At several requests, and my own desire to ramble...

I've decided to create a blog that is Maine specific, highlighting some of the life of a Maine transplant from the upper Midwest. Although I've only been here but one week, there are several adventures, mishaps, strange sayings, and outstanding food experiences I think I should share with folks.

It's my intention to post pictures, video, commentary, and links to interesting things that I've experienced. Hopefully what will come of this is an opportunity one or two years down the road for me to look back at what an adventure I've been on.

Let me give some observations:

1) If you are not FROM Maine (as in you were born here day one), you are a transplant. If you were born here, you are a Native and highly respected. If you are from anywhere other than Maine, you are "from away".

2) Yes, people do actually where the yellow rain boots, jackets, and scoop hats like you see pictures of them. Lobstermen do all the time, and general citizens do too.

3) People here are very patriotic, and very service oriented. The 4th of July parade in town, despite it POURING rain, was very well attended, and included about 20 fire trucks and rescue units (including a rural rescue unit with logging tools on it) as well as several recently-returned service units from Iraq and Afghanistan. EVERYONE here is very independence and freedom oriented, even war nay-sayers. A tad different from the Midwest.

4) Seafood, of course, is everywhere. But the best seafood I've found so far is at the roadside stands. There are lobster pounds, which are roadside "restaurants" (they are usually trailers, or maybe some more permanent) that have HUGE outside boiler grills and massive amounts of lobster that comes out of them. I am going to hit one of these up this week. (this one is from Trenton, which is right outside Bar Harbor)


For my first lobster experience, Stephanie was still in town and we went up for the evening to Lubec, Maine (actually, the signs all say LA Lubec, America) and ate at Uncle Kippy's. I think with an iced tea, tax, and tip I paid something like $21....for an entire 1-1/4lb lobster, pickled beets, baked potato, and rolls. Yum.

On average, I've seen full lobster dinners (yes, folks from home, there is no such thing as getting "just" the tail, you get the whole thing here!) go from $13 (which is the price at the restaurant down the street from me) up to about $25. Still pretty economical if you ask me.

You can also get lobster rolls everywhere and anywhere. Literally. Gas stations sell them, restaurants sell them, roadside stands sell them. They are super tasty, just on a toasted bun. Think tuna salad, but with lobster and some lettuce. Those go for anywhere from $4-$15 (depending on size). Speaking of size...


5) The accent here is pretty amazing. It's like Boston, but with a much harder (that would be haaardah) cut to it. Some of the local folks are a bit tough to understand, but they can tell I am from away (I am not sure if it is because I enunciate all of my letters in a word, or because I just look way too excited to be there) and repeat themselves for me. There are some pretty interesting phrases and sayings I've heard so far:

Ayuh. Used in place of yup, yes, or I agree. Usually found in groups of three to indicate agreement. Speaker A: "The rich get richer while the poor get more plentiful" Speaker B: "Ayuh, ayuh, ayuh."

Sprill. Pine needles no longer attached to a branch. "My driveway is covered in sprill."

Wicked. Synonymous with very much, or, awesome/great. "Man that was a wicked guitar solo." "I broke my arm and it hurts wicked bad."

Stove. Synonyms are dented, banged, smashed: "I stove my boat up wicked fierce on the dock."

Camp. Used instead of cottage or cabin. "My family has a camp on the lake."

Hitch over = Move/scoot over.

Come down / Went down. Used even when you're travelling north. "Come down to visit more often, it's wicked boring here in Presque Isle. "

Masshole. Derogatory term for someone from Massachusetts, "The guy ahead of me was a horrible driver, I could tell he was a Masshole before I even looked at his plate.




I've had some good times in Machias already too, which seeing the local ukelele club play in the 4th of July parade yesterday. Gene Nichols, who is a professor at UMM, leads the UMM Ukelele Club...of which I am totally going to join and learning how to play the uke. I've wanted to for years, and from what students, faculty, staff, and community members tell me...it's one of the most popular groups in town:


I'm meeting new folks everyday in the various businesses I go into, and they can all pretty much tell I am "from away"...but are very helpful and excited to have a new youngperson in town. They all laugh when I say I am most recently coming from Iowa...but have nothing to say about Iowa. For the second time I had someone refer to Iowa as Idaho....to give you perspective. Says something for being a fly over state...



Anyway, I will keep writing as much as I can...probably once a day until I start work, so I can share some of the things I am up to. Once my apartment is in presentable shape, I will post some pictures of my place so you can see my humble abode.