Made Destang have Pace Sunny Sun on Ihdurasione night. So Nat, what's up
everybody? It's for crying out loud. Stephane and I are having a good
old time in studio. We are, we are laughing at We're warmed up.
We we I think we delivered a pretty great Patreon Yes we did.
I say we. I shouldn't take ownership of it. We did it together.
Lynnette gave a great update yeh yeah on what life is like. Yes
now, yeah, you have to tune in. Yeah, you'll have to
tune in for that for sure. And then we recorded our guest episode with
Josh Dean, who was really one of the co founders of Campside Media,
which is a big podcast company. They've done a lot of huge shows that
all of us have loved, like Hollywood con Queen. Yeah, they have
a show called Hooked, they have a child Wild Boys, White Devil White
Devil's out now. Yeah, And we talked to him for like almost an
hour just oh and he was our We've talked about this before, but he
was a journalist who did a very deep dive on the Alisa Lamb story,
which was the woman in the elevator at the Cecil Hotel that ended up in
the water tank. Yes, we talked about Oh it was such a good
episode, so good. Yeah, it was really interesting. Yeah, I
love the Hollywood con Queen stuff talk was that was really cool. Yeah,
you guys have to check it out. This is one thing I love about
having a podcast is you know, and a successful podcast is that you can
you know. I mean, I guess anybody with a podcast could just call
somebody up and be like, I want to interview you. But it helps
if you have a show that actually has listeners that can help, you know,
Yeah, because then when you reach out, you feel like, oh,
listen, I want to turn our audience ont you, but also secretly,
I just want to talk to the person right now. It's a win
win for everybody. Yes, yeah it is. It's really cool. Well
let's say hello to our fun Patreon people like Aaron Dirty Sanchez, She's Dirty,
and Sarah Stefano That's my girl. And Stephanie Stinker Rinker who is you
know what. I don't know if she's if she's back on for the shout,
but like let's do let's shout with the Trevor Project for her Trevor Project
an amazing, very helpful charity for lgbt Q I A plus rights right,
you know, not to add too many letters. I don't even know what
they all stand for. But listen, that community needs a great organizing support.
It's a great organization. And Leslie with the coughing still she's still coughing.
No, COVID's still around, it is. It's snuck back in there
too. It's snuck back in yeah boy. And also our other Leslie who's
accosting people. Yeah, I think she was out literally in front of our
podcast. Oh yeah, trying to get to Josh Dina. We were like
psych he was on zoom right, so didn't need security. Alicia Escalante,
Yes, scar Girl, Kelly Brandt, she'll take you. Yeah, baccye
Opener show cute it, Sean Vape, Holy shit. And Gabby and Missy
wooh those girls man, you know, you never know where they're gonna turn
up. And Katerina you know, I had eye surgery which I'll tell you
about, but she just had tooth surgery for her Yeah. And Valerie Bubba
Fenwick kids out of the Park and Polly we love those pancakes. Just had
pancakes this morning. With Missus Butterworth and Athena Ginschard We love your dancing.
And Elizabeth Williamson you're just I saw a picture of you on out given Mama
Bear hugs her Facebook love you Elizabeth and Rita rock Sabasinette with all of Elizabeth's
kids. She's out doing the Lord's work. Jacob is so Growley and Nikki
call your girl? And Aaron who it is? And Katie's rolling on E
and Kelly ooh, Laddie dah and Ashley's chic and Dick is frolicking uh and
Chris Dick at the strap and Sandra's not easy being green and Jennifer get up
now, girl, Yes, stand up straight. I don't know where I
think I'm throwing this since we're gonna have some shouts at the end. Yes,
yeah, So how is well? How is your weekend? Okay?
And how is your surgery? So? I had eye surgery for my strabismus.
Yes, that word is so funny. It is funny. What's up
stra business? Get out of my strabismus? It's so stupid. And every
time when I was at the pre op, you know, they kept going,
okay, so you're here for I started you know, for eyes.
Yeah, and i'd have to be like strabismus every time. It made me
kind of chuckle. Yeah, I am in pain right now. Yeah.
So, and my eyes are just dark red. She looks like she's You
don't even look high. You look like you've been swimming in a swimming pool
for a long time. Yes, that's why. That's why I think.
You know, when you see kids like even you're like when kids been in
the pool all day and their eyes are just swollen and red. Yeah,
that's what that's what I look like. I forgot to tell Josh that I'm
not stoned that I don't know if he could see you can't tell, Okay,
all right, so I can barely see from here. So this is
how we did it. I think you're gonna I think you're going to relate
to this. So John was going to take me for the surgery. I
had to be there at seven fifteen am. And you and I are I
think a lot alike in this way. Yeah, a little bit scrappy.
Yeah. I was like, you know, the dog needs to get walked
and fed and blah blah blah. And I was like, you don't want
to just be parked on a street in Beverly Hills waiting for me. You
can't wait in the building anymore because of COVID, even though it's a hoax.
But so I said to John, why don't I just uber to the
place and then you just come get me later when they they'll call you and
say she's like thirty minutes out, come get her, you know. And
he was like, ah, no, I'm going to take you there.
And I was like, but why should we both suffer? Why should you
know, get to get up, got to leave the house by six point
thirty to get there at seventy eighteen. How do you get hurt? You're
not the one who needs strabismus surgery. When he had his surgery, which
was a couple of years ago, I went and took I had to take
the kids to school, so I then drove over. So he ubered,
and then I drove over and waited, and I ended up parked on the
streets of Beverly Hills, the streets of Beverly Hills for hours waiting for him.
I was like, you don't just because they don't learn, they don't
tell you like what time you're going to be done or anything like that,
Okay, no, and then John's kept getting postponed, so he was supposed
he was like supposed to be up next, but then it was like somebody
went along, so he didn't even get started until later, right, so
I don't think I was able to pick him up. And I rushed over
there from the kid's school, so I was like, just just come get
me when they tell you that I'm almost ready, and he was like,
I mean, if you're sure. I was like, I just think that's
better. But then I talked to a couple of my friends beforehand and they
were like, okay, so like what time are you going? And I
was like, oh, I'm going to uber over there, and then they
were like absolutely not, I'm going to take you. What is with our
Like I have friends the same way, Like I've had procedures and stuff,
and it's like I'm just gonna take an uber and it's like absolutely not.
It's like, okay, relax, I know you're a great friend, but
like I'm okay, you can get me an uber and get dropped off,
right. Why does everybody have to drop everything come get us? And also
where are those people when you coming into the airport exactly when you really need
them. I know, you know, save you a lot of money.
Yeah, picked up nowhere to be nowhere to be found. No, no,
but yeah, suddenly my friend and I have this my friend Cecily,
who's like my really good friend, my two bestie Jewish mom friends, Cecily
and Laura. Both of them were like, it's so it's so so sweet.
It is to see so far from like how I am because I don't
do that in return, Like I'm not going to be the one that's gonna
be like absolutely not. Like if you tell me you're going to uber somewhere,
I'm like, all right, good for you. I'm not the person
that's gonna be like absolutely not. I am getting up at six am and
I'm gonna come get you right right. So I had to just be like
no, no, no. Plus I was like John would be so offended.
I was like, well, Cecily is going to take me to my
surgery. He'd be like what I told you I would take of course,
I want to, you know, and then he feels So I was like,
everybody just calmed down from ubering there. So I Uber there. Well,
I gave the uber driver the I thought I gave him the address,
but I must have just put in the place. So we get there and
it's not it's not the right place, and he part but like it was
in Beverly Hills. So he parks and he's like, here you go,
yeah, and I was like, hmm, not, no, this is
not where I'm going. And then, of course I haven't had this problem
with an uber before. You know, I have limited Uber experience as it
is, ever since I was in New York for the book, though,
I have more Uber experience. So but I was like, I don't know
how this works now, Like do I pay him extra in cash? Do
I offer him a bigger tip? But I was like no, I don't
know, Like I know it's it was the Beverly Hills Surgical Center. It
was actually called Specialty Surgical Center of Beverly Hills. Well it was only zero
point three miles apart. But you know, now we're in this sort of
a standoff because I don't want to get out of the car, Like what
am I going to walk? I was like, well, this just take
me to this yeah, so he did, but it was it was very
awkward a couple of minutes because he's like, but this is what you told
me, like, this is the destination, and I was like, yeah,
no, I totally see that. I think this is my bad.
I was like, I should have probably put in the actual street address.
I said, I know we're close, so and then he's like, well,
I can't get my Google maps to work or whatever. I was like,
okay, let me wraise it old school, you know. So I
put it in and then I go, okay, we're literally point three miles
away. Can you just take me there? I mean yeah, and the
same difference. So he did, yeah, and then I tipped him twenty
percent, which I hope was yeah, that's good of thanked me. But
I was like, I noticed, for some reason, I looked at my
Uber rating and it is not five stars. Oh really, it's like four
point six, which I can't imagine that somebody gave me a Like what could
I possibly have done in an Uber? Maybe because you haven't used it that
much. I don't know. I don't know how that worked. But if
everybody that you have a ride with gives you five stars, I always give
a good tip. I've never argued with an uber driver or tried to smoke
a cigarette or I've never I mean there, I can't imagine a reason at
our four points. I haven't checked my uber rating. Yeah, I was
annoyed. I was like, I wish I could find the person like didn't
give me at It's like a book with somebody like needed an editor, right,
I mean I don't know. But anyway, Okay, So the night,
so I get to my I get to the right place, I go
in, I'm waiting around, uh and then they you know, I'm by
myself, and I'm wondering if anybody feels sorry for me. And I was
like, maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I look like I have
no friends or family. All the nurses yeah, so they take me back.
You have to get completely undressed, and I have to say. I
was like, it's eye surgery. Why do you have to get to my
boobs? Right? Why do I have to take my bra? Yeah?
I don't get that. But then I was like, Okay, I suppose
if there's a medical emergency and they you know, because you're under general anesthetia,
then they need nothing. They need to be able to get to your
heart. But I was like, you know what not taking my underwear off?
Right? They wanted you to take your underwear off. Well, they
said, take everything off and then put on this gown. But I was
like, why could you possibly need with my vagina? No, like,
there's no need for the bush to just be But there's just no possible scenario
that I can create in my mind where you would need access to my cross
right right. So it's like, just keep on a need to know basis.
If you have to find out the hard way that I'm wearing underwear and
I shouldn't have been, then I'll worry about that later. You know,
I leave the underwear on it. Do you take the bra off? Good
for you? You will? So then anyway, So then the anesthesiologist comes
in, and you know, of course, and I'm making jokes. My
doctor pops by and I'm like, is there any way that while you're taking
care of the eyes that you could do something with the wrinkles? Like you
while you're there? And luckily he was kind of funny. Yeah. Oh.
Then you know what they do a lot is they go do you have
do you have a ride home? Like they ask you that on multiple forms,
you know, so kind of as a joke. Later, I was
like, does anybody ever like, do you ever get this far in?
And somebody's like ride home? No, what I mean you know? And
the guy goes, this is the nurse. His name is James who he
was like, you would be surprised, and how really show up tell people
that they have a ride. And then we get to this point and they
say like, no, I'm just gonna uber And then he's like and then
we have to say, no, you're not. You know I tried that
you did, yes. So I don't know if you remember. It was
like I think like five years by now ago when I it was like New
Year's Eve and I had I was just bleeding a lot. Yeah. And
then then like the next day, Wendy was in town and she's like,
you got to go to the hospital. You're bleeding too much. I even
called Drew and he was like, you can't be losing that much blood.
Anyway, I went to the hospital. I went to the emergency room.
They admitted me. They admitted me, and then I had to have like
two blood transfusions and then an emergency surgery. And this was this was like
I think like a couple months before wore the hysterectomy. So I was in
the and so anyway, Wendy dropped me off and she left. She got
picked up to go to the airport because she was leaving town. Oh yeah,
so I was by myself and she was crying. She didn't want to
leave me because I mean it was kind of scary, like, you know,
my blood level dropped really low. I have blood transfusing and Adam was,
you know, working or whatever, and so I was like, I
wasn't planning on being here, and they're like, well, we have to
do an emergency surgery. And I was like and then like do you have
a ride? And I was like, oh, I ca an Uber and
they're like, no, you can't. And I was like, well,
I'm gonna be fine, Like let me just recover in the room and then
I'll get up and I'll just roll into an Uber. Like what's the problem.
They're like, Nope, absolutely not. So I had to call it
Olga. She picked me up. I do totally remember that. Yeah.
Yeah, so it is, yeah, because the Uber company can't be responsible.
Yeah, because when you're growing up. Yeah. Also, just you're
you're going to be totally out of it and then some they're handing you off
to people that haven't really been background checked, right, you know, yeah,
and somebody responsible that you're giving your permission for. Yeah, I mean
I get it makes sense, of course, but I guess there's a lot
of people that that happens to that they don't have a ride, right,
And then they say, well, then you can't have the surgery, or
we can arrange for a medical transport for you, but that's going to cost
some more, probably costs a lot of money. Yeah, but yeah.
So then so then I was trying that as a joke on Like the next
person that asked me if I had a ride, I was like, oh,
I go now, I'll figure it out later. And then they were
like you can't, and I'm like, I'm just kidding. I'm just making
a joke. So so anyway, then the anesthesiologist was really trying to be
a jokester. Like I know, I'm making it sound like I was being
a little obnoxious, but you know, this was between a lot of honest
answering questions, right, and then I would try to joke around with the
nurse. But the anesthesiologists, I don't know what it is with anesthesiologists,
they really are all like wish they could have been stand up comment. I
know, is it too? What is that? I have so many jokes
and a lot of them stock Like I'm like, listen, buddy, I
was a stand up comedian, Like I know, a stock like a hack
line that you've got everybody when I hear one, right right right? No,
I noticed that too. What is that? I had a guy uh
anesthesiologist, and he would like all he did was trying to make and I
appreciated that he was trying to lighten the mood and like put me at ease.
That's how I took it, right of course, Like his jokes were
just like dumb and hackney and like just like it was just like what are
you doing? Like and then it's like, let's get a little serious here
because I'm about to go put under and like I don't want you getting distracted
trying to tell me you're you know the joke you just worked out last night,
right, you know, yes, exactly, So yeah, I don't
get it. Yeah, I don't know. It's funny that you had the
same experience. Did I ever tell you about the time when I was giving
birth to the twins? So I'm in the getting the antithesiologist is in there.
There are so many people in the room. It's a it's a very
serious situation. The twins were coming at thirty three weeks and five days.
It was it wasn't it was an emergency cesarean in the way that I had
gone to the high risk doctor like that morning and they said, you have
to go have the babies right now. So it was a yeah, it
wasn't like Mary put you under, rip the babies out, but it was
like we're taking them now, do not pass go. You can't go home
first, have your husband meet you at the hospital kind of. So it
was like a serious like oh, because Sadie was having what they call reverse
blood flow, which means that she was starting to not get enough oxygen,
and they caught it early. I was having I had just been in I
had just been in the high risk ward in the hospital for like two weeks,
being monitored constantly twenty four to seven. And then my doctor let me
go home because everything seemed okay, but I had to come back the next
I went home for Thanksgiving, came back the next day to be checked,
was checked. Then it was like the weekend, I want to say,
then I came back and then that they were like, it's not good.
Wow, you gotta have the babies right now. Okay, so I called
John. John has to get somebody to watch LB, you know, because
we weren't planning on it happening that day. We had planned the C section
for I believe the two days later. So we're so now it's like,
no, you're having it right now. So I'm scared. I get the
epidural. Yeah, but I think it was when I was going to get
the epidural. However, it happened the anesthesiologist. I maybe thinking he was
At first I thought he was just trying to distract me. That's like he's
being super chatty, right, but then he literally starts asking me because he's
asking me like what I do, and like, you know, he just
he's kind of making small talk. And then I say like, oh,
I write books, which is really all I was doing around that time,
and he's like, oh, you know, I want to write a book,
like and he starts telling me about his book that he wants to write,
and then I swear to God, he starts asking me literally for like
contacts. He's like, well, who's your agent? You know, and
I'm like, well, so and so at I see him and he's like,
oh, like do you think there, like, is there any way
you could do like an email introduction? I was like, oh my god,
kidding me right now. And then he was like oh, because he
goes, oh, well, what kind of like a book dealer? Is
it self published? Like he's asking these questions and I was like, wow,
okay, do you understand that there's forty fucking people in this room and
I'm about to deliver twin very early that are probably going to go into the
nicke you and I don't even know how one of the babies is doing,
Like right, could you ease off on the networking? It was insane,
it seems like, I mean, it's yeah, that's weird, it's crazy.
Yeah, And it did not stop. And I mean, and I
think I wrote in nap Times the New Happy Hour. I don't know.
I wrote the story about giving birth to the twins, which was so serious,
right, and then but in the midst of it, the hair's just
guys like would not stop the whole time, Like, yeah, that's insane.
And he could like follow up with me to see if I could put
in like a good word to my Oh j god for what for your textbook
on anesthesiology? Like, right, dude, Okay, let's take a quick
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OL. Okay, So antesesiologists comes in. He's trying to joke around doing
a vaudeville. He's got a cane and he's yeah, doing that all that,
and I was like, oh lord, but he was friendly, but
so you know, being a sober person, yes, over fifteen years of
sobriety, I was like, I'm a little bit excited for the drug,
for my drugs. Right now. I realize okay, of course I realized
that, like and by the way, my eyes do hurt a lot.
But there's no I don't give you any paint pills to take home, so
I know this is my shot, this is my only shot, is going
to be right before they put you under. You know, they give you
like medication to relax you just for a second. When you're so they wait
until the last possible minute to start pushing a little narcotics through my iv Yeah,
and I swear to god it was so worth it. It was just
like for that freaking ten it was like, second, give me ten seconds.
I'm legal high and you know I'm an addict. When I'm like say
I said to the niseesiologist, they're wheeling me over and he shoots the stuff
into my and I was like, isn't it crazy? How like when they
give you the narcotics, even though it's coming through the ivy, I can
kind of taste it in my mouth. That's so weird. He was just
like, oh god. And you're like, wait a second, hold off
on the ten second count, Like I don't want to I don't want to
count backwards just yet. What do you tell me some more about your book?
Do you want to write exactly that suck? Just enjoy this yes for
a minute. Yeah, don't you guys have something to do, like go
away for a few minutes. Yeah, you know you got a glass of
wine to go with this, Like, I know, nothing to eat or
drink before, but wine doesn't even count right a little bit? Yeah,
yeah, talk, I was it was ten It had to have been less
than ten seconds that I got that feeling. And then I was like I
woke up in recovery. Yeah, but then when you woke up, were
you in pain? Like and can you see member or or do they have
so uh? I mean, well they do something of dark glasses on me.
I could see there was no there were no like bandages over my eyes.
I have stitches in my eyes. You do, yeah, but they're
they're going to dissolve on their own. There's stitches on the outside and the
inside of my eye. Wow. Yes, I will here's what I will
say. I when I woke up, I wasn't in pain, but I
had a migraine. And I think I had a migraine from that. I
think it was probably from the anesthesia. I'm not sure. So that was
sort of annoying. But I was, I mean, I yeah, I
was like uncomfortable. I remember when I drove John home, he was being
really funny. Yeah, and you know, sounded a little like still high
right in anesthesia. But I was like just in a bad mood, like
just get me home, yeah, and I need food and I'm tired,
and then I think I fell asleep for a little while. And then you
know, my Jewish mom friends, they can't like, there's so much nicer
than I am. Yeah. First of all, both of these women have
had surgery since I've known them, and I didn't send flowers or drop by.
I was like, you got a husband, but they both were like
calling, they were texting John. Then apparently my friend Laura came by with
flowers and a card from her and Cecily, but I was asleep. Ah,
that's really sweet. Yeah, but also like, don't come by the
worst time for a drop by, right, is like I'm not you know.
But she was really sweet about it. And then she called me later
and was like, yeah, you were asleep, so I couldn't talk to
you, but like, it's very sweet, but I'm just not like that.
Yeah, let me have my time to recover. Yeah, it's just
funny. So yeah, So then I was kind of out of it on
Friday, but then I did put on so I had to go back for
a follow up visit to the doctor and he checked my eyes and he said
it worked perfectly. And I'm already so today is Monday, so this was
Thursday, and I like my vision. So these glasses that I'm wearing right
now are our glasses that I used to not be able to see out of
because everything was double. So they were like my computer glasses, and I
could see right in front of me, and now like I could drive find
then drive on really and then I have stronger ones that are for driving,
but no prism. I have no double vision anymore. N So now without
glasses, I used to feel really blind because everything was double. So now
even without glasses, I can still see. I'm near sighted, so it's
blurry a little bit far away, but it's so I'm so glad I did
it. If anybody has straw bismus and is thinking about having this surgery,
highly recommend it. Really and does your insurance cover it? Because yes,
that's good. Okay, interesting that you ask, so, and this is
not a long story about blue Shield. This is actually a positive blue Shield
story. Yeah. So the doctor's office, so the surgeon himself did not
take my insurance. Okay, they made a cash deal with me. Oh
so it costs me for the surgery a couple thousand dollars out of pocket.
But the thing that really kills you, even if you've saved up money for
surgery, is that the the fee for the place, the surgery center,
you know, can be upwards of like five grand. You know. Well,
so when they first told me, the surgeon's office said they're going to
go through my insurance. She came back to me and said, okay,
So we went through. We looked at Blue Shield and they they only pay
they will pay seventy percent, but only after you've hit your deductible. Well,
we pay out of pocket for insurance. I'm assuming you do too,
the deductible that in order we pay twenty three hundred dollars a month premium for
our family. It's crazy, it is, and that is only because our
deductible is really high. It's like thirteen grand. Really what your insurance is
good for. This would be like if you had to have major surgery and
we're hospitalized for a long time. You wouldn't like go bankrupt because you cap
out at whatever and then they pay one hundred percent, right, okay,
But a lot of things they do pay for seventy percent even if you haven't
hit your deductible. So this surgery, the surgeon's office comes back and says,
yeah, so they'll only pay after you hit your deductible. And I
was like, I don't think that's true because my husband had this surgery and
they did pay for it. And she's like nope, here's your And she
sends me this thing and it says blue Cross on it. So I write
her back and I was like, I don't think you don't have my right
insurance to mey she goes, no, no, no, Blue Cross is
owned by Blue Shield, and I was like, no, it's definitely not
Wow, Like this is somebody that does this for a living, like this
person you're talking yes. Yes. So I was like, well that's just
simply not true. But she had the right number of my policy number.
And I was like, well, I listen, I could pretty much work
for Blue Shield at this point. If I just got a rooster, i'd
be good to go. I could answer calls like I know a lot about
Blue Shield, about what they cover and what they don't, and I was
and so so I was like, Okay, well I don't think that's right.
So I call Blue Shield and I talked to somebody and she's like,
yeah, it's covered if because the surgery center was in network. Okay,
So this is where things get funky. The surgery center is in network,
the anesthesiologist is in network. She says to me on the phone, if
it's in network, we pay seventy percent. It doesn't matter if you've paid
Z zero into your deductible, doesn't matter. We pay seventy percent. Wow.
And I was like, well, seventy percent. If thirty I could
afford thirty percent to have this surgery. I can't afford one hundred percent.
So I go back to the lady who works for the surgeon's office and I
say, hey, so I called Blue Shield and they said they do cover
it, and she was like, I don't know, they don't. She's
arguing with me over email and she sends me she goes this is what they
sent me. And I was like, okay, but again, you're sending
me something that's from Blue Cross. They probably have not heard of me,
right, And so it went back and forth. So I was like,
I called Blue Shield again. I was like, listen, I'm going to
forward you this email that I got from the surgeon's office. And the woman
I spoke to was like, yeah, that's just not correct. She doesn't
have the right information. We have nothing to do with Blue Cross. She
said, this is Blue Shield of California. This is what we cover.
You don't need even pre authorization, like, this is what we covered.
That's it. Yeah, I have the surgery, right And I was like
okay. So I told her. I was like, well, I'm having
the surgery and she was like, okay, just be sure. Anyway,
she does. What is cool? So I have the surgery and they charged
me thirty percent. That's what it came to. Exactly what the Blue Shield
told me they were going to charge me is what they charged me. It
was something like nine hundred dollars total. What my fee was. Okay,
that's not bad. No for a major eye surgery that's going to change change
my life. Yeah. So anyway, so then I go to the follow
up visit the next day with the surgeon and I was like, hey,
I was that person. But I was like, I just think you should
know Ranchet over on your insurance person who doesn't work in his office. I
was like, but I don't want any of your possible patients to get dissuaded
by wrong information. I was like, because I was told like three different
times that I couldn't basically afford the surgery. I almost didn't have it because
she told me it's not covered, and it is covered, so and then
he got like a little testy, like he's like, well, I've never
heard of that. I've never heard of not having to hit your deductible.
I was like, you've never heard of that. I was like, most
insurance will pay a percentage even if you haven't hit your deductible, and then
it hits and then they go to one hundred percent when you've hit your deductible.
That's more common. And he goes, Nope, never heard of that.
This is the doctor's it was. The surgeon was really really nice,
by the way, so I'm not yeah, I think he was just kind
of sticking up for like, I just don't think he knows not much about
the insurance. Yes, I don't think anybody know My insurances is never And
I was like, well, I'm just telling you that she should double check.
If somebody asks her to double check, she might want to double check
because had she called my insurance company, they would have told her that it
was covered. But she didn't. She went through through and I said,
I go, she didn't have the right insurance company, but she insisted she
did, and he was like, well, yeah, I mean I'll look
into it, but you know, I'm pretty sure most insurance doesn't work that
way. And I was like, okay, hey for nothing, but mine
did and that's why you just made money and I did surgery through you,
right, yeah, right, well I did. I mean maybe you should
call her and tell her too and say, like, you know, I
know her, I know, but she should be she should know that she
was wrong. I have literal emails going back and forth where I was like,
it's you're you're not correct, right, Like that isn't my insurance company?
Blue Cross has nothing? I said, I called my insurance company two
times. Blue Cross has nothing. And she was like, well, here's
what they sent me. And I was like, okay, but I don't
know why they sent you that, because it's anyway she could have been talking
people out of this surgery for a long time. She has like it's insane,
right, wouldn't you want to know if that was my job, people
talking people out of having yes, your surgery, Yeah, that's crazy.
What if she's just like he's not that great, like do you want to
risk it? Like he's a nice guy. He's got good bedside manner.
But surgery, I haven't heard a lot of good things. Right, Yeah,
that's I mean crazy crazy. But you know what's good what's not crazy?
Tropical smoothie cafe crazy in a good way, crazy like a fox,
crazy like a fox, crazy, refreshing. You could have had you could
have had one right after your surgery. Oh my gosh, it would that
would have actually been perfect had I thought of it, especially because being a
sober lady. You know, they have mocktails. It's kind of their specialty.
And they have delicious different flavors of mocktails, like the Island Punch smoothie,
which is peach, guava, passion fruit, mango, and pineapple.
Or my favorite is the watermelon Mohito smoothie. I think there's a picture of
me on our Instagram sipping on the watermelon. Uh it's watermelon, mint,
strawberries and lime. That's so good, yummy. And I love the raps.
We had their raps which was delicious, yep and satisfiables. Yes,
don't forget about those. Let me just foll oh. Here's what you're gonna
want to do if you want to get one of these you're gonna want to
visit one of Tropical Smoothie Cafes fourteen hundred plus locations or order online or through
their app. These places are everywhere. They have a lot of locations.
Find the one nearest to you, get your app and get yourself. Yeah,
Tropical Smoothie Cafe. You're on Tropic time now. Yum. Yeah,
I don't want one now. So well, I'm glad everything went well.
Yeah, I'm on the mend. That's good. I spent my Saturday night
with Sunny. Okay. Like it's summertime, right, and you know,
kids are doing their thing, going doing whatever, hanging out and but are
they doing their thing? Well, do they have a thing they do?
It's hitten miss Yeah, exactly right, it's hit and miss, and so
like there's times you know, like I don't know, so like Saturday night,
right, Uh, Sonny is really into UFC, like really into MMA,
like following these fighters, knowing all their crazy names from like Kazakistan,
and you know, like just knows everybody's record and who's you know, heavyweight
and who's middleweight and who's lower weight. Scots guy remember he is the stacks
guy for the basketball that's what he does now, like because he's bored with
basketball and he had to go through so Saturday night, I'm like, what
what do you got going tonight, Sonny? And he's like, well,
the fights on tonight, and none of my friends are really into it,
so I'm gonna I'm gonna watch it. Shocking. I'm like, so I'm
just gonna watch it here. And I was like, okay, you know,
and Natalia is in Spain and yeah, she's still there. Well she
comes, she's on the plane right now coming home. Oh wow, yes,
yes, okay, so she's been having a nice time. But so,
you know, it's just me and Sonny hanging out on a Saturday night,
and you know, he wants to watch the fight. But I'm like,
so you're so into this this UFC stuff now, and he's like,
you know, I said, what about basketball? He's like, ah,
Basketball, NBA boring? Like he is he an old Jewish man, Yes
he is. Yeah, I'm right there with Sonny. Actually, I've gone
the same way where basketball, like this whole past season was really boring because
the best team was just obviously going to win the whole time. And I've
gotten really into UFC now. So I'm oh, really, I watched the
fight on Saturday too, Oh you did, and I didn't have any friends
of the watching with you there, so I paid for it and bought it.
Oh my god, I watched the whole thing. You should talk to
Sonny because he's gotten I mean he's still he's doing his podcast, Benchwarmer's podcast
every week, but and he talks about it there. But like none of
his friends are really you know, and he's just like, there's in sports,
not much going on right now, and he needs he's a sports mind,
like he needs sports, and so he got really into this UFC stuff
and so he's, you know, so he so he's like, what are
you doing? He's like, want to watch the fight? So I'm like,
all right, I'll watch it when you know, I'll watch it with
you. But first of all, before the fight starts, he talks my
ear off for a good hour, no hyperbole, about why basketball is boring
right now. So he went through all of that. I don't remember why.
It goes in one ear and out beyond. I mean he's talking about
all these like players and this. Okay, then it goes what are you
doing at the time, Like, are you making yourself a snack. Yes,
I was like, I was cooking. I was cooking us like dinner,
and I was like, you know, let's have you know, I'll
fry some steaks. So I'm like making dinner. So at least I have
something to do. And all I want to do is put in my earbuds
and listen to a podcast or something. Right, but you know, he's
my son. It's my job is to listen to him living parallel lives right
now? Yeah on, So so okay, then did you have the ingredients?
By the way, I know I'm the chronic interrupter, but my brain
just goes like, how do you just have steaks? Ling? Were you
planning to make steaks? I did, because you have to go hold that
thought, I'm running to the store to get now now. Earlier that day,
I was like, we should you know, let's like if you're I
asked him if I knew he was gonna be watching the fight, so I
was like, let me make you know, I defron some steaks and let's
let's have dinner. You know, throw a salad together. H makes little
garlic bread. You know what, if you're a better woman than I that
you that have the makings to put a salad together. I would have had
some old wilted lettuce from usually. Yeah, two weeks before where I've gotten
the big idea that I'm going to make a salad and then not followed through
right and then it goes I know I have that. That happens too.
Okay, so you have the ingredients making. I've also gotten very into making
steaks lately. That's really been my thing. Yeah. Now the kids love
it. It's like their favorite meal. So we make everybody steaks now,
yeah, how do you make yours? Do you? What? Do you
see them? Yeah? Yeah, but the butter basting yeah yeah, yeah,
that's what I did. And I have a searing pan too, so
it gives it those like lines. I want to get a barbecue for outside
or maybe I'm getting too ahead of myself, but yeah, I want to
get like a grill, a grill, Yeah you should? Why not?
You should? So summer. I know my neighbor down the street is constantly
grilling stuff. He's always popping something on the grill. And yeah, it
seems like a lot of prep work. I mean, is there a lot
of cleaning involved too? I don't funk with the grill. But there is
there's this new one out that we want to get that's called I think it's
called the Blackstone. It's like a flat top grill, okay, and so
you and it looks everything that I've seen people cook it on. Looks really
really good. Oh I got to look that up. Yeah, look up,
okay, flat like so it's it's like great, it's called the Blackstone.
Yeah, there's no grates. It's all just a big flat top.
It's like a it's like a hibachi like you know, we go to a
watch a place and it's like that, but just as a as a grill.
Okay. I mean I used to grill a lot back in the day
when the kids were younger. We used to have a barbecue whatever, and
so I would make like asparagus. It was easy, you know. Just
the clean up hard though, no, because you just you have if you
have the right tools, and then you just like and then you spray it
and you you know, with the the stuff that the cleaning stuff for the
grill, and then you have that brush and then you just burn it off
and it's okay. It's actually better than cooking in the in the house.
You know. For I mean, once you get the hang of it,
then I could send shown out to the backyard, like, hey go throw
some chicken brasts on the car some Yeah, let's get it grills, Let's
get girls, so over airfriers, Let's get grill grill. We're on the
ground for the July have a sponsor. Yes, that's right, we need
a new spot. All right, So you're frying up some stoke, fed
up his steaks. He's talking about the basketball and white so boring. And
then the fights start, okay, and so you know, I'm sitting I
haven't freaking watched a UFC fight in I don't know a long time. I
forget how violent they are. And I'm like, I'm getting a headache just
watching this. So anyway, then he tells to be like punched in the
head. Oh god, Oh it's even worse than that. There was one
fight on Saturday. It was two women fighting and one of them like hit
the other one in the forehead with her elbow and just caused this huge gash.
She was bleeding all over her face. It was awesome. They had
to stop the fight because the gash was so big. She was she was
like, no, I want to keep fighting. There's too much blood coming
out, you know. Head wounds usually bleed like more than Yes, it
was right on her I know, I saw it was right on her eye,
on her eyebrow, and it's just split wide open. Why would you
want to put yourself why? I don't, I don't know. I know.
I remember when I was a kid, I just hated even boxing.
You may feel like I like, people are hitting each other in the head,
watching each other. That sounds horrible, yeah, but so so there.
So I'm watching the first fight and it's a lot of grappling, a
lot of wrestling, you know, and then Sonny's like, ah, this
is turning out to be a boring one. And then he was disappointed because
somebody dropped out because he wasn't feeling good. Right, he had one hundred
and three degree fever the day of the fight, right, and he was
he was right. He and Sonny was excited for that what's that guy's name?
I forget the guy that dropped Yes, Sonny was excited for that fight.
But then the guy dropped out. And then the guy that came in
at the last minute was like, yeah, I'll fight, So he comes
in and I was for him, and I think he almost won. He
was very close. Yeah, he almost won anyway. And then there was
the girl fight, yes, which was really bloody chick fight, and and
then the main event, which Sonny told me about. These two are both
like into shamans and they're very spiritual, and they're like and then they stared
at each other as they're introducing them. They're stages just out there, like
you know, getting ready and like jumping up and down, and then they're
but they're staring into each other's eyes trying to like spiritually say you get out.
Yeah. But one of the one of the pleasant surprises I had watching
USC is after they're done fighting, they're so sweet to each other, like
they're hugging each other, they're laughing, I guess like they're laughing. And
then yahuasca. They must be having a spiritual experience. Yeah, those two.
Yeah, so they were like a lot of the fights afterwards, like
they and they talk about how much they respect the other person. Meanwhile,
they were just trying to fucking kill each other. And then as soon as
the fight's over, then they're like, hey, man much respect. I
have nothing but respect for you. It's crazy what's a crazy sport. I
wonder if they regulate, like I wonder if they drug test. I mean,
there's barely any rules. Oh but so suddenly you can't do drugs,
but you can. Like there's almost nothing is off limits. What you can't
bite, you can't bite, like Sonny was given me the rules. There's
a lot of rules. Yeah, you can't bite, you can't hit in
the back of the head or something. You can't hit in the back of
the head. You can't I poke, you can't grab onto the cage,
right. I feel like I was listening to like a I think it was
an ESPN podcast thirty for thirty. I think about the about how this mma
got started and how yeah, how it was originally like really no rules,
and then they came in and started like really regulating it. And the original
people who came up with it were like, fuck that, that's not what
we had envisioned, right, Like it was supposed to be mixed martial arts
mma. It was supposed to be, but it was too boring that way,
so then they anyway, but then they wanted it to be it was
it was originally more violent, right, and then they started there was originally
like no rules. You could do anything exactly. And there was one fight
where I think a player like grabbed another guy's balls and just like squeezed until
he gave up. Yeah, there was. They used to be like that,
but then they obviously came in with the rules. Yeah. Yeah,
And I explained to Sonny, my young son, like listen, Son,
there was no MMA when I was growing up, I was watching Tyson bite
the ear off a holy field like that was. That was what we watched.
We watched good old and that's what I was saying. I was like,
I'm as good old, fastened fashioned boxing, like these people are trying
to just murder each other and like they're like and then they hold onto each
other and they squeeze like they're like a you know, like yeah, like
a python. They wrapped their bodies around the other person and they just hold.
Then it gets kind of boring because bullet constrictor, like is he gonna
swallow the guy any second? Like this is crazy crazy, but uh but
Sonny, yeah, he was like, no, I know the history.
I know it's not it's a fairly new sport and blah blah blah again new
all, yes, got the history all the background from each guy or girl
knew all their background, what country they're from, how many you know,
how many they've won, how many they've lost, blah blah blah. I'm
like in one ear and out the other. Can you tell like when your
mind is wandering? No, no, no, no, I don't think
questions because I I kind of have to like keep up, like just so
you can go, oh really, oh oh oh wait, so you were
telling me about you know, uh huh, but just enough like to get
me by. I think he just wants to talk. You know, he's
just got that gene it's got that genetic where he just traps you and just
talks your ear off. But could you like play a game on your phone
or he would he be like, you're too distracted. Well, if we
were watching the fight, I could, yeah, because he was playing a
game on his phone too. Okay. A lot of times okay, but
when he's talking to me, I sometimes I do, I like read text
or stuff like that, but I try not to be. I don't know,
it's like feels bad. I feel bad, so I just go.
You know, so you're just like trapped. Did you say, like,
do you have any plans with your friends, like after fight, I did,
and what's okay? So the fights are over, Now what are you
doing? You know, you're going out and he's like, yeah, I'm
gonna go meet my friends. And then he was with his friends until like,
I don't know if it's this. The other night he was at his
friend's house until like five in the morning, watching movies. You know,
yeah, so he's been going out, but he's been going out when I
go to bed pretty much, and then coming home late and then sleeping late,
and then you know, like typical teenager. You know, isn't it
wild how much life changes like this eighteen right, Like if you compare it
to a year ago, right, I feel like I'm ahead of you in
that parenting space that when ELB was eighteen, you know, well she was
still a senior, so your kids are a little younger, so she had
turned eighteen, but it was like kind of hard to parent. You can
guide, but it's kind of hard to make a lot of rules when your
kid is eighteen, a senior in high school has gotten good grades, like
take has had a job at that point for a long time already, It's
like it's hard to just be like you need to I need to know where
you're going. Yeah, but I do find that the more freedom I've given,
say LB, the twins have a lot of freedom. They don't abuse
the privilege, you know, and ELB has, you know, she's pretty
good about like just tell me if you're not going to come home, if
you're going to sleep at a friend's house, like, you just need to
tell me. I just don't want to be not setting the alarm for the
house, like, you know, I just just have the respect of saying.
And so now she's pretty good about it. Oh that's good. Yeah,
And I'm saying, like, if she's going to drink, she's you
know, listen, do I understand that drinking at her age is still illegal?
Yes? Do all almost all kids do it? Yes? They do.
When I was her age, I was, you know, so irresponsible.
Yeah, driving drunk, you know, constantly, a lot of unsafe
behavior. I was still a virgin, so not that kind of unsafe behavior,
but I mean I was could have gotten myself into a lot of trouble
a lot of times. I'll be well, if she's going to drink at
a party, even if she this recently happened, she drove somewhere and then
decided to drink. So she let me know, I'm gonna uber back to
my friend's house. I'm going to sleepover because I had a couple of drinks.
That's good. And I was like, god, yeah, that's responsible.
Yeah, I just want to be told where you guys are going,
you know, how you getting there and how you getting home? Like that's
all. It's just let me know, you know. And Sunny like just
goes out and stays out at is like, you know, until really late,
and I sometimes I follow crashed there he was going to and then he
said that we were all just sitting around and then uh like we were like
it's it's wow. It's like now it's like early morning hours. And they
were going to spend the night, and then one of his friends goes,
I'm tired, I'm just gonna go home, and then drove Sonny home,
dropped him off. Oh okay, yeah, then they all because they just
wanted to be in their own beds, I guess. But that was a
very late night. Usually he's you know, he's I don't know, he's
out late. But I'm always falling. I'm asleep, you know, but
I do wake up and I have this, I don't have to, like
said in a lot, I will frequently wake up and check my phone to
see where he is until I know he's home. Natalia, I always know
where she is, like either she's out spending the night at a friend's house
or she's coming home, so like she's more you know, I don't know,
I'm keeping track of both of them's house because Elbie was definitely a member
of that whole thing at that Yeah, I was like, I'd rather that
you don't try to drive home at four in the morning. Yeah, if
this is what you're doing, then sleep there like a normal person, right
right. She hasn't spent the night with him, like at at his house
yet or my house, so okay, yeah, but they have gone on
vacations together. They have gone on trips together. Okay, so but yeah,
so all right, all right, Well more to talk about. Oh
yeah, we have a still have a whole Friday episode. More to come.
But let us give a couple of shout outs to our peeps. So
this is so sweet. Our friend Carrie Kibbler, she wants to give her
shout out to this. Have you heard of just Nate dot Com? It's
just k n a Te. He spells his name Kate and Ate dot com.
He's the hug or handshake guy. He helps the homeless. I love
that gets out all these videos where he like, yeah, gives money to
people. Oh, I love that. And his whole thing is helping people
that have to sleep outside, finding people, helping people like get work.
And I mean, it's such a really cool thing. And the medeos will
make you cry. And she just wants to do a shout out for that.
So it's it's just and Nate but spelled k n at eka dot com.
So check that out. Also a podcast, The Family Skeptical. They
talk about raising kids without any special religion, not being Christian, not going
to church, just raising kids your own morals, right, yeah, which
gets for everybody. They're a podcast. They put out an episode every three
weeks or so. Also Wilma and Frieda will love them Palm Springs her Palm
Desert. Why wouldn't you go by there? Yeah, go ahead, sac
you get like a mimosa or exactly exactly. Also Ferncandle dot com. That's
our friend Kelsey Kelsey Fern and they are delicious smelling candles. They're super gifty.
She puts. It makes them in Mason jars that I have. I
have her candles and I love them to smell so good. Yeah, and
they have great smells like tobacco, stage and lavender, sandalwood and soy,
which is so much better for the environment and it burns longer, yes,
it does. So check that out. Also. Adam Lerner, that's a
personal friend of mine. If you're wondering he's that's Cecily who I talk about
a lot. That's Cecily's husband, Okay, Adam Lerner, and he is
a car broker. If you've ever bought a car with a car broker,
you know how much easier it is to have somebody find you a car the
way to go. Julie Kasem just is using him. That's amazing. Yeah,
So Adam Lerner, you can go to Adam's Got a Car dot com
and check him out. Tell me you're an fcol person, and also tell
us about girl. Mike Gerstein is my personal friend as well, and he's
been helping out a lot of fcol ers. And if you have plumbing questions
or do it yourself questions, he can get on zoom with you. He
can get on a call with you. Just go to Phoenix Plumbingsolutions dot com
and all his informations right there. And if you need financing, he is
doing a zero financing up to six months, so uh you can talk to
him about that as well. Go to Phoenix plumbingsolutions dot com. And you
know what, I'm just gonna throw in one more Basic our girl, Basic
Becky. She can make you a T shirt, she can make you a
blanket, she can make you a mug with whatever you want on it.
She's our girl. She does it for everybody. Go to just Basic Beecky
dot com or on Facebook Basic Becky. All right, thank you, Calin,
thank you. It's everybody your pairing now, don't f it up.
It's let ain't go