Ep. 11 'Ain't Nobody Got Time For That-Super Special Guest Christine Freeman

0:04 Hey, Gary, good morning, Good morning. Did you just roll out of bed? Well, I'm not going to gossip, but no, I've actually I have enough for a couple hours. Oh, I was winning. I wanted to gossip. I wanted to talk about the roll in the bed. Well, when I get one, i'll let you know. I thought you got somebody to leave cash on the nightstand before they left, right, yeah they did. No, totally, Kevin. Please, how's your weekend going. It's good. You know, we're definitely in winter here in the Bay Area. We had this is day five of a reported five day storm. Although it's clear out right now.

0:48 I heard you're getting humbled with rain. Friday was really the day that was pretty bad. I mean, that's the day I was thankful that I no longer have to get in my car and drive across the Golden Gabris to work. I could stay home because every time I looked out the window, it was a downpour and the worst streets that were flooding, and some of the highways were flooding, road closures, and you know, it's pretty bad. But I'm not sure what's coming this week, but you know it is winter. Well, speaking of that, well a they better not stop my wine from shipping at Asnoma because I've ordered some wine over the weekends, so they better get it. You've got your priorities over. To me, and I mean that's all that matters to me right now. So what are we talking about this week? Well, we have a guest coming on shortly and we'll have a nice conversation with her.

1:34 Yes, well you know, we know that, we know, and if you know, you know exactly and we nobody got time for that. As the say, so, we're gonna take a short little break and come back or what's the Yeah. We're gonna take a short little break and come back. Get the money off the nightstand and we'll break pleave to get to count it. No singles this time, only fives and twenties, tens, five and twenties.

2:27 And we're back. How much did you get? Ah? Oh please, I'm not one to count the cash, okay, I. Trust that it's all there. As long as you can make the rent the mortgage payment, that's all that matters. Welcome to Donn and Gary do in sixty. I'm Evana Huvah and you are film a crackt. We're here to unwrap and unpack navigating the world at sixty know this age, however that is. You can find us sixty two. How old are you. I'm not gonna I'm trying to say read something here, so I'll tell you that later. But you can find us on a script. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever amazing podcasts are found. We're on Instagram at Don and Gary Doing sixty. And if you want to see the actual goods like Gary showed last night, you can see us on YouTube on five for Pod.

3:25 So if you look at the five for pod and look for Don and Gary doing sixty, that's how you find us, because we've got some feedback that you might not be able to find the podcast easily on YouTube. So five for Pod Donn and Gary doing sixty and we're done. And then yeah, yeah, and then once you subscribe that it'll come. Up all the time exactly, so subscribe, no pressure, pressure. So anyway, yes, it's been fun week. It's actually you know what's funny, it's it's finally gotten to the point here where the weather has shifted. Because I was wearing shorts to work and all the time throughout the day at the end of November, because this is basically what the week before Thanksgiving, right, Yeah, so it's been I'm kind of like, come on, let's get cold already. I got some casume to put it on because I can't.

4:07 You know, I was wearing shorts. But you've been pummeled a little bit. And I'm sure you've been wearing sweaters for months or weeks. Oh yeah, I mean I've you know, like I've got the sweatshirt on. I've actually brought out the blanket. When I sleep is before I select the sheet and the and the comforter, but how to add that extra layer. So and I wear socks because my feet get really cold when I'm sleeping, So now I have to wear socks. To all grown up wearing socks with a blanket, I know, right, That's why I got dogs. They just sleep on me. It's kind of the same thing. It's not great in summer, but you know, during the West time, it's actually good. Keats it all warm. So yeah, I'm excited about bringing back this segment. It's been very popular. We've had a lot of requests to join, so I'm excited that we are bringing more people into it because we have another couple of people booked in and a couple in the can That's right. I love having it in the can, don't you?

4:59 Yes? Having having it into Canada skit. It's a euphemism, people, please. So I watched our last episode and I need to comment on something. It's not about us, about me. For those that I think no, Because the beginning of October we closed our officerside not to renew our lease. So now I'm working from home. What that meant was I had to bring a lot of stuff from the office home with me, and we have storage units downstairs, but I don't there aren't any that are available now, so I'm basically on a wait list. So until then, all that stuff is in my condo and I don't have a big condo. So what I noticed was on the last episode that I watched on YouTube, if both of us are on camera, it's great because it's a close up, but it's just me.

5:47 You see my background and you see all this crap back there, and it's like task chair viny Those are samples that I sent out the client. So now what I did was I covered it with a lovely holiday ish but tablecloth, so that least you know, looks a little festive, but that's not normally. Oh I know, I noticed it, so embarrassed. So oh no, it's it's just like looks like your office space. And I think what you should do is charge your employer for rental of an office and charge it too. Well, no, when we when I get. Storage space downstairs, I will the company will pay for that. Oh they will. Oh that's good.

6:29 Well I'm not paying for it. Well, somebody's gonna pay for it in one way or another. I pay for it all the time, money, let me tell you. But anyway, so that's my story about that. I do have some news, hopefully I'm not speaking out of turn. But our family grew by one more because my nephew and his wife had a baby boy yesterday. So the Pagarison name will live on. It's isn't it. Well this is my mom's second great grandchild, and then my older brother this is his first grandchild. So yeah, it's nice. They live in southern California and so and oddly enough, so my older brother, his first born, his daughter was born on his birthday, so they share the same birthday.

7:13 Wow. So now his son, Justin, who got married couple. Several years ago, he and his wife had a baby and their son was born on Justin's birthday, so father and son have the same birthday, just like his dad. And it's kind of funny because it runs in the line with the numerology thing we're talking about about twenty sixty two in nineteen sixty two and right right, all that kind of stuff too, because it's interesting. And also does that make you a great uncle? I think so because. You're an uncle to your nephew, right, and that means that they've had a child. That means well, I'm a great uncle to him too, So. You're a great uncle to everybody. I'm a great uncle to everybody, and for even people I'm not related to im. Some kids of friends call me Uncle Gary just because in their lives, all their lives.

8:01 Should I call you Uncle Gary? No, Well, because I'm you know, I'm not your uncle. You're not that great? Ah you started? Oh wait, I started this, Sorry you did. But it's interesting to see that happen with all your family just growing and growing. So a question for you, sure change the subject. I'm great. Since we are now we are the week leading into Thanksgiving. Have you done any of your holiday decorations. Yet, well, it depends on which holiday you're gearing towards, because I am a big fan of Thanksgiving, and we always say, don't give Thanksgiving the shaft hashtag don't give Thanksgiving the shaft because you needs it to due respect because everyone goes right from Halloween with voltil big boogie and right into Christmas. So I'm starting I'm working on my lighting design for the holiday. So it's it means that we deck out the house, but it's going to be for Thanksgiving because we're having I think eight people over.

9:00 And then right the day after we go on. Full tilt boogie as the kids say, for Christmas. So yes, it's happening. I have decided not to wrap our pepper tree in the front of the house because last time almost fell off a ladder. I'm almost fifty sixty seventy, so I don't want to fall off the ladder again. So we're not wrapping that tree because it's very tall, and I get on a very tall ladder and sort of shake and hope that I don't. Fall out of the tree. Pay neighborhoo kid to do it. Well that would yeah, Actually, that's not a bad idea, but we're chopping that tree down next to year anyway. So okay, Well, I guess because I've been working from home, I have more time here, so I will tell you that. Actually a couple I haven't sent them out yet, but a couple of weeks ago I already did my holiday cards. Oh, they are written, stamped address. They are at the door.

9:46 I'll probably put them out this week. Good for you. I you know my holiday tree is up year round, even though it's not decorated for the holidays. Yes, it is a major topic when we discuss it. It's a silver tree, so it's up and decorated. Can you send me a picture of it so we can add it to the podcast? Oh? Sure, I have. I have Christmas lights that are because i have such tall ceilings and exposed pipes, I've got Christmas lights that are strung year round, so I only turned them on this same year, so they're up already. And used the theme that tree out too, didn't you like you do for different like presidents. Dave, Well, that was the intent when I bought it upon spring several years ago and realized how difficult it was to assemble because you have to put in every single branch individually, and like I'm not taking it apart and then putting it back together in the next year.

10:38 So it's been up. I've had it for I don't know eight years, and so one time when I had a party, it just went in. The bathtub where it belongs. This year, for when I did my party for my twentieth anniversary of having purchased as condo, I put the treautos out and proud and on the invitation said bring an ornament for my tree. So there's some. Assorted ornaments that people gave me from that, and then I added Christmas ornaments to fill it out. Well, please tell send me a picture of it, because I'd like to make sure that all our hundreds of thousands of listeners can see this treat that's up all year long. And I even give wrap my fireplace. Okay, I need a picture of that too.

11:20 Yeah, just I just you know, put wrapping paper in. So you're a fan of decorating for hawk for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Normally I'd wait till probably the week of or weekend after, but I was here and yeah, I needed them to do. I get it. Some people here were decorated for Christmas right after the Halloween, so the Christmas lights went up. Yeah, there was Snowman inflatable, Santa's all that stuff. Plus I have a house guest coming the first week of December, so figure out why. I have it decorated so nice. They will have a nice day. Nice. Yeah, so I've gotten ahead of the game in that respect. But you're always You're so good at that. You're always very organized.

12:03 I'd like to but did you. Do a newsletter or was it just a card saying no? Just you know, no, I did not put in cash this sid don't like. I don't like to give cash. I want cash in my card this time. Yeah, I no, I I just no newsletter because usually when I travel, that's a big nice opportunity to to write a poem or a Christmas letter. But I didn't really travel much this year, so that's kind of quiet, very sweet. What about you? What's what's going on your left? Well, I'm trying to get on top of the card thing because I didn't send out last year. Usually we just take a picture over at CBS and see them out. Oh, look at there's a lady to our left or right?

12:47 Who is that lady? It is I Christine Freeman is. A man, but a surprise. You didn't expect you to be joining this work. Ain't nobody got time for that. It's so nice to see you, guys. It's so I see you. It is good to see you. It is good to see me, isn't it always kidding? So Christine, thank you for being with us. We've known you since at least high school. I'm trying to think what middle school did you go to? You and I were we forrell the same classes? I think in eighth grade. So that's been a minute. Yeah, and Don was asking when was the last time I saw you? I forget had to be one of our gatherings, but I don't know which one.

13:31 Yeah it was. It was, you know, a high school friends gathering. You are usually the gatherer. He's good at that, guilty. Yeah, And it's just delightful to have like the opportunity to hang out with you. Guys. Well, thank you so much for your previous work. Oh well, I think we get that a lot, So I have to say, and I'm gonna pay you. I mean, I don't know if this is going to make you uncomfortable Chris. But I have to say I always, even in my memories of first meeting you and all the time, I always felt that you were a very and I'm not being COI but a very interesting person who was very full of their personality and very aware of who they were all the time. I mean, I just you just kind of stood out to me as someone who had a true, almost ironic tin twist on things. And I mean I just remember a lot of things that we pull back. I mean, there's the clown shoes, which I still love. I just said, this woman owns clown shoes, and she wears and she puts them out once in a while and she actually shows them and then she I think you Sorry, I'm going down a little memory tube here, But didn't you also buy the rat from an exterminator in sam Matteo?

14:46 Was that you? There's a little rat? Yes, I did. I bought it at the Oakland Museum white outfit sale. And how big is the rat? It's about this big? Yes, Now, Gary, I don't know if you remember, but there was an exterminator in San Mateo that had a big rat on top of a pole, and Christine somehow secured the rat I guess the mascot in a smaller version. I always wanted one of those because you can see them on the trucks. Yes, and there was a big one on the building, and then each truck had is it Western Exterminator? I can't recall, I think anyway, I've always had a thing for advertising characters, and that one just really stood out. So now he has pride of place on in front of my fireplace.

15:43 Yeah, and that's how I knew this person knows their truth if they get their rat and show it on social media saying look I got it. And I'm sure a lot of us who actually lived in the area said, oh my god, I know exactly who that is or where that was. So but again, I just thank you for joining us. It's a pleasure to talk with you. And I said, I've always I don't want to say admired you, but I always felt you stood out with the person that you are kind ironic about that, but you were a little bit ironic to you had a little a little i know, omph to your personality, as I recall, and you kind of just stood out to me. I remember that you stood right in front of me in choir and you and I were always.

16:27 Laughing when I wasn't cutting class. Nice. Yeah, I know. Anyway, So how are you Christian good? I'm excited to be You're a little nervous. Are you? No, nothing, don't be nervous of Gary. He will be kind. You'll be kind of Gary. I know you will be kind. Oh I was talking about still. I have a question because you recently had a birthday, yes, last week. I think I did. Well. Happy birthday and. Happy birthday to you two as well recent birthdays. Yeah, I'm very proud of you both for being your age.

17:14 Hence the name of the podcast, right, No, nothing wrong with it. And I think when Christina were speaking yesterday for a quick few minutes, she said, thank you for coming out of the closet of your sixteen. Yeah, we're not shy about it anymore. Well, I mean, if I could just jump in, it's does it is? It kind of? Does it make a difference to you? Is a number a thing for you? Does it is? It's holding a placeholder in your life turning whatever age you turn. You know we are all the same age. We are sixty two. And yeah, no, I don't think i've ever felt that thing except wanting to be older when I was younger, and I remember because I work with a lot of people who are much younger than I am, and I remember when I turned fifty, I was like this rocks, like this is almost the most outrageous thing I can do, is being fifty.

18:13 So when you were younger, what was the idea being, why did you want to be older? What was this something that you were missing? Or we had a goal, and. They probably wanting to get out of our hometown and to start something. And my siblings are older than I am by eight, twelve and fourteen years, and they had already started their lives doing things, and we're in the middle of their lives and I wasn't. Snow So you're the youngest of four, Yeah as am I. Yeah, I'm the baby that saved the marriage. Okay. Oh that's a quote.

18:53 From my mother and my father's quote is it did not need saving. Okay, Okay, So we you two went to Burrell Middle School eighth grade and then we all kind of conjoined in high school and Gere, you weren't part of the choir. I was not. I couldn't sing worth any still can't. Never never had. That talent, but you guys were part of like the theater crowd, and I think, you know, like Don's kind of in the middle of the Venn diagram on that one, because we would all sit together at lunch.

19:35 And I would I would work in the theater, but never on stage. I was the I was part of the crew. I was behind the scenes trying to make him laugh on stage. And you know, Christine, we talked about high school too, but maybe we did talk a little bit about something. If I could ask you to do it again and kind of share with us about your you took. There was a course or some of course that was offered. Was it Barret or it was Burrell where he talked about proclivities towards your future employment or what would be when you grew up. So I have a vivid memory of this class. And it was in this classroom that Madame Mariecoti taught in and it was I don't know what the class was, but every once in a while there would be a segment where they play a film strip, which if you don't know what that is, the Internet is there for you for you to look it up anyway, So they would play these like instructional things and about different professions, and I very vividly remember the one about being a male carrier, and so this is what your mailman does, because he's always a guy, and you know, like he carries this thing and he drives around in this truck, and maybe you want to be one yourself. It's really important.

21:06 And then we had to do an exercise in which we were asked to find that gave us a piece of paper with a street grid on it, and we had to find the most efficient way to deliver the mail to all of the houses. And then at the end of it, it was like showing you your aptitude for being a mail carrier. So they had the school was trying to push people into becoming mail carriers for their career choice, right in eighth grade. In eighth grade, and so I came home and I'm like, Mom, I didn't understand this whole I just I don't understand.

21:47 And Mom said, that's okay, because you're going to be a dental hygienist. It my parents decided that being a dental hygienist was the best job ever. And sometimes I think she was right. I mean, she tried to tell me things that I wouldn't really understand. Like, you know, you can make your own hours. It's very transportable, so you could go live in different places. It pays well. You like teeth. We all like our teeth. So that was interesting though.

22:28 But I mean I was also during that time when we were growing up in that most times a dental hygienis would be a female or yes, right, and that was kind of something that people expected to be, like a stewagess would be a woman back in the day, back in the day. So it's interesting that your mom might have thought that that would be something you'd be good at. I was never really clear about what my path was going to be. So and I didn't have really good I didn't have good you know, role models at home. You know, my dad sold insurance rather unsuccessfully. My mom cared for us in the home and did it spectacularly.

23:13 And yeah, I just had no I didn't know what I was going to do with my life. I just knew that I needed to get out of there. Gary. Did you ever take that test? No, I don't remember that at all. Well, you didn't go to Madame WakaWaka whatever her name. Is, MARIOI I actually recognize that name. Well, we'll get to that later. Where was I I don't know. I just remember standing in that one classroom with you, and you and I having banter, so like when we were thirteen. I remember weird stuff. And that's partially why I think. I No, I. Have a pretty good memory, and I'm always bringing up stories to Don that he doesn't remember how I remember them.

23:55 You know, some things just stick with me absolutely. I mean, it's been a few years. So I was going to ask you. So we already said that the number did mean anything. So that means that I assume that means that turning a certain age of forty, of fifty or sixty didn't really have any ramification. Yeah, same for me. I did not really have any issues with it. So when I turned. Fifty, I made a big deal about it and I had a party here for locals, and then I planned a trip to Italy with friends. We rented a house in the countryside of Italy, and then for my sixtieth I did a big party and you know, catered and everything.

24:37 So while I, on the one hand, I don't like to put a lot of tension on me, I wanted to do that just to gather. Family and friends and totally kind of celebrate it. So for your any of your fifty or sixty, did you anything big anything memory? I did on my fiftieth, we did two things. My brother in law and I are the same age, and I'm Christine, he's Christophe, and they he and my sister live in Minnesota, so it's really they couldn't come out for both Christmas and Thanksgiving, so and our birthdays. His is in October, minds in November, so we decided we were going to have Chris Giving, and we used it as an excuse to have a family and a few friends gather in Sanmititana and yeah, we you know, put together some keynotes and it was really it was very fun.

25:41 And then I, yeah, I did three things. I had a birthday at my house, which we don't have parties. I think my husband and I have maybe had three parties our entire lives together. So yeah, I had Sumo Sunday because I love sumo, and so I had sumo going in the corner and people came over and watched sumo with us. And then we went to Disneyland. Real nice. Yeah, So we did all those things and I haven't had a significant birthday since.

26:21 Did you enjoy Disneyland? I did. Actually, Disneyland happened first and I was in line with my husband for a ride and I saw this kid and he put his face on the handrail and just like licked the handrail all the way up the rock, you know, up the line, and I was like, we're all gonna die, And sure enough I got the worst strip of my life. So I Chris giving. I only had enough. I only had enough voice to narrate my keynote and after that it was to like, jeers.

27:06 Wow, what kids looking a rail in a freaking public park? Rail liquors? I never loved it was and this is way before COVID. I'm like, this is how it happens people. I think we have the title for the episode now, we're going to call it rail liquors. Totally calling all rail liquors. So you dropped a couple of nuggets too, Christine last time, and I wanted to ask you to talk about him a little bit. But you were in or still are in. A rock band. It's been a while, okay, so. But you were in one. Yeah, So you know, I I graduated from college with a degree in medieval studies. Wait, nobody laughed. Everybody laughs.

28:00 Trying to I've find be supportive and we're just nodding. Our heads are too nice. It was like, I was like, what the hell? Great, like, how do you how do you even get to how do you decide that you would like to study medieval I guess history. Yeah. I was in a re enactment group and it was super fun, and I really loved history in the period, and I just wanted to immerse myself in it. There wasn't really an end goal. I think my dad would ask me, you know, what are you going to do with your life? And I'd say, I don't know. Maybe I'm going to pump gass. Or you're going to quote things from the history while you're cleaning someone's.

28:42 Teeth precisely right, they can't go any precisely. Oh I like that. Maybe there's still see reinventions. You know, they didn't have one of these back in the medieval times. No one even had teeth back then. Here's your stick. Yeah. So that primed me for nothing, and. I waited tables for now you're getting the laughs. So I waited tables for ten and a half years. So I ended up dating a guy who was a musician and at one point he started a band and I was like me too, and he was like yeah, And then I was in that band for a very short amount of time, but I ended up He introduced me to his ex girlfriend and she and I shared an interest in this one musical artist and that kind of bonded us, and I started playing bass with her and she played guitar. We both sang. We played in bands in the city or excuse me, clubs in the city, and yeah, so for a couple of years that's what we did. And then yeah, we ended up singing with the guy that we both had an interest in singing with.

30:14 So that was critic. Isaac, Oh, wow, you sang with Chris Isaac. Yeah, on that. One name drop is he queued up close. To ah very it was hard for me to keep it cool disturbing, but yeah, so we sang with him in the studio on Heart Shape World and that's what the song Wicked Game was on. And yeah, it was super fun. I mean yeah, it was like dream come true kind of stuff. It came out on a major label. The record sank like a stone. It was sad for a year, you know. So it's funny is at our ten year high school reunion, it was I was in a sad state. I the restaurant where I was working had just closed. My boyfriend dumped me, and then I was super proud of this, this recording sessions that we had done, and they disappeared without a trace. But several months later the song became a huge hit, and so that was amazing. And you know, to this day's I hear it and at the very end of the song,

31:45 I'm the higher of the two harmonies. And at the very end of the song, when he's singing with a girl who sounds like she's twelve, that is me. No, well, I got to go listen to that. See, these are the all these really interesting little nuggets about your life, which is why I also call you out for being this person that's very true to themselves because a you have a rat figurine from someone you also a very interested in sumo, because I see you posting that quite a bit, and also I think you also play the ukulele too, don't you. Are you a fan of Hawaiian music? Yes, those are all or all of those things. I haven't really played since the since the pandemic. Yes, I own like six ukuleles ands, I'm so.

32:38 Yeah. When I was dating the musician guy and working in a restaurant, there was a there was a music store going out of business and they had these ukuleles for a deep discount, and I was like, that is the cutest instrument ever. I am going to buy one and I'm either going to learn to play it or I'm going to make it into a hat. And she did both. So I quasi learned to play it. And then I bought like good instruments, good ukuleles, and I didn't really play them. But a friend at work was in an ukulele band, and I kind of let it be known that I had some ukuleles and he was like, well, why aren't you playing them? And I was like anyway, He said, come to class with me, and I did.

33:30 And so for five years, I think it was around five years I was in this class. It was you know, they'd hand out music and we'd learned chug a chug a chuga, learn how to play Auntie and Uncle. Their repertoire was a lot of Hawaiian music. In the Hawaiian language as well as sort of territorial period mix of English and Hawaiian music. And we just learned how to play by just playing together and we would play out and it was it was really great. It was super great.

34:13 So and eventually we graduated from that band, which meant in our leaders in our leaders language, that meant they kicked us out. So they kicked us out, and our friends who were in that band, a type group of us formed a different band where we played a mix of music in English, Hawaiiantahitian and we mostly played in our kitchen and we've been friends ever since. We was a group of people. They're my dear dear friends, and so it kind of it evolved and at work.

35:03 I have to say, but I have to ask this one last question because I'm not familiar. But you play an ukulele up here, but you play a bass down here, correct, and so you're is it basically the same skill? I mean, I'm sure it's different strings now because how many strings does it're both? For you hear for but the tuning is different, so you hear I know a lot of bass players who are also ukulelea players, and now there's you know, everybody plays in ukulele. But but yeah, and at work, we also had a band and we also had a choir. So you know where music has been. I have followed.

35:47 It sounds like it, because that's that's what It was interesting to me because I thought I forgot about this, and I remember that and it's oh my to me. I'm sorry, I'm just fangirling about you a little bit right now. You seem quite fascinating to me. I'm so unworthy. Oh stop, shut up, Gary's unworthy. You're worthy. Hello on the podcast. Okay, I know, yeah, I've arrived. So I have a question because and listening to your story, there's been so much music involved in your life. Yet when you went to college, was music any part of your studies or goals or anything. Well, I've been such a follower in a lot of these stories. So I had a roommate who was auditioning for the choir, and since in high school I'd been in the big choir and the madrigal choir. Don were you in madrigals?

36:40 No? I wasn't good enough. I was cutting class. You had so much fun, and I'm sure you had fun where you were as well, But I had a roommate who was auditioning for the choir, and so I did also, and so it was it was awesome. I think I did it for two years and it was I loved it because I you know, I loved the repertoire. I was gonna say, was that when you were studying medieval studies, because don't they play the lute? And isn't that a string instrument? Also that see I know a lot.

37:22 I'm not just this. You are following along closely. Don he's so much more. Yeah. No. And then I was, you know, going to the record store and buying like classical guitar of records of the period and Robbie Shankar and you know, so I was learning about different kinds of music as well, not that I did didn't have a Leo Sayer record. Also, who didn't.

38:09 You had mentioned something too back to like your trajectory to sixty two. You had mentioned that you had to make a decision. I think it was about your decision to study medieval studies, that if you didn't make a decision about something, that your life was going to happen to you rather than you taking charge of it. Ah. This was a little later So while I was so, I was working in restaurants at Berkeley, and I was playing bass in bands, and eventually you know, playing bass in other different bands. And I developed a repetitive stress injury really bad at work, and so I had to stop working and I had to repair my body. So I had like upper extremity issues, and so I couldn't do anything. I couldn't operate a doorknob without like two hands and super gently before example. So I you know, couldn't play music, couldn't do anything. But I qualified for workers' comp and that sent me to vocational rehab and VOKE Rehab was such a gift. So I got to

39:42 work with a really wonderful woman and she put me through my paces. She interviewed me, she made me, you know, write down stories about things that were that where I was using skills that reinforced myself and made me feel good about what I was doing. And she taught me that I would be able to that what I should be trying to do is finding the best intersection of my aptitudes and my interests. But I didn't really know what they were. So I went to the library and we had this incredibly tiny, one room library in the town that I lived in, and I picked up this huge book which was called the Directory of Occupational.

40:39 Titles, and I read every page of the It was just like a listing of different job titles, and it's obviously expansive. It was a big darn book. And I wrote down like everything that interested me that I thought that maybe I could learn how to do. And so that was the kind of thing that I did when I was when this change was forced on me, and I really did feel like, this is a disastrous situation. I don't know how I'm going to make money. I don't know what my body will let me do. But if I don't make a choice, the choice will happen to me.

41:34 So I just had to put all of my research skills into finding a new way of life. So, you know, my big joke was I'm gonna have to learn how to lift things with my mind. Oh that's a good one, you know. Because, like you know, from the neck down, I wasn't doing so well. So anyway, it was an approach that I've used in the rest of my life. But that was a point of reinvention for you, wasn't.

42:14 I mean, you also discovered some way of actually doing the research. Because again, let me understand, this book literally had job titles. That was its sole purpose to hold jobs. And you have to learn about the jobs. And was that part of your own reinvention? Did you decide to go down that path to find a direction, a new direction? Yeah? I had to or was that because I was unemployed? I was on disability, as I recall, at the height of my disability, it paid me six hundred and thirty six dollars a month. So yeah, luckily we lived in this tiny little refinery town and managed to you know, live on rice and expired tasty meals Indian food in a pouch with the occasional carrots. Anyway, Yeah, so then you had to research what does it mean? What is this job? And at the internet was really in its infancy then. But but I was already and early, you know, an adopter, And so I found the corresponding website that told you this is what this job does, these are the skills that you need, these are the job requirements.

43:41 And also back then in the newspapers there were classified ads. So I would look at the classified ads and think about, how, here's a job that I think I might like, how do I get from where I am to what you need to do this job? So that's kind of how I've operated ever since, Like, okay, well that looks hard, but how do we get from here to there? Where am I? So I also did some really deep personal assessment. Okay, what what am I working with here? Okay, well that's not great? Okay, but I was doing this with a job counselor who was helping me see the worth in what functional skills I had already developed.

44:34 So okay, I just think it's a very interesting way to get to from point A to point B. It's very interesting how you chose that. I'm I think one of my superpowers is my curiosity, and it also is very distracting. But I learned a lot, which is funny because one of my questions is what are your super powers? And you kind of just gave that too, So I appreciate that. Yeah, that's curiosity, humor, I guess, you know, the ability to see the willingness to see humor in situations because that's a choice, and the ability to know what people are gonna want to know in ten years. Yeah, so that helps me make selections in my job.

45:35 So if I could. When it comes to where we are in our lives right now, so we're we're basically labeled as boomers or baby boomers. I know, and I don't know who decided that or who made that. Up, and nobody likes the category they're in, so. I know, but but yeah, I guess. I guess my question is too. I'm assuming you are exposed to quite a few millennials, gen xers, gen zs, and now Alpha is the new group that's coming up as children, and I'm not sure who labels this, So does that Do you ever fall into that trope of labeling people or noticing behaviors from certain generations. Because we're considered boomers, we're supposed to be, like, you know, barely know how to handle a telephone or a phone, an iPhone or electronics.

46:18 So that's a typical thing. Have you noticed that in your exposure to these different groups of people. I'm I work with a lot of kind people, okay, and so I don't pretend to know things that I don't know. I'm like, come on, I'm old, help me, and again, using humor, it's like I recognize. That I. Need you young people. To help me answer the phone. Well, eventually I get kind of good at the technology, but yeah, that was one thing I had to learn when I was in school.

47:04 You could also explain to them what a film strip projector is. I could, I know, but nobody would know what it is because you know, I remember what they are too. But like, if they're curious people, they can look it up on the interwebs, right, Yeah, I'm sure there's somebody out there on YouTube who wants to demonstrate it. Also, I bet there's some YouTube channel that will actually show you the exact one that makes you learn how to be a mail carrier. By the way, I've always really dug the shorts, and they also have great. Benefits, true, and the socks. They get socks too, and they get that cool safari hat.

47:50 I love it all. It's tempting. And let's talk about the mail bag, shall we. That's where I think about physical theory. Yeah, so, I mean when it sounds like you're not the type of person that falls into the trap of labeling. So you know, when it comes to millennials, gen x is that kind of thing that's something you really don't acknowledge or yeah, because it's something I think it's marketing from the media in some way to be able to market more things to people in certain groups and not calling it an age group. Oh my god, Well you should see what they serve me up on, you know, on the pop up ads.

48:30 In the arp ad you mean, no, for. A while it was per Simmon scented soap from Japan that makes you not smell like old people and they're super super into Yeah, I get all these ads for like being buried in the woods. That's not where I'm going people. Right, No, can I backcrack what you're talking about? Get us off this one? Yes, no, because I didn't want to interrupt your conversation, but I wanted to find out with the disabilities you were experiencing, did that improve?

49:18 What's the status of that? I mean, where are you with that? So I was very lucky, Like my curiosity started early while I was initially having the problems, and I would ask my customers at the restaurant, like, Hey, here's what's going on with me? What do you think I should do? And one of my favorite customers, she said, you need this kind of doctor, and it was a physiatrist, which is a never heard of it. It is a soft tissue doctor, and she said, I know this guy. He is I think he treats the forty nine ers and the Olympic ice skating team and this is his discipline and he's a really great doctor. So I got in with him and he suggested some physical therapists. The physical therapist and I were a really good fit. And yeah, I just did it the same way. I have to rebuild my body. So I did every single thing that they ever told me. And in fact, I'm like a I don't know a proselytizer for body mechanics when people are having a hard time. Because the things that they taught me helped fix me. And also I trusted them

50:52 so much that I said I need a vocational rehab counselor. I understand that's the next step. I would like from all of you a list of the vocational rehab counselors who might be a good fit for me and understand me, because you can imagine I'm not everybody's cup of teeth. So and I didn't want somebody who was just going to say, you know who would suggest jobs that wouldn't be good for me. So the second person on their list, first person was unpleasant on the phone and busy, and the second person was just a super great fit and I sing her praises to this day. So over time, because I wasn't doing the same work and I was doing exercises to help strengthen the parts of my body that needed to be in better alignment and stronger, I was able to do a lot more things, but I wore splints on my hands, custom splints for years and years.

52:09 It was many years later that I started playing an instrument. Yeah, so it was like seven years later when I picked up an ukulele. I was like, you know, I don't know if I can actually play this without harming myself. But wow, happily as long as I don't do too much stuff, it's okay. But at the time that this was all happening, I was in constant pain for years and I didn't know that that I would be able to have my body back.

52:52 That's coodness to you because you're the one that have the curiosity and the desire to learn more. Talk to people, get in for get the right information and find you said the right fit, because if they give you a list, like well, he's first on list, so it's got to be that person. But your determination to get better is what helped you. So obviously kudos to you. For and just so you know, the whole time I was terrified, I was broke, I was terrified, I was in pain, but I didn't have a choice. I saw this as not a choice. Interestingly enough, to I've heard from many doctors that I've seen in the past, said, you know, they ask you, they leave you with certain instructions on what to follow and how to do them. Oddly and strange enough, contrary to your story, most patients do not follow through and follow their recommendations from their doctors. They literally do not do that. So if they say you need to take this pill every other day, or you need to do this exercise or this type of therapy for yourself, seldom do people swallow.

53:57 Through with it, believe it or not. So it seems morecude to you for your determination to getting better. I'm mostly that person, just so you know. But but I just I'm I operated on faith. Okay, So, Christine, who would play you in a movie? John Cusack? Okay, I get that. Yes, that was a good one. Nice Like when I was waiting tables and John Cusack was in that movie Toys mm hmmm. And I would like wear some really funky stuff at work and people would say, you know who you remind me of? And it was always John Cusack.

54:50 You didn't have a plastic wig, did you? I didn't, but you know, surprised. I would wear these ribbons in my hair like a bow that was like this big, you know, an American flag. Okay, yeah, have you taken advantage of any senior discounts. At the Siler? Well, I'm kind of thinking that I need to revisit the the Goodwill discount because literally today I was planning for seeing you and I realized I only have black T shirts with slogans on them or cats or whatever.

55:38 You know Marie Condo. You know Marie Condo. Yeah, okay, So I do the Marie Condo thing with my T shirts, and I organize them by There are T shirts that have that are for work. There are the cat T shirts, there are the Sumo T shirts and the baseball T shirts and yeah, so they're kind of organized that way. And I realized I have no way to show up for people when it's not casual any longer. So, but do they all bring you joy. Yeah. Also, okay, Marie Condo sells stuff. Now. She wanted you to get rid of everything, and now you can buy her stuff.

56:22 Wow. It's like, wow, you lady, you play a long game. Probably things to organize the stuff that give you joy. You can keep all those Sumo T shirts and some container of some kind that will fit in your drawer or. So. I'm out of the loop. I'm out of the loop. What is this good will discount? So the good Will discount is well, I need to investigate. I need to use my curiosity and get my money. Apparently there's a senior discount and Goodwill. And when I turned fifty, I tried to get my my colleagues at work to go to Denny's with me so that I could order off the back of the page. They wouldn't do it.

57:16 I only did it once. It was in Hawaii. I just want to go order the moon over my Hammi, so I can say that, right, I'd like a moon over my hammy. Please. It's amazing. It's just it sings when you say it, moon over Mi HAAMMI totally. That It's a classic. Like, apparently I need to get out more because I and the cerbird. I didn't know about the moon. Over my Hammi, for. This topic, for the for the podcast, over my hand. We can live podcast from Denny's and order off the back page together. I want to do it.

57:58 It's a day, so sorry. I know I'm asking a lot of questions too, Gary, but let me just s throw this one out. Yes, you are well welcome to the podcast without you know, you don't have to divulge anything with regards to where your head is, but with regards to the future and politics and all the things that took place over the last few weeks, where you're at. Are you hopeful, are you worried? Are you concerned? Are you not going to watch TV for a long time? Such a good question. I have a lot going on in my life and I need to keep it positive.

58:43 Yep. And so my boss, very smart woman, has this saying that I use over and over and over, which is don't borrow trouble, by which I mean I will start worrying about this when things start happening. I can't do otherwise. I voted in a way that I thought was good for America. It didn't work out, and it's distressing to think that there are so many people who voted another way and it and for people I know who I feel like there are people, there's so many people who have more at stake, and I wish that I knew how to be helpful or what to do, and that's kind of where I am right now. If those things become more apparent, I would like to do them.

59:56 It's horrifying, I understand. I think it's important that we take care of ourselves first so we can take care of other people later. To find a way to do because I was We had a podcast previous to this when Christine where we kind of broke it down and the fact is that is the result is the result, and you're not going to change the result. But I also don't want to buy into so much negativity from the rest of the world wringing their hands, convinced the sky is going to fall when we haven't seen that yet, and we have to take care of ourselves first and mourn and deal with whatever the result is, because it's not going to change at this point. I don't think there's a thing to do right. It is not that administration yet, and I think it's yeah, I just don't know. I worry for friends. I worry for my friends who wonder whether they should get married right now because they can, or I I worry that people are gonna, you know, get deported or and treated horribly and all of those things. But it I need a slight break, yep. And I feel horrible saying that.

1:01:18 I feel guilty. I just the thing that I think is disappointing is every day it seemed like in the past six months, there was a different way of thinking about it, you know, like here's what we're you know, here's how it's really going to go our way, or people are going to realize this, and really people are People had a lot of different reasons for wanting to vote that way, but it's I think it's horrifying. And you know, that's one of the reasons I agree with you, And that's one of the reasons why I've decided to sign off of any kind of cable network news.

1:02:02 It's not I'm not going to listen to it. I don't want it in my feeds. I don't want to see whatever anyone is saying about everything, because it's just too much. And I think it's important that, like I said before, we take care of ourselves first and heal ourselves to a point where we can decide how we're going to take part in the future. Gary, where are you in this? So I checked out of social media after the election. I was still checking it, but I wasn't posting anything. I just I just needed a little mental break. So actually yesterday was because we had a new episode coming out of Okay Well help promote that. So I did go back on social media, and I posted a couple of things, like of my mom and and the photos I'd done. But I, like, don just kind of taking a step back. I mean, I'm not watching the news as much as I used to, just because I need to like put that off to the side and take care of me a little bit more mental health. So doing that and then just trying to get out more and yeah, just work on my health. I'm going through some you know, working on my health, working on I've always done, trying to get more culture in my life.

1:03:22 You need to go to concerts and that, so just. Try and live my life and not let that distract me. Yeah, yeah, you know. I have to say, I was on a walking path at work and I saw somebody who I really like and respect who was coming. And she said, hey, Christine, how are you? And I was like, I'm great because I have a lot of stuff going on in my life right now, and when I'm at work, it's a fantastic distract action. And I saw her face kind of fall and I'm like, oh, shoot, I need to I don't know how to respond now because I know what she's thinking about. You know, she's a person of color, she and she is raising two sons, and and I just I turned around and just kept eye contact with her, and I said, you know, I want you to know that I'm great when I'm with you.

1:04:38 You know, the greatness is about you. It's not about all of the stuff, So that I could make it personal and just you know, like I care for my colleague. And yeah. So I realized I had to really pivot on that because she, although she knows what's happened on my side, that probably wasn't top of mind for her as it should be. You know. So one question we ask for people of our age, because obviously you're still working, have you set a goal or a date of it when you say I'm gonna officially retire. You may keep doing other things, but in terms of from this job or this career.

1:05:32 I have not, but I think about it. I'm planning for it. I don't have a date. Hey, watch your back. We're back. So we took ash our little break. I had asked the question, do you have a time frame in mind of when you might retire? Because I know for me, I've kind of kind of put a little check market sixty seven because for me, I figured, well, sixty two the old time, the old day, sixty two was when you tired, went too young. I'm already sixty two, sixty five, yeah, and.

1:06:22 Then after six seth comes seventieth. I well, by seventy, you know, I want to be still active enough that I can because I love to travel, to be able to maybe do some traveling. So that's why I kind of, you know, targeted sixty seven. So that's a quick five years away. That's how I managed it. But obviously everyone's different. So you said you didn't have a hadn't picked a date, who hadn't thought about it? Or well, I've thought about it, and I've thought about it. And I really love my job. I love what I do, I love who who I do it with. I get to use skills that make me, that reinforce my sense of self. That sounds so sappy.

1:07:18 But not at all. When I'm using my best skills, I feel a sense of pride and excitement. So my husband has been retired for a long time, and he wanted me to retire, but I kind of love what I'm doing, and I've really been thinking about it though, and thinking about We'll get into this later, but I've spent a lot of time this last few years with other members of my family caring for my mom. So and I keep expecting her to pop off and she doesn't. She's going to be ninety seven in January, and I know she will be ninety seven, and she's keeping us on our toes, and so, like, what would I do if I didn't have these very consuming things in my life, like my mom and my job. What's there that I want to be doing? And so I started going to therapy to kind of get ahead of that, like, because I've been good at pivoting when change happens to me, but I've been less skilled at making change happened for myself and

1:08:49 making choices. So I know this about myself. So I went to therapy and so that's kind of what I'm working on right now. Is. There? I mean, most people are really excited about this, but I know that I also can just waste all that time and what does that mean? So I'm trying to do the things that I'd wished i'd done earlier as far as therapy goes, and learning more about myself and how to take care of myself and how to make good decisions, and yeah, like you, I want to travel.

1:09:30 But it also comes back to full circle where we talked about earlier, where you didn't want to wait for life to happen to you. You're directing it towards a direction or a purpose, which is actually very important. And two that there's nothing you'd never have to apologize about loving your work. B Gary's worked to help Gary. How long have you been at your place of employment? Just passed thirty six years working for my boss? Okay, you know there's nothing wrong with loving your job. And to that point, how many people can really say they their job, they love the people they work with the environment that they're in. You know, you find it challenging and interesting and right, so not too many people can really say that.

1:10:12 I feel extraordinarily lucky. Yeah, yeah, I mean, and it has not been an easy road, by the way, we can talk about that too. But of all of my twenty four years in this one job, it is it's the I feel like it's the best version of my department, and I feel very supported and just grateful. And I think a very common misdake that people have made is like I can't take you know, I can't wait till I retire. I can't take wait till I retire.

1:10:53 Maybe they don't love their jobs as much as obviously the two of you do. But also, what the hell are you going to do when you're not working? And of course you're not basing your worth on what your job is, but you do provide a function and you're enjoying it. The fact is when that void is there, so it takes a little I think it's actually commendable to go to therapy to start thinking about what the possibilities could be, because a lot of people just jump into the water saying I'm in a golf you know how many times can you play golf? Or people have grandchildren, they have things that they already know they want to spend more time doing. So I'm not in that place yet.

1:11:34 And I'm not into spending time with children, so I don't think that's part of my future either. God no, I don't even like being alone with them. They scare me. A well. Carry on the other hand, likes children like I remember you're talking about your nieces and nieces and nephews. I have eight nieces and yeah, and how much you enjoy being. I don't want, I never want any of my own, but I love having. You know you like spending time with them, and now they're grown up. Yes, So, just for the purpose of our viewers and listeners during our quick little break, we did agree that we're going to have a second episode with Christine because I do because she referenced the fact that she and her siblings have been caring for her mother, and I think a lot of us, I know, I can relate on some level to that. Don maybe you can share some things too, but that's worthy of a whole separate episode, a separate conversation, and we will do that sometime in the new year. So to kind of wrap this one out, I have.

1:12:52 One more question. I have one more question. If you were a plate of pasta, who how how or who oh? Don you mess this. It was such a good question. I was going to lead into lighter questions and that would have been one of them. Go ahead and you ask it, because I don't know how to ask it. No, it's better the way you just left it, Don. I think that's what we're just going to draw valagarity. I think what Don was trying to get across was if you are a plate of spaghetti, how or who would eat you? I don't know. That's not how it goes, Gary, Okay. So that's how that's Don's interpretation. He thought to be like, who would eat you?

1:13:35 Like? No, although you know I can come up with a couple of names. But the question initially was how am I? Am I in a to go container on the side of the road? If so crows with their beaks. Gary, you might want to wrap this one. Yeah, well let's just wrap this up right now. Big, a big, huge thank you to Christine for joining us and looking forward to uh talking to you again in the new year. Oh you guys, thank you so much. It's really fun to hang out. Well, we have to go to Denny still, we still have. To figure out can we figure this out? I really want it to happen.

1:14:18 Yeah, I think next time I come up to the Bay Area, we just have to figure out and like jump over to the closest Denny's with our phones and just turn it on and just do a live cast from the back page of the of the menu. And the moon over my hand. Yes, I don't think that's part of it. Oh No, what about a superbird? Superbird's another there's another sandwich called a superbird really Denny's. Yeah, okay, clearly I'm not hanging out at Denny's as often as I should. Wow. Okay, so once again we've fallen down another rabbit hole of fast foods. So Christine, thank you so much. Thank you for promising to come back. I look forward to this, to talking about it and the Antiques road Show, which we didn't get to yet. So I'll say that as another nugget. Now we'll save it as a nugget, just like the plate Apasta, which is also going to be don't forget. We're going to call the episode rail Liquors, Rail Liquors. Welcome, Christine Freeman.

1:15:18 Love it. So Christine, thank you very very much. We can't wait. Congratulations on all of the success of your life right now. Thank you for being yourself, who to me is incredibly entertaining. It's been great fun. We welcome you back in the new year as another part of this segment, and we're going to do a little deep dive with it too. So very much appreciate it. I am honored. Hey, Happy Thanksgiving and other holidays. Yes, same to you. Don't forget hashtag don't give Thanksgiving the shaft because I've started that as a hashtag because everyone skips over Thanksgiving and goes right to Christmas after Halloween sucks, right.

1:15:58 We can Christmas segment on Christmas socks. Thanksgivings awesome anyway, I mean you again, Christine. I mean the food is awesome. Yes, do you cook it? Oh yeah, all of it? Okay, okay, all right, well. Miss does the bird Okay, I do everything else while watching while watching the parade and National Dog Show Okay. And don't forget bird is the word. Bubba bird bird. And we want to thank Christine Freeman so much for joining us. We enjoyed it so much and we had so much to talk about that we are inviting her back for another episode.

1:16:44 It'll be in the new year. And we got more of a serious topic, but she did say there will be some levity included. Yeah, she's just a delight to talk to you. I remember her now. It's like such an unique personality and I don't we just scratched the service of that too, So there's night stories we have. So I can't wait to have her back. Would be good job, Gary, you did really well. Well. You know you're you're the driver of the bus. Yeah, you know it's your never mind, go. Ahead, say you're telling me to when to take them left? Turn like left left, get back on the main road. Do you want to close it out? Yeah, so we're gonna wrap it up. We just want to remind well, thank everyone for joining us on YouTube and via your favorite podcast We are available Spotify, Apple Podcasts, et cetera, uh and all your favorite podcast channels platforms, as well as you Tube.

1:17:37 Email addressed in case you want to get a hold of. Us is Don and Gary Dooman sixty at gmail dot com. Social media everything that has to do with Don and Gary doing sixty, Instagram, Facebook, Did I cover all the basics? You covered them all And just for everyone's we talked about this a second ago. If you're having trouble finding our channel on YouTube. It's actually under the pipe Fier pod channel in YouTube. There's a couple of podcasts to choose from. Of course you'll choose Don and Gerry doing sixty. So if you're having in trouble with that, I'll put the address back up on our liner notes, you can find us and get a load of us. We shake comments. We would love you to subscribe. If you have suggestions on topics, or you're may be interested in being a guest, you can get all of us.

1:18:24 So yeah, we'll find you. Even if you don't know you're interested in being a guest, we'll find you. Yes, okay, So until next time. Thanks Doc, Well thanks Gary, see you next time. I