com
• DJ Williams Music
• KeeKee's Cape Cod Kitchen
• Christopher Setterlund.com
• Cape Cod Living - Zazzle Store
• Subscribe on YouTube!
• Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog
• Webcam Weekly Wrapup Podcast
• CJSetterlundPhotos on Etsy
• Play Super Mario Bros Online!

Listen to Episode 210 here

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #85: Labor Day, Angry Eyebrows, Wings of Love, etc.

1. Growing up on Cape Cod in the 1980s, I can remember a tradition we had on Labor Day. People would walk from their homes to a nearby overpass, if they lived close enough, and they would wave to the throng of vehicles exiting the Cape. It was a fun tradition, I know I partook in a few times. It was a celebration of the end of tourist season, but more gratefully and thankfully. We appreciated the crowds that chose to come and spend their time and money on our little peninsula. I don’t know if anyone still does that on the Cape in the 2020s. I haven’t heard of it in any great way since the 90s. I feel as though some people who visit now are rude and entitled. They treat locals like we’re their servants and we should kiss their feet because they grace us with their presence. Like I said, this is ‘some,’ and probably a small percentage, but those people make Labor Day feel more like a celebration of getting rid of tourists rather than a celebration of a wonderful summer.


2. I would like to think that I have a pretty strong stomach. I mean, after all, I grew up in the 1980s, where we could rent disgusting horror movies as kids. That strong stomach got put to the test at work this week. There was a woman who came in to use our PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) machine to help speed the healing of an injury. She needed to lie down on a padded table with her leg elevated on a thick green bolster to feel more comfortable. I was training a client in the gym next door, but once I was done and had a free moment, I went back into the therapy room to get the PEMF machine set up for the next patient. That is when I noticed that the bolster had a pretty sizable wet patch on it. Now I know what you’re thinking. No, it was not pee. Oh no, it was actually more gross than that. What I haven’t mentioned is that the woman had a bandaged wound on her leg, which is what she was trying to heal. Yup, you’ve got it right, the giant wet patch on the bolster was weeping fluid from her wound. It looked as though someone had poured a full bottle of water on the bolster and table. It was just disgusting and a bit disrespectful and careless of this person to use our facilities with a severely leaking wound, and wearing shorts to boot. Unreal. Needless to say, that bolster was quickly carried out to the dumpster.


3. Not far from where I live, they are in the beginning stages of building a new bike path extension. It is located on a walking route through a golf course that I like to go on a few times a month. It is fun to see the progress. This week I really got a show. I was walking when I noticed three large trucks coming down the bike path toward me. Needless to say, that’s something you don’t see very often on a bike/walking path. After seeing the trucks driving to get to where the extension is set to begin, I thought I was done with vehicles on the trail. Nope, right after I also had to dodge what had to be a golf course maintenance vehicle. I saw more motorized vehicles on the bike trail in one walk than I have in every other bike trail walk I’ve ever done combined. I also saw this wild traffic cone stalking those trucks. Nature at its best.



4. You have to respect people who try to pull a fast one despite fully knowing they’re going to fail. This example comes from visiting a Subway to get lunch one day. I order ahead through the app so I am in and out in a flash. However, I was in there long enough to watch a guy try to use a paper coupon on his meal at the register. Not only had this coupon expired, but the woman working the register remarked that it had expired by more than a year. You could see the expiration date on the coupon. Either this guy was ultra stupid and didn’t know how to use a calendar (shout out to people who think the last day of summer is Labor Day). Or this guy thought he was way smarter than he actually was. Honestly, I think both can be true, as most stupid people have disproportionately high levels of confidence.


5. To try to get some more donations for the When Henry Met Henry short film I am directing in October, I decided to take a location field trip. I went to Coast Guard Beach in Eastham to get some video and photos from the southern end near where Henry Beston’s Outermost House used to be. I figured a little narrated video from that spot might entice a few more people to donate to the fundraiser. Of course, I couldn’t just do the easy route and drive to the beach. I decided to park at the Cape Cod National Seashore visitor’s center and walk the bike trail to the beach and back. It was a perfect afternoon. I ended up doing about 6 miles, with more than 2 of those being a beach walk. I loved every second of the walk, but was wiped out afterward. I was so tired that I was sitting on the ground at the amphitheater behind the visitor’s center. I would have stayed there longer, but about a dozen ants started circling me, and I didn’t want any trouble, so I left.


6. On a curvy road not far from me, there is a speed detector. You know, one of those contraptions that shows the speed limit on that road and then your speed, typically in a large digital font. Usually, these detectors flash your speed, and then if you go over the limit, your speed either flashes or changes color, or something like that. This particular detector does neither. Once you go above the speed limit, your speed disappears and is replaced with a ‘slow down.’ If you keep going, it is then replaced by a pair of eyes with angry eyebrows. Seriously? If you got caught speeding on this road, what are they going to tell you as far as how fast you were going? ‘Sorry sir you were going ‘angry eyebrows’ in a 25 zone.’ So stupid.


7. Back in 1982, a singer named Jeffrey Osborne released a song called ‘On the Wings of Love.’ It peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. I definitely remember it as a kid. What does this have to do with this past week? My sister Ashley was insisting that she recalled a comedy sketch where Osborne had opened a restaurant appropriately named ‘Wings of Love.’ It was a chicken wing joint. Despite searching the internet, she couldn’t find any such sketch. Well, I took the bet and decided to create my own advertisement for Jeffrey Osborne’s chicken wing establishment, ‘Wings of Love.’ So here you go. Yes, my insanity and humor blend seamlessly.


8. It’s pretty sad that you can have a pair of flashing lights at a bike trail crossing and drivers will still just blow through and not stop if you’re standing there. It happens more than it should. Luckily, I stop and wait, rather than just walking across and assuming that people know that the crazy flashing lights mean to stop. During one walk this week, there was one car that stopped for me and another that just flew through. It’s like you’re either not paying attention when you drive, or you’re just a piece of garbage who doesn’t care about anyone but yourself. It’s just simple common courtesy and respect. I need to start carrying a rock in my pocket to throw at someone if they don’t stop.


9. As some of you know, back in March, I filmed a small role in a campy indie horror film, Cape Cod Cthulhu. It was my first acting gig, and I was told it was pretty good, which is always nice to hear. I have lots of footage I’ve been waiting to share to coincide with the film being released. There is an interview with one of the stars, and then a bigger interview with several of the cast and crew. It was such a fun experience, and I have been waiting for some news on the film’s release. Well, I can share the trailer for the film here. I don’t know the firm release date for streaming and DVD’s but it seems to be late October. I’ll keep you posted but until then, enjoy the first trailer for Cape Cod Cthulhu.



10. I am typically very easy to please. I would like to do amazing things and achieve huge amounts of success, but in reality, I am about as low-maintenance as they come. For example, this week I went out driving in the rain. I was listening to a podcast and I had an idea of where I wanted to go. I went to a beach that was deserted. There I parked in a far corner of the lot, turned off the car, and listened to the podcast while the rain poured all around me. It was so bland and mundane and perfectly soothing. I would love to travel the world and see everything there is to see, but honestly, I feel like I get the same amount of satisfaction from sitting in an empty beach parking lot in the rain listening to a podcast.

When Henry Met Henry Film Update

 

Donate here: When Henry Met Henry Film

On location at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham on Cape Cod. Here Henry Beston wrote his seminal work The Outermost House a century ago. Here Henry David Thoreau walked in a journey that became his iconic book, Cape Cod. Frank Durant and I are raising funds to create a short film about a fictional meeting between these two literary giants. Please consider donating through GoFundMe. We plan on commencing filming in late October 2025.

In My Footsteps Podcast Episode 210: Being Cool v. Doing Well In School In the 90s; When the Titanic Was Found; Banned Foods In the U.S.(9-3-2025)

 

*Donate on GoFundMe to help me direct my first short film!*

The struggle between doing well in school and being cool. The discovery of the wreck of the Titanic. Some foods that are banned in the United States.

Episode 210 counts down to the end of summer with a new batch of Gen-X nostalgia.

It kicks off with an amazing discovery. In 1912, the seemingly unsinkable Titanic went down in the cold North Atlantic Ocean. For more than 70 years, its whereabouts remained a mystery. That all changed in 1985 when an expedition finally discovered the ship's final resting place. We go back 40 years to look at when the Titanic was found and some of the ship's story in general.

High school is a challenging time for many teenagers. There can be a struggle between doing well academically and trying to fit in with the cool crowd. This is true in any decade, but was especially true in the 1990s. Plus, I was there, so I can speak to it more than any other time.

These foods you will likely not find in your average grocery store. The Top 5 looks at some foods that have been banned in the United States. Some are fairly obvious, while others make less sense. Have you tried any of these?

There is, as always, a brand new This Week In History and Time Capsule looking at the ending of World War II.

You can support my work by becoming a member on Patreon. Or you can Buy Me A Coffee!

Helpful Links from this Episode

• Searching For the Lady of the Dunes True Crime Book
• Cape Cod Beyond the Beach Photography Book
• In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide(2nd Edition)
• Hooked By Kiwi - Etsy.com
• DJ Williams Music
• KeeKee's Cape Cod Kitchen
• Christopher Setterlund.com
• Cape Cod Living - Zazzle Store
• Subscribe on YouTube!
• Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog
• Webcam Weekly Wrapup Podcast
• CJSetterlundPhotos on Etsy
• Discover Titanic.com

Listen to Episode 209 here

Initial Impressions 2.0 Blog #84: King of the Hill, Fluffy Mushroom, Tattooed Snowman, etc.

1. I managed to binge the entire 10-episode 14th season of King of the Hill on Hulu this past weekend. All I can say is that I wish there were more episodes. I loved every second of the reboot. If you were a fan of the original run of the show, you will enjoy the new season. What’s interesting is watching King of the Hill in 2025, and knowing that it was in part created by Greg Daniels, who crafted the U.S. version of The Office, gave me a different perspective. What I mean is that I was able to spot similarities between the two shows in terms of mixing comedy and heart with character development. Watching the grown-up Bobby and Connie and their relationship gave me serious Jim and Pam vibes in the best possible way. I finished the season feeling so happy that I watched. The rumor is that a 15th season has been greenlit. Based on the ratings and reviews the show has garnered thus far, it seems a certainty we’ll get another season. I just hope that my free trial will be refreshed by then.


2. It had been a while since I had walked the expansive tidal flats at low tide on Cape Cod. It had been even longer since I did it at sunset. Luckily, a pair of friends were down on the Cape and wanted to walk the beach before heading home. The tide was low enough but there were still some treacherous spots. This came into play as I foolishly decided to keep my shoes on rather than leave them in the car. I did a good job for a little while keeping them dry. That all changed when I decided to perform a long jump to cross a small river where the tide was still going out. I managed to clear the river, which was a win, but a few minutes later, I felt my lower back locking up, so I knew I didn’t escape unscathed. After that, it was inevitable that my shoes would get soaked since I was having trouble with my back. So yeah, injured back, soaked shoes, getting older sucks, but hey, the sunset was worth it.




3. I believe I am officially at the longest my hair has ever been. It’s still strange to have gone from shaving my head every week for nearly 14 years to now having what looks like a big, fluffy mushroom on top of my head. This week will be haircut time. I will say though, that this winter I might let it go a little longer and see how far I can take it. That being said it is a distraction when my hair is now in my field of vision. It’s also a distraction when a breeze blows my hair and it brushes against my forehead, making me think I have a bug on me. The constant swatting at my face can’t be a good look. Maybe I’ll think twice about letting my hair get back to the mushroom head look.


4. In this day and age, it is a rare occurrence to see a cat outside. It is at a point that I think I see more deer than cats out on walks. So it was a shock for me to see a cat on two different walks this week. One was a black and white tuxedo cat, which scampered into some bushes before I could get a photo. The other was an orange tabby while I was on my way to a private beach. Yes, I do take walks into private neighborhoods. I don’t do any damage, plus by the time the police came I’d be long gone, so yeah. Anyway, this cat did stop and meow at me as I went by. It was as if it were warning me to get away from its beach. I don’t speak cat, but the look on its face said it all.



5. It’s amazing how when I am hungry, all common sense goes out the window. I crave terrible foods that I know are bad for me, but my mind gets overridden by my stomach. Of course, then after I eat like crap, my brain takes over again and feels regret. It is only after I’ve had the bad foods that I suddenly have the willpower and common sense. There has to be a way to reverse that. In some ways, it reminds me of when I had a drinking problem. Before and while I was drinking, my brain was seemingly offline. As soon as I finished, I’d have a deep regret and shame, and hate myself. It feels like in the last few years, I have replaced alcohol with food as my vice. It’s also kind of fresh in my mind because, as I’m writing this entry, I just had a meal filled with bad food. At some point I’ll figure out how to stop such bad eating, hopefully, but until then I can try to mitigate it with long walks to burn some extra calories.


6. Was it pure luck, or something more symbolic? I happened to be in the right place at the right time to get my first photo of a double rainbow in probably 10 years. I also got some amazing video. The pure luck side is because I happened to have been out getting a haircut and just had to drive down the street and set up shop and wait for the show. The symbolic side is the rarity of a double rainbow, plus being able to see the literal ‘end’ of the rainbow. I’m a writer so I’d like to think that it’s symbolic of upcoming career success. Maybe it’ll manifest that. Either way, I was more than happy with the time I spent watching and shooting the rainbows, even if I did get a little wet.



7. My sister Ashley bought something called an infinity cube for my little niece Sylvie to play with. It’s a fidget toy, something someone can mess around with for various reasons like nervous energy, managing stress, or improving concentration. The irony is that anytime I go over to my mother’s house, I end up using it constantly. I will just be rolling this cube around in my hands nonstop. Even when I put it down, I inevitably pick it back up. At my mom’s, I use that fidget toy maybe more than my phone. It’s something I never knew I’d enjoy. I might end up getting one for myself.


8. Right on time, the second bout of allergies has come to town. Typically, I get allergies sometime in late April or early May and then again in late August or early September. I started getting watery eyes and didn’t pay much attention but it was the congestion that caught my attention. Luckily, I had been taking allergy meds in the spring that I hadn’t finished so I am on the mend. It is funny that I have been on vacation and really enjoying relaxing and I didn’t notice the allergies until probably a few days in because I had been just relaxing. Better to have the allergies when you can just sit around than get them when you’re busy at work.


9. There are some things you can’t unsee. When stopping at the grocery store, I was ‘lucky’ enough to get to see a man who was a good 150 pounds overweight sitting at an outdoor picnic table. You know the ones that are supposed to be for sale, not for hanging out at? Anyway, the reason this was so disturbing was the fact that he had no shirt on. Yup, sitting outside of a busy supermarket with families going inside just showing off his pasty white fat body. He looked like a snowman covered in dollar-store tattoos. I think the grossed-out looks got to him, as within a minute, he was putting his shirt back on. Too late, Frosty, like I said there are some things you can’t unsee.


10. I can’t run like I used to. Part of it is injury-related, part of it is stubborn extra weight that I am constantly trying to shed. The constant reminders of my ‘glory days’ in my social media memories can be painful. That being said, I find it interesting that despite not really running much anymore, I managed to have the highest mileage total in August 2025 since July 2022. That’s more than 3 years, and nearly all from walking. I did 84.5 miles this month and 88.7 miles in July 2022. It blew my mind once I looked into it. It might not be super fast sprints, or super long distances anymore, but somehow I packed the miles on my old bones and didn’t end up with any injuries (knock on wood).