Speaker 1: Made a decision.
Speaker 2: Thanks Sunny sun on I haddasion.
Speaker 3: Nice.
Speaker 1: So Nach was that very ready happy post Thanksgiving?
Speaker 3: Yes?
Speaker 1: I feel like Thanksgiving was like over a month already
by now.
Speaker 2: Well we've had Now we're on like our seventh show
about it. You know, Thanksgivings coming, What do you do
for Thanksgiving?
Speaker 1: Thanksgiving should be here. Hey, as far as you know,
Thanksgiving's already happened, but not for us yet. Yeah, yeah,
now it's over.
Speaker 2: Now we're gonna have like eighteen episodes about Christmas, yes holidays.
Speaker 1: So yeah, how was your telling me? That was really nice?
We had a really nice time. Natalia had her roommate
over because she already had she already spent Thanksgiving with
her family, so she was in town. So she my
friend came over. His kids were out of town. He
came by son, he had a friend that stopped by.
So it was really nice and it was cute because
we sat down to eat and Natalia's friend her, well,
it's her roommate. I guess she's She says prayer before
they eat. I at the house. So Natalie's like, do
you want to say a blessing? And She's like sure,
So he like all sat in a circle like said of,
you know, a little prayer. It was really cute. It
was really cute with my Jewish friend that was over,
you know, he liked it. It was really nice. We
had a great time.
Speaker 2: Now, tell me about the cooking. Did you cook everything
from scratch?
Speaker 1: I cooked everything from scratch except for the mashed potatoes,
because that's the only I have. I just I don't
have the bandwidth for that. It's a lot. But no,
I made everything else from scratch, vegetables, cream, spinach, and corn,
and then I had the sweet potatoes. I made my mom,
Brian your turkey my mom's recipe. Uh no, I don't
do that, So you just got a turkey. Yeah, it's
the same my mom's recipe that I've had. I found
my notes in my cookbook that I found in the garage.
And it's funny because I had, like I have like
notes from every Thanksgiving, you know, for like five years
in a row, in the very beginning when I started
making it every year, So it all came back to me.
It's it's not that hard. But really a lot of
the work is the days leading up to Thanksgiving is
it's cleaning the house, it's going the grocery stores, getting
everything you need, thinking of everything, how to get an
electric knife for the garb, all that stuff. So it's
like that in the prep I want to take care.
I wanted to prep as much as possible. So the
day of I just put everything in the oven, made
my stuffing everything sweet potatoes, sweet potato stuffing, the vegetables.
Speaker 2: How do you need stuff in fra do the stofers?
Speaker 1: Well, yeah, I used the stove. I use the uh
missus Cubbinson's. But I but I put you know, all
the little things in it. I brought back my tradition
of golden rain, raisins and walnuts. Sorry Kaylan, Kaylin and
I are making a face right now. And they loved it.
Everybody loved it, loved it. They didn't pick the raisins out. Now.
I would have known when I was a little kid. Now,
raisins give it that like sweet kind of you know,
to the tangy, to the you know, the saltiness. It's
a texture thing.
Speaker 2: When I was a kid, I I you know, I
obviously loved sweets. So if my mom made like rice pudding,
I feel like that's a rice pudding thing. Maybe tapioca
to put raisins in there, and then you'd see my
little dish with just all like a pile, like a
little ant hill of raisins.
Speaker 1: Well, because you like sweets, that makes sense, because you
like sweets, and you like the real sweets, nature sweets,
not Nature's sweet.
Speaker 2: You like, like you know, when people call Nature's candy,
they can go fuck themselves.
Speaker 1: Yeah that makes sense. When I'm really.
Speaker 2: Off sugar, I will eat fruit and enjoy it. But
I like, like a pomegranate fruit, Like I'm not walking
around like I want, like to inject the sugar in
the you know, not a banana that doesn't count.
Speaker 1: No, that's healthy, right, I know, and.
Speaker 2: Starch like I'm not saying I'm saying bananas are delicious,
but like I want like a pomegranate or you know.
Speaker 1: Something I like juice, juicy, juicy. Yeah. Yeah, so it
was really nice and uh watched football And.
Speaker 2: Did people appreciate your cooking?
Speaker 3: Oh?
Speaker 1: Yeah yes, Oh and did they appreciate it to days
after like Natalia's friends came over, I made the next day,
I got up and made I got Hawaiian rolls and
made turkey sandwiches. Yeah. So good. Yes, with some bree
cheese and some granberry sauce. Really good. Yeah. Natalia was
going to town with the leftovers and Sonny, but Sunny
was Yeah, Suddy was only eating like once a day.
He rolled his ankle. So yeah, he's sprained his ankle.
So he's home now today. I don't know when he's
going to be able to go back, but but he's Yeah,
he's laying with his foot elevated. I know. Yeah, but
but what about his classes. He doesn't have to be
in person until I think Thursday, but he's already emailed
his teachers, so I don't know. I don't know. Hopefully
it's getting better. It's started at the beginning of the break,
so it's gotten much better in the last few days,
so hopefully. Yeah, yesterday he was still limping, so I
don't know. It's still swollen. So I don't know what's
gonna happen. But did you take it to be did
you take him to get X rayed? Now I offered
him and he doesn't. He didn't want to it. It's swollen,
but it's not and it's a little bruise, but it's
not like purple, you know. And he's like, I just
sprained it, you know. So he's just he's staying off
his feet. But is he going to fly back before
his classes start again? He wants to, but I don't know.
He was trying to walk around on it yesterday and
it started getting swollen again. Every time he gets up
on it to move around, it gets bigger. Yeah, so
I don't know, We'll see, but yeah, it was It
was a nice day and yeah the leftover, yeah it
was good. How was your Thanksgiving? It was fine, it
was fine. We'd go out.
Speaker 2: We went out to Santa Clarita, my brother and sister
in law and our other couple friend and I braved
costc to get my sides the day before. Oh okay,
So I go to Costco and it is like the apocalypse,
I you know, Yeah, it's like a zombie apocalypse in there.
Speaker 1: And people are just like mobbing the front.
Speaker 2: They're they're like, you have to show your Costco cards
before you come in here. Normally they don't really care,
but I was like, do I have to? Like I
don't know how what how am I going to be
in Costco without my Costco card? Like eventually I'm gonna
need it. I don't know why they're policing. Do they
think people are just browsing and.
Speaker 1: They're maybe I don't know, maybe it's the holidays. I
don't know.
Speaker 2: I think people are walking around going like is it
worth it?
Speaker 1: Should I get a Costco card?
Speaker 2: You know, there's something I really want here? So yeah,
So I then so I go to buy I find
the mashed potatoes. It's mobbed, and then they're doing samples
of the gravy that I was gonna buy. So I
was like, well, okay, don't mind if I do. But
you know, I'm telling you, people were like pushing each
other out.
Speaker 1: Of the way.
Speaker 2: It's like, all right, get some gravy, Like I'm not
coming for a meal.
Speaker 1: Like even if you don't get any, it's fine.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 2: The poor sample lady was just like what like stepping
back from the table. It was like two days before Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1: Oh god, yeah, they were losing their shit at doors
were so packed. Yeah.
Speaker 2: So I got the sweet potatoes and I got two
big things of mashed potatoes, and then I get in
line to pay at Costcoat and then of course of
course they're like, oh, your membership dues are up. So
we had to automatically, So that's like one hundred dollars
added to it.
Speaker 1: But I bought. I think I told you I was
going to do this. I bought.
Speaker 2: I was taking the kids out. So Thanksgiving was Thursday,
was Thursday, and my kid the birthday was Tuesday.
Speaker 1: Oh that's right.
Speaker 2: So I took the kids out for dinner at CPK
with Xander's girlfriend. I think I told you I was
going to do this, and Sadie's BFF and then us
and LB and so I bought. This is a very
genius move. If anybody wants to do this. You can
buy gift cards to CPK at Costco for seventy dollars
for one hundred dollars gift card.
Speaker 1: Oh really, yes, So I bought three of those. I
bought three.
Speaker 2: I got one hundred dollars, three hundred dollars for two
hundred and ten dollars.
Speaker 1: Wow.
Speaker 2: And then I was able to like go have a big,
crazy CPK birthday.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, so that way, so they had a fun
to you know, they had those, but that's how much
they were. I didn't know how much they cost.
Speaker 2: I thought it was like eighty dollars for one hundred
dollars but I was still like, okay, I could save
a couple save fifty bucks, you.
Speaker 1: Know, but yeah, but they were on sale. Oh no,
that's nice.
Speaker 2: So sixty nine dollars for one hundred dollars nice gift card.
I was like, that's crazy.
Speaker 1: So did that.
Speaker 2: Then we went to dinner that night and that was
really fun for their birthday. And then I gave Xander
some cash because he wants to he wants to get
a keyboard yet, so and then I gave Sadie the.
Speaker 1: Her ear the renewed Yes headphones headphones which I got
the pros for like a lot less money, and she
loved those and she's been wearing the shit out of them.
Speaker 2: So that was that was happy. That was a good thing.
Speaker 3: Yeah, So then you put the cash in like a
bible or something.
Speaker 2: I put it in a Noah's Arc sticker activity book
that I found at the dollar store, and then I
taped a bill, you know, like I built them up.
So I put like a ten dollars bill, then a
ten dollars bill, then towards the end there was one
hundred dollars bill.
Speaker 1: That's key in there. Yeah.
Speaker 2: He thought it was hilarious. He thought it was funny,
just that he got the sticker book and he's like,
oh my god, I love it, you know he's laughing. Yeah,
and then he I made him go on Facebook marketplace
so we'll have an adventure to tell you about soon
and find a keyboard did he want?
Speaker 1: Okay? Nice?
Speaker 2: So and then so for actual Thanksgiving, yeah, just brought
all the food. It was like pretty mellow. You went
to your brothers, went to my brother's. I mean, nothing
to really report, yeah, just that my sister in law
is how can I put this? She's she's she's very
meticulous in some ways, and she likes to have like
new furniture, so she has like a and spends a
lot of money on it. So she has a very expensive,
beautiful couch. And then she bought like a white rug
in her living room. So she was so we have
to bring Pepo because people cannot people is like fourteen.
Speaker 1: She can't be alone all day.
Speaker 2: I'm not going to hire somebody to walk her for like,
and we've always brought her with us, but of course
she was. My sister in law was immediately like, uh,
she can't go on the white rug, and we're like, well,
she's gonna go on the rug, right, and she was
clean and we'd given her a haircut. She's looking good. Yeah,
but then and she's old, so she's not even trying
to get up on the couch anymore. And we brought
a big blanket for her to put over the rug.
But at one point my sister in law was just like,
people's not actually on the rug, Like she's kind of
half off the rug. And I was like, okay, what
we had to run over there and like oh, it
was a little bit like we were a little bit nervous.
Speaker 1: Then don't get a white rug.
Speaker 2: I mean, well, she's a person who's like I will
never get a pet. She used to have cats when
we met her, and she was like, no, I don't
like the responsibility. She doesn't really She's like absolutely not.
Don't want a dog.
Speaker 1: Yeah, oh poor people. Well it's a good things. She
doesn't have Phil. Oh my god. Yeah, you couldn't have
brought Phil. No, no, I Phil got into the trash
of course, because there's because Phil's been great ever since
we moved into this house, hasn't gotten into anything. Totally fine.
Natali's got friends over that spend the night and then
they order food late at night, and then they go
and put the food into the trash bin. But they
don't shut the trash door because it's in it's in
a drawer, you know, you pull it, pull it out,
throw things away, you shut it. Well, they don't shut
it all the way. And then next day, no, I
come in the kitchen and there's just wings stop, just
all over the floor. I'll just breck ranch sauce on
the floor. I mean, just like, just mop these floors.
I just got them clean after Thanksgiving and then here
comes Phil makes a mess. Luckily they didn't. They got
chicken fingers and they're not like you two freaks eat
chicken bones. Yeah, there was no chicken bones.
Speaker 2: Thank god, because that's the first thing I thought.
Speaker 1: That's the first thing I thought. I was like, oh,
had wing stop. And then she's like, no, we didn't
have any chicken bones. There was no chicken bones. And
I guess they finished it, so there wasn't really much
for him to eat, so he ate. Yes, yes, exactly,
So I'm waiting for him. I just looked over, can't you.
Speaker 2: Want to be like, we do love our wings? That's
making me want wings. I didn't eat breakfast this morning.
Speaker 1: No, now you're hungry for wings stop.
Speaker 3: I'll go to like a different burger place and get
fries and then just stop by wing Stop to pick
up the ranch.
Speaker 1: Really.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's suck.
Speaker 1: It's back.
Speaker 3: It's the best. It's the best.
Speaker 1: Oh, that's really funny.
Speaker 3: Well, Phil's set, but their wings are. You know what's
funny about wingstop? Actually not? The one topic is it
varies by location to location. Oh so when I lived
in Burbank, there's one on Burbank right off the five,
and it's the best wing stop and it's so good.
And then I moved down to Long Beach and the
three right around me horrible.
Speaker 1: Oh.
Speaker 3: I would go there and eat them and put me
off wings for really like two months and then I
go back. But yeah, so I don't have any good
wing stops around me. Now, it's a bum.
Speaker 1: Some places are hit and miss, Like Sonny has. You
know he loves Chipoltle, but he was craving it when
he got back in town because the one by him
in Oregon. He's like, it sucks, like the guacamole's brown.
It's just not good. And there is there's places that
are hit and miss sometimes.
Speaker 2: Now, speaking of Chipotley. I used to my My family
loves Chipotle, and for the longest time, there's something about
it that I just don't love and I don't know
what it is. But I would get their bowls and
I would eat it, but I wasn't I never craved it.
I was never like, Ooh, let's get Chipotle. I don't
know something about the salsa that I don't like, and
something about the Yeah, I agree the chicken it's very heavy,
and I would, but I discovered their casadea. It is
so good. They have a chicken caesadea. It's insane, and
then you get it. I get it with rice, sour
cream and the pico, and I don't know why, but
I really like the pico when it's combined with those.
And now I think about that, like, really, yeah, you
get rice inside your casadea. No, not inside, it's like
you get you can order a casadea and you get
you can choose like three sides.
Speaker 1: Right, so I get so and it's really good. I
don't like is it healthy, Probably.
Speaker 2: Not, but it's delicious. Yeah. Last night I made this
is I got this recipe from Robin, but then I
make it my own. A little bit, but I made
cup crazy sandwiches. Oh yeah, my kids love them, and
I'll make an extra and then they can take it
for lunch the next day, because they're even better when
they've gotten cold and sat in the refrigerator for a while.
But you just take these these rolls that you get
a Trader Joe's. They're like baguettes, but they're kind of
medium sized. They're not like a long bagette. It's like
a medium sized bread. And then I buy five of
those if Elbie's home, and then you just you pop
them in the oven for like five minutes, and then
olive oil, vinegar, and then some of that glaze, like
balsamic glaze. Then I get the like brown tomatoes that
come at a pack of like five.
Speaker 1: They're kind of like beef beef steak burritos, but they're
I mean tomatoes, but they're brown. But they're kind of small. Yeah, yeah,
they're small.
Speaker 2: They look like vine tomatoes, but they're brown tomatoes. They're
very tasty. And then I put tomato on there, and
then I get the sliced mozzarella log mozzarella apparently I
pronounced I said no chi yet it's yolki it's yolky yuki,
and people were kind of mad that you didn't correct.
Speaker 1: Me, like you just sat there.
Speaker 2: They're like, I was, you're Italian and you didn't even
stop her.
Speaker 1: I was gonna say something, but I don't know that
was cute the way you were saying it. No Chi.
I was like, I'm just like, I let her go
so fine down on Facebook.
Speaker 2: Fund to find out it's so funny their pronunciations.
Speaker 1: That's fine.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it does always throw me when people go l though,
like even if they're Italian. When every whenever Gary Delabate
says it like that what she always does he does.
Speaker 1: I know, I moutarel and also prajute I call it,
but people got perjuto and now it's prejut. I mean
the way my parents say it. But but then I
try not to do that because I don't want to
make people cringe, like Kalen I say mozzarella.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I won't be having to say milki very
often anyways. I'm never making that recipe again.
Speaker 3: You want to upgrade that sandwich a little bit though.
His Trader Joe's has a really good pesto chicken. I
have fallen in love with over the past couple of months.
It's you just stick it in the oven. It's really good.
And the leftovers I'll slice those up and make like
a chicken capraise sandwich, pesto chicken cupras sandwich. Man, it's
so good.
Speaker 1: I can teach you how to make pesto sauce. It's easy.
That sounds good. Yeah, it's just like it's just all uh.
I don't know. I got it written down, but I
and used to make it by scratch. Oh wow. And
I think it's like garl it's EA's either it's easy,
it's not that many ingredients and you just blend it
all together. What is it it's I think it's like garlic,
olive oil, uh, basil, I think something just a couple
it's not that much. Yeah, it's good. That sounds good.
Speaker 3: This one comes. It comes like already. But it's a
really easy dinner too. I mean, okay, I don't make
it and you make it, but yeah, it comes. You
just take out the pack and throw an oven and
it's really good. Pesto chicken that sounds I recommend the trader.
Speaker 1: That sounds good. On the sandwich.
Speaker 2: I know what you're talking about. I can picture it.
They sell it by where they sell the Poyo soda
that it's like comes in like a package.
Speaker 3: We don't have any trader. Joe's next to us, which
is yeah, we have to drive kind of far for
a trader. I never want to do that.
Speaker 1: Say what a sad story. It doesn't break.
Speaker 2: Let's talk about Oak Essentials. So this is a new
skincare line that we're that are sponsoring us, and it
is really good. And you guys might remember a couple
of weeks ago, I was talking about Xander starting acutane
and really upset about how dry his skin was. So
I broke open my Oak Essentials oil. I'm telling you,
he was like, what is this magic elixir that I
am putting on my skin? It made him feel so
much better. And now we're sharing it because he loves it.
He's boguarding it. But it's really really nice. I love
a skin oil.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I do too.
Speaker 2: Perfect for your face. It's very light, you know what
I mean. It's not like a heavy it's not greasy.
Speaker 1: It's really nice.
Speaker 2: This is like a high end but affordable skincare line.
Speaker 1: And they have the Oak Essentials Moisture Rich Bomb, which
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effective that in a four week study, ninety percent of
participants said their skin appeared instantly glowy after one use,
which is an interesting Yes.
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you it is really really nice. It's very different than
like your typical skincare lines. You should really try it.
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Speaker 1: Nice.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so, oh my god. Back to school this morning.
Speaker 1: For my kids.
Speaker 2: So they have two weeks then they're off again for three.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I know my kids are going to be off
soon too. They are yeah, like in like two weeks,
I think. So.
Speaker 2: Same with Elbe, except for with ELB, she doesn't have
any official finals. She has a final project. She's going
to be done by this coming weekend. So she's like,
I could really and then she'll be off for five.
Speaker 1: Weeks, right, isn't that crazy? Yeah, that's I mean I've
had a lot of LB I know, more school. Yeah,
don't she love school? Yeah?
Speaker 3: I know.
Speaker 1: And the thing is it's, yeah, like with elb and
Italian and they're local, but with Sonny, I gotta fly
him back and then fly him back again. I know,
Like I wish he could just stay, you know, right home,
but he's got to take tests and stuff. He's got
to go back. Yeah, but he's only going back for
like a week or two. Yeah, and then he's back.
I know.
Speaker 2: See, I was very concerned with the idea of having
a kid.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: My friend's daughter is in Kansas and she she got
really sick a couple of times, and my friend had
to fly out there and then fly her back and
then fly It's like, that's not got to be a
lot of money and fly oh when your kids out
out of state.
Speaker 1: Suzanne's doing it with Gracie. Yeah, she just flew back
only for like three or four days for the weekend
from New York, going back, and then she's going to
come back in a couple of weeks for the for
the month. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, to be off for a month, that's a lot.
But then you don't want to, I guess, not have
your kid come home for Thanksgiving?
Speaker 1: Right, So what do you do? I know, Yeah, there's
I mean it is part of the you know, kind
of built it into the cost of sending your kids
off to school, you know, Yeah, I guess.
Speaker 2: So.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel very lucky that LB's local. Yeah nit
Sunny on his way back from coming home for the
for Thanksgiving, there was that whole tonight. Yeah. I had
to switch his flights. Yeah, I told you about that. Yeah,
and now I had to cancel his flight today. Luckily
I got a refundable ticket, but I had to cancel
his flight today until he's until he can tell me
when he can travel go back home.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, because he'll have to like carry bags so
he can't really be.
Speaker 1: Like And he lives in a three story apartment building
with no elevator. Oh yeah, he used to go up
this he's on the third floor. Oh geez. Yeah, it's
a lot of stairs where he lives. I know, I
don't know what.
Speaker 2: How do they not have an elevator? Don't they have
to no elevator. They don't put him kids on the
third floor, I guess.
Speaker 1: Because they do have a they do have a ramp.
They have a wheelchair ramp to get into the building.
But there's no no, you got to go, believe you me.
And when I moved him in was up and down
those stairs. Yeah, it's unpleasant, I know. So this weekend
my girlfriends from ABC are coming over, so I'm hosting
another party get together. Oh wow, okay for the holidays. Yeah,
so I'm trying to the house. I had the house
clean then everybody came over this weekend. They just left, Yes,
well Italian her friends left yesterday, had vacuum clean. So
now I'm gonna do it all over again. But I'm
looking forward to my girlfriends to come over because they
haven't seen my new place yet. My friends from ABC,
my girl because we always do usually around December time
somebody's house, we have the hall like get together. Now
don is part of that group, right? No? Oh she's not. No,
she's my old school friend from high school. She never
words why I thought that down was like part of
that group? Does she knows some of the ABC? Well no,
because Suzanne, I got a job at ABC and Melissa okay,
I got a job at at ABC.
Speaker 2: Okay, because I do feel like like you and Suzanne
have discussed down before yea, and so I I think
I grouped them everybody together in behind.
Speaker 1: Yeah, because Don we grew up with Don, right and
then and Susanne knows her, right. But then also Susanne
knows my ABC girls because she's still at Disney right yeah.
And Melissa worked there. I got her a job there. Oh,
I got my friends got a job. I got like
three people jobs there. They're still there. Oh wow, I know. Yeah,
but it's fun, like to see everybody. You know, we're
on a group chat and stuff. So I haven't seen
a couple of them in a long time. But yeah,
I'll be excited for that. When is that Saturday?
Speaker 2: Sis?
Speaker 1: Saturday? Yeah, December seventh.
Speaker 2: So this Saturday, Xander and Sadie have their big music
concert thing. Oh yeah, yeah. So you know how for
the big Fall festival thing we had, you know how,
I was in charge of like the items and doing
all that, So I'm also in charge of it for
this show.
Speaker 1: I gotta tell you, when.
Speaker 2: You're doing your own thing, it is so much less stressful. Like, yeah,
you haven't heard me complain about it. Why because I'm
in charge like that one person has anything to do
with it. Nobody's telling me what to do. I got
my own items, Like for the raffle, I put out
something to the parents asking for gift cards, and so
I'm getting some gift that'll be one of the opportunity drawings.
I'm doing some of our Kelsey's fern candles.
Speaker 1: Yes, that's our basket.
Speaker 2: That's what I did for the last one and people
loved it.
Speaker 1: I'm doing.
Speaker 2: Some video game headphones I have. I'm doing anyway. I
have like good items and like doing another raffle. Well,
it's because the music show is one of the big
events of the year. So I'm like, why not take
advantage of Like that's true. Let people buy some raffles.
It's a quick way to make some extra money for
the event. And people love it. Yeah, people love an
opportunity drawing, right, get a get a thing from like
Trader Joe's with a big, big bag of food.
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 2: People people love like to compete for stuff. I think
it's fun. And then we'll sell like pizza and we
do a bake sale and then the kids. It's a
super freaking long show. So that's this Saturday. Then the
next Saturday. Get ready everybody, because it's Xander's first speech
and debate event.
Speaker 1: Oh you know, mom is going to be a judge.
Oh I can't wait. And now, so you know, I
got a new computer by right, Yeah, I feel like
you were just a judge like a month ago.
Speaker 2: I know it's been a long time. Yeah, it's been
before the end of the last school year. Yeah, okay,
I haven't done it since probably May. Okay, I didn't
do it for the state qualifiers, so April May at
the very latest, but probably April.
Speaker 1: And now it's December. So you're signed up to be
a having like withdrawal.
Speaker 2: Well, they haven't put out a call for judges, but
they always need they need people. So and so as
soon as I got a new computer, I was like,
all right, let's go, let's go. I'm going to be
a judge. I got a computer because remember my battery.
I had to like borrow Xander's computer and the space
bar didn't work, so it was like I had to
constantly keep relogging into it, you know, and he has
some really long password.
Speaker 1: You know.
Speaker 2: It was like Xander loves toast and avocado one, two.
Speaker 1: Three, four five, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2: It was like, oh no, So every time I go
to log back on, it would be like, please enter
your password because you know, the computers these days, they
have a touch so you just touch the key, right,
But I'm not You're not authorized, So I would have
to every time, and I have i'd ever written down
because I'm eighty, so i'd have to go back to
the notes app on my phone and like.
Speaker 1: Xander loves avocado, No toast.
Speaker 2: An avocado like and then you know, meanwhile I'm trying
to judge, but like I've just gotten blogged out of.
Speaker 1: The computer again.
Speaker 2: So now I'm like, yeah, I got my own computer
that works nice, nice super pod.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm pomped. Two weeks. Two weeks, that's us. Where's
it at? Is it at their school? I don't know,
I don't know. Somewhere it'll be fairly local.
Speaker 2: And it's all day right, Oh yeah, it's all day early.
Oh you got to get there at like by eight am. Yeah,
you don't get out of there till like seven, right,
I don't care.
Speaker 1: Yeah, they feed you.
Speaker 2: It's freaking fun. Yeah, I don't know why I love
it so much. I do because it's fun. Did you
get to be a judge.
Speaker 1: To judge stuff?
Speaker 2: And there's no real rhyme or reason, Like the kids
complained about this, there's no real rubric for why their
speech is good. It's really totally subjective, which is great
for me because I'm like, I don't know why I
liked it.
Speaker 1: I just liked it.
Speaker 2: I give anybody who's funny, they automatically get like at
the top because like I like funny, you know, I'm
sure there's other people that are like that person made
me cry, so that's going to be at the top
of the list. I'm like, nope, you make me laugh
once you're at the bottom. I'm just kidding if somebody
made me cry. And it's but it is subjective. It's
like I remember this one kid that was like super
over the top, like very performative, and they were I
like them, and I liked what was in their speech,
but they didn't definitely weren't near the top of my
thing because I was like too much, you know. But
then you go to see the you know, at the
end they do the awards ceremony, and that kid had ranked,
was like, took first place in the category that I
had been one of the judges. But they do several
rounds and they have different judges, so I was like, well,
I guess I'm alone.
Speaker 1: So don't you feel I remember then when you first
did it, like the very first couple rounds you judged, right,
you were like, I don't know. I love them all.
They were so good.
Speaker 2: The very first one that I ever judged. Every single
kid was amazing. Yeah, and I had to stop. I
was like, hold on a minute, guys, wait, did wait
this is? It was called original? I think it's called original,
like oratory, which is oh oh called And I was like,
hold on you guys, but did somebody write this, Like
is this a speech that's already written?
Speaker 1: And they were like.
Speaker 2: No, no, I should have already known that because but
I was a new judge. Yeah, so I didn't have
a lot of time to see what every category is.
But I was like, but no, but seriously, like somebody
wrote like you had help. They're like, no, this is
an original thing that we wrote. And I was like,
this is freaking crazy.
Speaker 1: It's too good. There's categories.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, So actually that first one was called opp
which is original prose and poetry. But it was like
almost like storytelling. This kid told a story from the
perspective just to remind you of a brother of two
brothers that were in the in a concentration camp. Wow,
it was so intense it made me cry. It was
like the most amazing and I was like, how are
these kids in high school?
Speaker 1: This is insane.
Speaker 2: And then another kid that was also one of my favorites,
did a story about from a father's perspective of losing
his son to a mass shooting. My god, it was like,
I mean, but the way and it's like, all so
the way they present it because it's speech, you know,
so he's like doing like he's typing and it's a
dad like typing a letter basically to his son who died.
And it was like, I mean, I was crying on
that one. Two those two I had them tied for
number one. I just and I gave them both a
hundred and I was like, I don't know that no
notes ten out of ten, Like I don't know what
to say. I can't give you because you're supposed to critique,
but I was like I got no critique, Like I
couldn't do this so good. But then once I judged
a few rounds, then you see some of the stinkers. Okay,
one girl did not have it memorized at all. They're
supposed to have it completely memorized. One girl was like
just reading and not even sounding like a good like
she was not even a good cold reading. It was
like somebody had handed. She was just reading and stumbling
over words and stuff. And I was like, I asked
somebody what happened, Like why is she reading it?
Speaker 1: And then they.
Speaker 2: Said, oh, sometimes people just want to qualify, they have
to take part in the event, and she probably just
wrote it recently and didn't have time to memorize it.
Speaker 1: So she was yeah, well she could be new at it.
I guess right, I guess so.
Speaker 2: And are they supposed to perform it or they yeah,
you know, they're supposed to perform memorize it.
Speaker 1: No, they're supposed to perform it. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2: So Xander's been working on his speech, which I love
the topic of. You know, he's doing a speech about well,
what's the other categories? Well, there's something called duos, which
he was in last year, which is like two people
and they perform a piece from some sort of It
could be an old radio show, it's something that's been
written before. It could be they can take something from
a movie. Xander and his partner did something from did
a scene from Trolls Last time? And I want to
do our episodes of like I know, listen to one
of our best episode.
Speaker 1: Best of an attacky episode, perform that story. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Well, they can do a speech that's already been a
speech that's called declamation.
Speaker 1: I think.
Speaker 2: So that's anything that's been like a famous speech, right,
like you could do Martin Luther King, you could do
I have a dream speech, and then they have to
take a chunk of it and memorize it and then
deliver it.
Speaker 1: I see. Okay, with all the feeling of like you.
Speaker 2: Know, right, then there's something called original oratory, and that
is I believe what Xander's doing. So there's which is basically,
you have you are talking about a topic that you
feel passionate about that's like a problem in society you
don't know, and you're and how to maybe another way
to look at it, or you can have solutions. So
Xander is doing I believe he's doing that. And original
oratory and it's about like toxic masculinity, okay, and how
we need to change our like how damaging it is
that men are taught to like not cry, and that
they have to like all these messages that men get
that they can't be vulnerable, and how if we could
change some of that, you know, and how that causes
depression in men, and how changing our view of that
and allowing men to be vulnerable would lead to less
health problems in men.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's great. Oh excited.
Speaker 2: Yeah, let's take a quick break.
Speaker 1: Okay, we're back. We're back. Oh that's exciting. I wish
I could see. Don't they need another judge? They probably do.
I want to do. I could be like, I want
to bring a friend, she'll judge. They probably let you.
I would love to.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I can't judge. I can't obviously judge.
Speaker 1: Any kids from our school. So it's very specific. That's right.
There's kids from all it's all schools, all local schools.
And is there any debate? Twenty schools there? So there is.
Speaker 2: It's I know it's called speech and debate and there
is a but I think the debate is a separate, whole,
separate event.
Speaker 1: Do you know Caitlin.
Speaker 2: I've never been able to totally figure it out, but
I don't there's no debate going on. There is something
called spar where you can sign up for. Okay, so
Xander's also competing in another event, which is a duo
improv ah Fun, which is a new event this year,
which I guess they just give them a topic and
then they have to create a scene. They have like
they give them a two minutes to create a scene.
Speaker 1: Right then and there. Yeah wow, and he has a
partner too.
Speaker 2: So there's an another thing called impromptu, which is where
you are given a topic and you have two minutes
to come up with an entire speech.
Speaker 1: Holy shit, Like you don't write it, but like there's
a way that they do it. It looks really hard
to me. And I did judge that round. So they
don't write it. They had to have It could be anything.
Speaker 2: It could be like, Okay, you get three choices, so
the kids come up, so they you get as a
judge ahead of time, you get like three choices for
them and then you show them and it could be
like automobiles, thanksgiving, marine life, yeah, podcasts, and then they
have to then they can go pick one. Then they
go sit down and they think for two minutes, and
then they have to deliver a five minute speech.
Speaker 1: Oh my god, that sounds so hard. These kids were
so good. I bet I was like, I don't I
can never do that. That's a good skill to have.
It's a really good skill to have, really good. I
think every kid should have to take something like that.
Speaker 2: You cannot imagine, though, how good these kids were. They'd
be like okay, and then you go, you have to go.
You give them, you time them two minutes, and then
you're like, okay, time's up. And then they go okay,
and then you start the timer at their first word,
and then they'll go, Hi, my name is so and
so and I'm going to be speaking about Wales today.
And then they have to have an introduction to their speech,
which is like a personal story, like it could be
like you know, when I was little, I you know,
one time I went to the beach and I, you know,
or it's and then they have to relate it like
it could be. It has to be kind of it
can't be like when I was a kid. I the
first movie I ever saw was Free Willie, right, and
that always sparked my love of what, No, it can't.
Speaker 1: It has to be like has to tie everything together,
to tie it together.
Speaker 2: And then you have to say, I'm going to be
speaking about Wales today, and I'm going to be using
an example from a poe from a poem by so
and so, and also the movie Free Willie and this
blah blah blah, and I'm gonna tie I'm gonna give
it right.
Speaker 1: You're like, amazing, Wow, this is amazing.
Speaker 2: I'm like, I can't remember what I had for breakfast
this morning, and you're remember like coming up with ideas.
You can't look at any notes. That's great, that's it great,
And you just have to talk for a full five minutes,
just insane, and they tie it together like it's never
it's not like a normal thing where you beat where
you're like okay, time, Like you can't tell them, oh really,
you can give them a you have thirty seconds, huh,
and then you can give them you have fifteen seconds,
and then that's it and.
Speaker 1: They have to wrap it up and tie it all together.
Do they have do you have? You do? They ever
like run out of things to say and go like
uh yeah, so uh no, no.
Speaker 2: I haven't seen it I mean I only I only
judged the event once, but there were like eleven kids
that did it, and not one of them that's insane,
made a mistake.
Speaker 1: Or did they have a clock that they're looking at. No,
that's the thing, so they don't they can't tell Nope,
they just have to look to the You have one judge.
You judge it with a couple of people, and one
judge gives them the topics, and one judge gives times. Wow,
but it's amazing.
Speaker 2: Just give them a like thirty seconds and then like
what for these kids is that that's a good skill.
I think it's a good skill to have, you know,
and you have to come up with things and have
to talk about them.
Speaker 1: I'd love to see a debate, That's what I'd like
to see.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I can't. I know, I'm like super excited about it.
But it really is like mock trial except for I mean,
I get so excited when I get an event to
judge because oh, didn't you.
Speaker 1: Get mad last time because you are like waiting and waiting, yes,
and you weren't getting.
Speaker 2: Because apparently I didn't have enough experience. Because this was
the state qualifiers, so they really wanted experience judges. So
I only got like two events.
Speaker 1: The whole day out of it. I was actually ten hours.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and the event is only like thirty minutes, so
it was very irritating.
Speaker 1: Yeah, maybe forty five minutes. Yeah.
Speaker 2: So I was like, the rest of the time, you're
just sitting in a room talking to moms.
Speaker 1: We'd hate that. Oh god. Yeah. I mean I had
a friend with me right whose kid was she judging too?
She was judging too.
Speaker 2: So I met this mom who's now like a pretty
close friend of mine.
Speaker 1: Oh really, do I ever tell you this story?
Speaker 2: So I got a message on Instagram from a woman
who was like, this is crazy. She was like, but
I read your book. I read Drunkish, And at the
end of the book, she goes, I looked you up.
I found you on I looked you up, and I
realized that we know each other. Our kids go to
the same school, and we judge speech and debate together.
Speaker 1: Oh my god. And I was like, oh my god,
that's so crazy. Wow, she had no idea until the end. No,
that's so funny.
Speaker 2: And then we had like other weird stuff in common. Really, yes, yes,
isn't that? Like both had a trans kid wow. Yeah,
so now we like totally hang out.
Speaker 1: That's nice. Is she gonna be there this year? I
got it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll make sure she does. Yeah, but so different.
And then I have another friend because Sadie used to
be friends with her daughter for years. I think I
told you this, and she goes and does all the
judging too. But now we're not allowed to judge each
other's kid.
Speaker 1: Oh.
Speaker 2: They're very careful about that. If they find out that
you know somebody, you could get in trouble. So you
have to put your conflicts so you can't judge any
kids from your school. And then you if you know
somebody or somebody's kid, a flag it ahead of time
so that they won't put you on those kids events.
Speaker 1: That's good.
Speaker 2: Keep it fair, yeah, except for be cool if like,
you know, would you imagine if you became the Marty
singer of what's that guy's name? The coach, oh that
was signing up all the kids that's.
Speaker 1: Getting into the school to Harvard. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
you just started this whole ring.
Speaker 2: I got friends in to come in and be false
judges and score everybody's kids really high that are paying us.
Yeah they would yeah, the parents would come pay you.
I charge a lot of money for that, though, you would. Yeah,
I'd be like, okay, first thing we need to do
is get your kids to rank really high in speech
and debates. Very important costs extra right, it's like an
extra ten grand right. Oh, you'd make a lot of
money doing that.
Speaker 1: I know. Well, we'd have to delete this episode though,
like too late, too late. No, I know.
Speaker 2: I wouldn't want to get busted. How did he get busted?
Speaker 1: Again?
Speaker 3: Uh?
Speaker 1: I don't I just saw a nightline or something where
he's out, he got out of prison and he's out already. Yeah,
he's out and the reporter was interviewing him, and I
think he got busted. I don't remember. Maybe Caitlin can
look it up. What was his name, Jeff Singer? I
think Singer.
Speaker 2: I think it was Jeff Singer, So Singer is right,
I think it is Singer.
Speaker 1: Yeah. What was the name of the Varsity Varsity Blues? Operation?
Varsity Blues is what the cops called it, right, Yeah?
I think that? Yeah, Singer, Marty Ray, just keep going
Rick Singer. Yeah. See see if we have an.
Speaker 3: Update, I'm seeing another guy named Martin. How did they
get involved in the Arsity Blue scandal.
Speaker 1: It was mainly Rick Singer though. Yeah, how did they
get busted it?
Speaker 3: Says Martin. Fox was sentenced to three months in prison,
three months of home confinement, community service, two and fifty grand.
Speaker 1: But the interesting thing he said in this interview was, uh,
she He was like, yeah, we ran a great operation.
And she said something like would you do it again?
He goes, oh, I'm already doing again. Like there's what
meaning like he's not doing it, but there's there's He
gets phone calls, he said, he gets phone calls all
the time because they want parents want to do it.
He constantly is getting phone calls still to this day.
You think it would be scary to see that people
got busted in and it actually went to prison. Yeah,
but also the parents, Yeah, the parents went to prison.
Oh yeah, remember what's her Felicity Felicity Huffman and the
other one. Did she go to jail? Yeah? They both
did the full House Chick and Felicity Huffman. They went
to jail for like, I don't know, a couple of days.
Speaker 2: Imagine like your parent going to jail. I know that's
over trying to get you into a good school.
Speaker 3: Right, although the jail she went to was one of
those like camps. Yeah, they're playing tennis, yeah every time.
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah. It wasn't a real in.
Speaker 2: Their free time yeah, which is all free time.
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, it was a did say anything?
Speaker 3: Well, Rick Singer got sentenced to three point five years
in prison, and.
Speaker 1: Did he already do them? I guess you probably got.
Speaker 3: Twenty twenty three, so it probably took a while for sentencing.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, he's out. He's out, and he's still
getting calls. Yeah. I wonder if.
Speaker 2: He's like doing it again. I wonder if they're watching him.
Speaker 1: Oh, I'm sure they're watching him. I'm I don't think
he's doing it again, but there could be somebody else
doing it. Maybe he's referring to the somebody else. He's
a consultant, now yeah he is.
Speaker 3: No, I just made that.
Speaker 1: Oh no, he's a consultant for something.
Speaker 2: I think you'd think he would be not allowed to
do anything in that field, right. You know some of
those parents, like their kids didn't even want to go.
What the girl Olivia Jade or whatever, remember that we
would make fun of because she had that YouTube thing.
Speaker 1: She went to.
Speaker 2: Not UCLA but USC oh yeah, remember and then she.
Speaker 1: Was like, hey, guys, it's me Olivia.
Speaker 2: I'm in my darm room, like you know what, I've
got these thread count sheets for my Like it was all.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and she would say she was like Abby didn't
want to go to class. Yes, yeah, oh boy those
videos turn around and bit her but yeah, he he,
he would take those pictures. It was crazy what what
they were doing. I think I think one of the
coaches at a school got fired, and I think that
he because he got fired, flipped on him. Oh, because
he had coaches in his back, right, yes, yeah, yeah,
the rowing team, Yeah, the roaches, oh yeah, water polo.
I'm sure yeah. And I feel bad some of those
kids didn't know their parents were doing that.
Speaker 2: I know.
Speaker 1: Could you imagine doing that for LB and then she
not know and then next thing you know, you're going
to jail because of it.
Speaker 2: I mean, that would just be so insane. Yeah, it
was crazy, and then your kid feels bad because they
don't even know if they could have gotten in on
their own. Probably some of these kids could have.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess, I don't know. Yeah, maybe not like
captain of the rowing team with that, but I don't know.
The whole thing was crazy.
Speaker 2: The way parents are though, a lot of parents about
the whole college process. People get very caught throat and
competitive about getting their kids into certain schools, and parents
with a lot of disposable income.
Speaker 1: I don't know if.
Speaker 2: It's the same as like the cheating part, but people
do pay upwards these college counselors. People pay for this
top level, and I got to I have a feeling
that they write the kid's essays for them, Like well.
Speaker 1: They had like a proxy or whatever that sat with
the kid and while they were taking tests and s
giving them answers help them cheat, or they had people
take the test text test for them. Yeah, yeah, what
a racket.
Speaker 2: Go in with a different ida or whatever and then
they go take the test.
Speaker 1: You must have made a ton of money. You made
a lot of money doing that. Think about what you
could charge these parents if they're willing to do that shit.
Speaker 2: I know, yeah, it's really rich people. No, I want
to do it. I want to figure out how to
we should just get ask him, like, what's like a
lower level way I could do it, Like like I
will promise to get kids into like a state school.
Speaker 1: You know what I mean? Or you could do the
speech and debate thing. You could start there, start small,
just do regional.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, help, but like how do you get I
mean I'd have to like contact some people that their
kids go, you know, and then just be like, hey,
like do you want your kid to do like or
how good a parent are you?
Speaker 1: Like do you really care about your kid doing well?
It's speech and debate because yes, because if you get
to like want to kick over some money.
Speaker 2: But then I got to get in with the bit
with the like top of the people that run it,
because I have to be like, hey, there's you know,
a thousand for you if you put me on such
and such events and if you let let me bring
a friend because then.
Speaker 1: Her we can grease her palm right right, Yeah, there's money,
and yeah, I'll get kids from all over they start
reading all and then work, yes, work your way out. Yeah,
let's hope no nobody listens to the show on the
speech and dedy, we got some work to do. I'm
gonna you know what I'm gonna do.
Speaker 2: I'm just going to start by putting like flyers on
people's cars, you.
Speaker 1: Know what I mean, Like speech and debate day, Yes,
in the parking lot. Yes, don't waste your time at
Ralphs be like look today.
Speaker 2: Like I don't know I need time. The next time,
I'll get a fake like Google you know account, email account, Yeah,
fix speech, you know, fix the speech and then yeah,
just call me and I'll fill you in.
Speaker 1: Yeah. You don't want to say too much on those
tabs that you pull on the flyer, right right, I
don't want to tip anybody off. Just hey, him, is
this important to you?
Speaker 2: Contact me and let's talk for next time, you know, yeah, yeah,
then I would probably also just go like, but while
I'm at it, like if you could make sure that
I have like some better snacks like in the judges room, right,
you know what I mean, Like besides all the money
that you have to pay me. Also just like yes
stock and have a ride's candy, like yes, yeah, yeah,
a writer for the judges room. Then people are like,
why is there like such nice stuff here?
Speaker 1: All of a sudden, this is we.
Speaker 2: Thought we just ordered Jersey mics, but all of a
sudden there's like stonefire grill as we brought in And
I'm like, I don't know, I know nothing.
Speaker 1: I know who can play you in the movie when
you get busted and go to jail. Win Ona Writer,
Oh my god, yes, that wouldn't have be good casting. Yes, yeah, yes,
writer could play you. Mm hmm, I love it all right, Well, okay,
we got work to do.
Speaker 2: We do, but you know what else we need to
do is give a shout out to our Patreon listeners
like Dick Frolicking and Kelly Lottie Done, Katie's rolling, Nikki
call your girl, Elizabeth Williamson, she's got a lot of kids,
and Rita Bassinette Roxham and Polly we love your pancakes,
and Valerie Bubba Fenwick hits it out of.
Speaker 1: The park and Katerina you know, cal Gabby and Missy.
Well we're going to be using them in our ring. Yes, yes,
well you know what they can pass the.
Speaker 2: Exactly yeshanfage Pei, congratulations on your.
Speaker 1: Baby, Rebecca new but it's so cute. Kelly Brandt, She's
gonna help you out.
Speaker 2: Alicia Scalante from the City of All Monty Leslie with
the coughing already stop. Sarah's Theefano, She's our Paisano. Aaron's
a dirty Sanchez. Jennifer, get up, she fell. Sandra's not
easy being green and Jacob You're Growley.
Speaker 1: We adore you. I love Jacob.
Speaker 2: Now, Christa is giving her shout to for the Chase
Haley Project Chase ah l e Y that is hopefully
to break down the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health
in Ohio. It's dedicated to her friend who lost her
son to suicide. Thank you, Christa. Lorie Bishop speaking of
Oh my God, Ury Bishop's son can be part of
this too. He came up with the Better Test Prep
Act Guide.
Speaker 1: Oh we got a better plan for you.
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, but if you want to go the like
legit way, go ahead and get this guide.
Speaker 1: If you want to actually do the work, yeah.
Speaker 2: He came up with a motivation guide and test taking
tips and a curated YouTube playlist for each section. Go
to bit dot l y slash Better test Prep okay,
and the insta is better dot test dot Prep. Also,
go sign up at medium dot com so you can
read my friends stories at Unbecoming Stories.
Speaker 1: Okay, just go check it out.
Speaker 2: I think you maybe you'll be able to read one
for free so you can see what you're getting into
unat Unbecoming Stories. Also, The Family Skeptical is a podcast
about raising kids with no religion. You're not gonna want
to have religion when you get into.
Speaker 1: Our illegal business. You know you're not gonna.
Speaker 2: Want to be bogged down by, like you're not ethical concerns.
So listen to that podcast Family Skeptical. Also go to
Willmanfrida if you're in the Palm Springs or Palm Desert area.
It's a wonderful, yummy food restaurant.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh. Also, get ready for the holidays with
Basic Becky. Go to just Basic.
Speaker 2: Beecky dot com and get a fun T shirt, get
a mug, get a mouse pad.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I do it every year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I gotta get on that myself. Also, Adam Lerner
can help you get a car.
Speaker 1: He's a car broker.
Speaker 2: Go to Adam's Got a Car dot com to find
out how he can help you free in the state
of California. There's a fee in other states, but he
will save you so much money that it will all
even out and he takes all the pain out of
buying a car. And Ferncandle dot com. I already talked
about that earlier. Kelsey, she runs a really good business.
Speaker 1: With Canada candles burning over the weekend the house smelled
so good. I love it. Yeah, it's a renewable source
and they last. Yeah, they last a long time. Yeah.
All right, thanks everybody, Thank you Caylin. Let you guys, yup,
you're a parent now, don't have it up. It's good.
Speaker 3: Many