S3E10 'AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT'-SPECIAL GUEST LISA ZADEK

Don P-Pafifer Podcast Productions: Yeah. And hit it. And hit it and Mm mm mm mm. Good morning. Good morning. You have been officially toggled. I am showered and toggled, so sounds to me like I'm ready to go. Well, yes you are. How are you? I'm good. I I made a breakfast smoothie this morning with strawberries and bananas and blueberries and peanut butter and yogurt and You didn't make it the way that I usually make it and Shirley McLean make it. vodka. Yes, I use milk instead of vodka. And it was delicious? It was delicious. Good. You know, just you know, mix it up a little. Good. Good for you. How was your weekend so far? It was good. I I got a little political yesterday. Did you did you go to a rally? I may have gone to a rally. I may have held a couple signs. I may have marched on Market Street from the foot of Marcus Street to Civic Center. I may have done that. Mm-hmm. I've others I was very impressed. Christine Freeman, a former a friend of the pod, but also guest of the pod, posted this really amazing photo of Ocean Beach. Yes, they've done that in past. Amazing. Amazing. Yeah. Humans gather and and spell out a certain message. They spelled it out. And they spelled it real good. Stuck at home. Yeah. So this is the third rally that they've done since last year, but I've not been able to participate in the previous ones because of scheduling conflicts. But I thought, you know what? Mom can wait till tomorrow. Well, not today. Right. Right. So I will go see her today after this. But yeah, I just wanted to do my part. Good. Good. So it's good. It was peaceful, it was a beautiful day out. Got some steps in, you know, so is I checked off a lot of boxes. I had over fifteen thousand steps yesterday. Wow, that's amazing. If I get to ten, I'm happy. Yeah. So how about you? How's your weekend? really good, just so people know and this episode will have already come out. But today, our first episode of season three actually loaded, downloaded, and went out to the ether. So I hope everyone went to go and listen to it and subscribed and loved it and adored it and paid homage to it. I start I've started it on YouTube. but I hit pause so I can, you know, join you live and in person or right here. That's right. That's right. So yeah, and then we had a puff pastry Palooza last night. so Simon Alice came over. They walked over too. So everyone's in the walking vibe these days. They walked over from their house, which wasn't too far, but it was really nice evening. We did a couple of delicious puff pastry savories and it was really nice really good evening. Of course the wine flowed. The wine flow. Good for you. Yeah. I think should we should we take a break and come back and ready to toss it around? Well if we if we have to go there, yes. Okay. Well let's toss it around we'll toss some things. Okay. Be right back. Welcome back to Don and Gary doing sixty. You gotta plug that name, you know. Yeah. We're glad you joined us and if you see us wandering around later, just point us towards the parking lot. We're here to unpack and unwrap and navigate the world at This age. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, you can find us on Spotify. You can watch us on YouTube at PfyferPod. That's our channel. We've got all the old episodes there, a lot of shorts, a lot of good fun stuff on there. So please come and join us. Like and subscribe when you get there. So Gary, how are you? I'm good. we were talking about our weekend. So after my little, you know, political stroll, I met up with a friend and we went out to dinner. And I'm not using bad language when I say we had some pho. Pho what? We had pho for dinner. For dinner? We went for dinner. We had pho. That's P H O. V Vietnamese, like a noodle dish and soup and broth and beef and so on. So a beautiful night out. So we went out for pho. And it's down the street from Mitchell's ice cream, if you know Mitchell's ice cream. Yes. It's in the mission district, very famous. It's been around since the early 50s, family owned. And Really, really good ice cream. So and we were a block away from there, so how could we not? Right. Why deny yourself? We grab some ice cream there and then polish off that real quickly. yeah, and then headed home. Don't you love it when San Francisco just has the spectacular weather and and I'm sure it makes you appreciate it even that much more for being in such a beautiful city? I mean I I told you about a week ago I was on a Friday night and it was in Hays Valley, which is a great neighborhood and tons of restaurants and And it's near the opera house and so there's a lot of venues nearby. So there's people out and about and every restaurant was just overflowing. In fact, that night I ran into the person who is our guest today. you did? Yes. I was at a restaurant and it was crowded at the entrance. And they don't do table service. So basically, you you grab the first table available. And behind me, I hear Gary, Gary. I turn around as Lisa, our guest coming on today. Really? Who she was there with a friend finishing dinner because they were gonna catch a show at the symphony. So she gave us cert table, so we scored and got a table right away. I love it. So is Hayes Valley the s and I'm I know of Hayes Valley, but was it the same where they blocked off part of the street and they have a parklet now and you can walk and that's the beginning of Hayes Valley? Right. So there used to be that the freeway ramp that would so they tore that down and they turned that into park and it's been there for years and it's great and it's a great gathering spot for people. and then that night, Hayes Street, like one block of it, they blocked off. Apparently they did this on Friday and Saturday nights. Nice. This to give people more opportunity to be outdoors. And so they block off once block and and the restaurants can then bring out more tables and they had a band playing and you know, kids are running around the street. No, so it's just fun, easy Friday night on a beautiful night weather wise. Yeah. And everyone was out and I said all the restaurants were overflowing. And it was just a really and then we went out for ice cream after that. Nice. And just hung out at that little park you mentioned. Yeah, so it's a it's a great neighborhood. I've been I was there three times in one week. Well, good for you. But here's a funny story. That overpass that you mentioned that was not there anymore. I actually remember that overpass. I do too, yeah. Driving in from the city because I have one story with another former friend of the pod former guest Jamie Litzy and I driving my blue nineteen seventy-four Volkswagen, which caught fire on that overpass coming in as the gasket had crackled away and the engine literally caught fire. I look up and looked in the back, literally flames coming out of my rearview mirror. I looked at Jamie said, We got to get out of here. So I pulled the car over, quick story. Pulled the car over, poor little blue Volkswagen. This happens quite a lot to older Volkswagens, just so know. Basically it was on fire. I ran that way. Jamie ran that way. And I'm trying to say, you gotta come over here. We gotta go this way. And she says, No, I'm not gonna run past a a car that's on fire. Then all of a sudden a taxi driver stopped. I said, they're gonna help us. Took a picture, handed me the picture, get it for insurance, and he took off. Wow. It was like a comical I could never restage it, although I would love to restage it somehow because it's so ridiculous about how that took place. Well, this has to be a long time ago. So he must have used a Polaroid camera to take the photo. A long time ago. I won't I won't date myself by dating this event, but it would be again when the time of that overpass still being in place in San Francisco. Me driving, let's say, a seventy-four Volkswagen, which was not the year it was, but Right. That was a funny story. Wow, that's funny. Yes. Hilarious. Yes. So do we want to talk about our guests a little bit? Yes. So chakra, everyone, sit down. Our guest is someone we know from high school. I might know her from middle school too. I'll have to test her. Okay. but like me, she has worked for the same employer for many years. She retired last year. But yeah, it's been a friend of ours for for all those years, which is in what, how many years ago does that know? I'd lost count. Forty six four or five, six or seven. Forty six years since we graduated high school, so actually longer than that. Anyway, math is hard. We will do it later. but North from High School, big in the music industry, her connection to music. so we'll talk about that. As I mentioned, she retired last year. That was a big party that I hosted last fall for her and our other guest, Amy. Mm-hmm. Since they both retired last year, so we had a great time with that. So she's been we'll see what she's been up to since her retirement. I know she's done some traveling, taking advantage of that. In fact, she squeezed this episode in because she's off to travel again. Mm-hmm. I believe she's going to Spain, but we'll hear about that. So yeah, we'll just see is retirement all it's cracked up to be. Yes, I would love to talk about that. But I'd also like to talk about some of the celebs that she's been hobnobbing with with her. Her last job that she just left that she retired from. Right. Certain people that I truly do admire. I was hoping to meet them myself, but of course she kept them all to herself because that's how she is. Are any of them in the of the male persuasion? They could be. They could. Yeah. Yeah, I wonder why. So It's been a podcasting Palooza for us. This will be the third episode we've recorded this week. Yes, and our first, as I said, just dropped today. Although this will be coming out much later than that. So yes, we're very busy, busy B. So is our guest in the waiting room yet? He literally just knocked on the door. Okay. Let's put that in. Let's put that in next time. We'll do a knocking. Who's that knocking at the door? That too, that too. But let's see what's happening. Who's that ringing the bell? Let's make sure she's toggled. I see your name. Show us your face. There she is. She went away. There she is. There she is. Well, we will we were always perfect. Yes. It was just a perfect error now. We're perfect er. perfect error. Okay. Well then all that that came before this will be gone. And we will just start anew. We'll do, you know. Through the magic of podcasting, we eliminate the previous cod there. God. Good morning. Good morning. In three, two, one. Welcome to our guest, Lisa. Hi. Hi, good morning. Thank for joining us. So we did talk a little bit about you, but all good before you joined us. Saying that what a shocker, someone else from high school that we know. We knew a lot of people. We know a lot of people, and we keep in touch with a lot of people. Yes. Lisa's been one of those that we've kept in touch. Because she's at least for me local. So we have more opportunity to see each other. I mentioned to Don that you and I ran into each other a week ago in Hayes Valley. Right. You were leaving the restaurant I was getting there, so you graciously gave us your table, which is great. Yeah, yeah. You're welcome. Yeah. You're welcome. Thank you. Did you cause a lot of discord though when the everyone who was waiting for a table just like, you can slip in here? No, no. We did it very, very Nonchalantly, very quietly under the table. It's very casual. Yes. Anyway, thank you for joining us. And I if my memory serves me correctly, we also went to the same middle school together, Borel, correct? That's correct. Yes. All right. So you've always been a local gal. Were you born and raised here in the Bay Area? Yes. I was born in San Mateo General Hospital. Where's San Mateo General Hospital? Because I was born in Mills. It's sort of above Molly Stones, so it's on the I didn't know those is the hospital still there? There is a hos it's like a community hospital. Okay. cause I never knew that existed. But yeah, okay. So born and raised here and from high school we know each other. And then you say local 'cause I I did a little digging. You went to college at San Francisco State University. Correct. Yeah. And so you have a never lived outside the Bay Area, correct? Yeah. Yeah. And Because music is such a big part of your life. Was music from a very young age? Yeah. Part of your life? And were your parents musicians or in the music industry? My mom mostly my mom wanted to start me on violin. And I started when I was four and a half. And I found a teacher that lived in San Mateo who was the first Japanese member of the San Francisco Symphony hired. And he lived in San Mateo and somehow my mom found him. And he started me out, had a quarter size violin, which is very, very s little. And yeah, just started from there. I always found it funny that my mom found the only Japanese teacher that didn't teach Suzuki. 'Cause Suzuki method was very was just starting to come in vogue and it started in Japan. And I just always thought that was funny. And so have you only played violin or have you did you ever branch out to other instruments? When I was seven, I started piano. And I took piano for about ten years. Piano was my dad's favorite instrument and violin was my mom's. So I broke my dad's heart by quitting the piano at seventeen because I was tired of practicing all the time and I wanted to go have fun with my friends. Right. And so was the job with the symphony like right out of high school or college or No, not at all. No. when I was in college, I started working at Franklin Templeton. It was just called Franklin Resources back then, also in San Mateo. I did a short gig with them too, yeah. So I started working with them when they were on Bove, which is right where Twenty Four Hour N is now. Mm-hmm. Really close to Burrell. And I worked with them for about nine years. And then I went and worked for a private real estate developer for six years. And then I worked for a government agency that protects open space called Mid Peninsula Regional Open Space District. And I worked there for eight years. And then I started at the symphony and I was there for twenty one years. That's my resume. Yeah. That's your resume. But also listed on LinkedIn. You've been performing with the Berkeley Symphony for over forty years. I know. That's a long time. That's crazy. That's amazing. It is it is pretty crazy and amazing. Yeah, I auditioned in college. I hate auditioning. I'm not good at auditioning. I was accepted into Berkeley and I've clung on to that ever since and haven't left them because I don't want to ever audition ever again. And how often do you perform with them? they have four subscription concerts and then they get hired to play like we played with Beck a couple of times. And we played at the Greek theater with Facido Domingo. And wow. We we play quite a bit at Cal performances when there's a visiting ballet company. So I played with the Bullshoy and a couple of times with the Bullshoy and the Joffrey ballet and there's another one. So that's always fun. We used to play a lot every year we used to play with Mark Morris and do the hard nut, which was his take of the nutcracker. Which is really funny. It's very well done and Very humorous. But it's all Tchaikovsky's music. The music didn't change, just what's going up on stage. So that's fun. So there's a lot of perks being involved with them, even though you don't like to audition, which I'm probably you wouldn't have to after seven rears, right? Yeah. Yeah, exactly. It's like a club. But like even in college, I got to perform. I had a friend who was very talented. He is very talented, who's a composer, who's very involved with. the St. Mary's Cathedral. and when Pope John Paul came to Candlestick Park, he put together a group and composed a piece and a bunch of us got to play on the field with him just feast. Wow. so that was pretty amazing thing to do. So yeah, my violin has definitely let me have a lot of amazing experiences. No, I do have a question. Do you still have the little tiny violin you started with when you started? The little tiny one? Is it this big? Or is it this big? Do you like like do the little But you still have it? Okay. And another question with regard to all those amazing people that you were able people and groups that you perform with, did any of the groups or people ever affect you or make you nervous in your performance? I think when I started out I was much more nervous performing. Okay. But I played in a youth orchestra and that sort of helped me get over nerves more or less. And even performing in college, that was nerve wracking too, 'cause you have to play recitals and things and you know, you just if you Do it more and more for me at least. I I get less nervous. Like now I don't really get this unless I yeah. And I assume most of those were and most of those were symphony orchestras. So did you ever have you ever done quartets or smaller pieces where you were one of the solo Yeah. really? And that doesn't nerve you out. That's okay too. Yeah. I mean as long as you know the music and usually you're playing with your friends. So, you know, you're having fun that way and it would have to be pretty unusual for I think for me to get nervous nowadays. Good you. And back in high school, did you perform with the choir or the band or any of Yeah, well the orchestra. The orchestra. at Aragon. It was just really a string group. We never played with the winds, but Okay. We would we would perform that front or what? There'd be a winter concert and a spring concert that we did with the court. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, the woodwinds suck. We don't like them. It's only strange. They their own bands. Yeah, just weird people. I have a okay, Lisa, I have a random question for you because I seem to have a memory, which might be the vapor from the wine that I drank last night. Was there a point at at one point in your time when we were all at school together that you played a barefooted fiddler in the roof? Yes, that was with the course. Yeah. Good job. You still have some breaks. I remember that. Right, just this one, but yeah. Wow. And that was for what performance was that? Do you remember a spring co chorus concert or something? Yeah. I remember you had like t like torn trousers or pants. I don't think you had shoes on, I don't remember. And you wore a little hat. Were you d you're basically Teviah? No, well there is a fiddler in if you see the movie or even in the plays, there is an actual fiddler. My brother played Tubya though. My brother played Tubby. He went to Sarah High School and he played Tubby there. Which was nice. So was his life also filled with music? Or were you the the musical one? Well he he learned the trombone. He quit when he got braces because he said it hurt. So but he was he really be got into acting. He did a lot of acting in high school and a little bit beyond that. He has a very outgoing personality. So he's very gregarious outgoing. So it's needless to say that your violin has been your meal ticket. Well, it's opened a lot of doors and I've been able to have a lot of amazing experiences with it. Definitely. Yes. It sounds amazing. Yeah. I can't wait to talk about some more of those. Well, and she's name dropped. I mean, she mentioned the Pope. She meant the Placido Domingo. Yeah. I mean, any stories you want to share? I'm just between the three of us. You guys interviewed Gigi, so your your audience might remember her. She and I were at state together and she heard about opportunities to usher at Davies Symphony Hall when it opened. And so we signed up and I signed up my mom. And so we would I think we were there the first inaugural week it was open, ushering, volunteer ushering. And my mom was ushering on the main level, the orchestra level, and I think I was upstairs somewhere. And I came down at intermission just to see how she was doing, how it was going. And she's like, guess what? You're gonna have dinner with Isaac Stern tonight. And I'm like, What? What are you what? What? And she's like, Yeah, I just sat the president of his fan club and they're taking him out. He was a soloist. They're taking him out for dinner in Chinatown. And I told him that my daughter plays the violin and was studying in college. And he was like, well, we have an extra seat. And my mom said, well, my daughter would love to go. So yeah, I had one of those moms. And I'm looking at her going, Well, how are you gonna get home? You know, 'cause I drove you here. How are you gonna get home? She's like, don't worry about it. I'll just call your father and he'll come and get me and you just go. so she didn't go to the dinner, but she she got you to go. Yeah. That's funny. And I just always thought it was funny that, you know, years later I'd be working at San Francisco Symphony and you know, meeting all the guest artists and, you know, sometimes having dinner with them or whatever. And, you know, that that might have been the start of it all. So was that ushering position your foot in the door? I mean or w no, not at all. Because San Francisf San Francisco Symphony, I mean at least in the Bay Area, I mean it's a big deal. So how what was your never knew that one could have a career working for a symphony? It just never was a thing when I was in college. You can now get a degree in arts administration, but they didn't have that back then. And so it just never it never really occurred to me that you could work for a symphony orchestra. And so I didn't really think about it until I was really at the open space district. You know, just scrolling around and looking at jobs and I was looking at the ballet and the opera and the symphony. And, you know, eventually a job popped up at the symphony that was sort of mirrored what I was doing. a very administrative, like an administrative assistant type thing. It was like, well, I could do that, you know. And so I applied for it and got it. after many, many, many interviews. Hmm. Do you think your having played in other orchestras prior to this helped get you in? I mean, did any of your your music background get you having a musical background, I think, was helpful. sure, yeah. But it wasn't the primary reason. Okay. Yeah. It was So as you were growing up, even though you had music From a ver in your life from a very young age. When you think about college and graduation and getting a job, music wasn't at the forefront. It was like, it'll be nice to have, but it'll be a side thing. I'll get this job and music will still be in my life in some way. Yeah. Like I said, I was in college and then I got the job at Franklin. And I got used to getting a steady paycheck and I had health insurance and I got paid vacation and You know, so it was a a very steady income thing. And then the music was sort of a bonus, you know, I would get paid for gigs here and there. And I knew I didn't want to become a teacher. That wasn't my strength and I knew that. So yeah, I sort of took like Franklin was my business school and then I, you know, had my music on the side. So it just has always worked out for me. I've been very fortunate that wherever I've worked, my supervisors were very generous in letting me have time off to perform. So that was very fortunate too. So speaking of bonuses, maybe we should talk about, and I would like the personal phone number too, Seth McFarland, because apparently he was one of the people that you work with, and I have a small man crush on him. So I'll take his phone number offline and his address. Thanks. No problem. I'll get that to you. Okay. So you you do like you mentioned, sorry to jump over there, but you did have quite a few people you experienced and got to meet afterwards, I'm assuming that you you know, you not everyone you went to dinner with, but you run into a lot of people. You had a before, but also with the symphony, I'm sure you had lots of highbrow celebrities that you were able to meet, right? Yeah. In the department, I worked in the artistic planning department. And so that department hires and, you know, does the logistics for and pays all the guest artists, whether guest conductors or the soloists, performers. And so by virtue of that, it gave an excuse to go downstairs and say hello and welcome them and make sure they had everything they need. so you learn pretty quickly that, you know, they're they're just people and they just, you know, want the support and you don't wanna be like a fan. You don't want to go, you know, fanboy on them. You know, you wanna stay keep your cool. You can you can your head, your head is going, my God, my God, my God. But, you know One on one you have to but on the outside you're Miss Cool. Yeah, to be pretty professional. so yeah, there were definitely we were fortunate in that we had were able to hire quite a few like stars, like Lauren Bacall. I held her dog so that she could see her dog while she was narrating a piece because it was an emotional pet for her and she just needed to see her dog. Well so there was many, many people like Seth McFarlane and Cheyenne Johnson and Rita Moreno. my god. At one gala, I was just standing in the hallway and I looked to my left and Robin Williams was standing next to me. And you know, I was just like, my god, in my head, my god, Robin Williams is standing next to me. Did you go up say I mean it was just things like that. You just you just never knew who was gonna pop up. Was there any one guest that you truly were gobsmacked by that you had never thought I those are an amazing list of people, but was there anyone that stood out to you that you truly admired and were very impressed that you were able to say hello to? I mean, there there weren't I can't really name one. specifically in that way, but I mean meeting Itzok Pearlman has been very special. Because of course, you know, I listened to his his performing and his records and and they were actually records and just meeting him and you know, over the years getting to know him and very limited way, but still, you know, fortunately he asked he invited me to go to lunch with him and some friends once which was, you know, very nice. And actually did that a couple of times. he required that people meet him at the gate. And it you know, after nine eleven, it was very difficult to get to the gate to meet people. Sure. But we figured a way to do that legally. And so we were able to do that. So I did that for many years in a row, you know. So I was like a familiar face, which I think was appreciated too. But yeah. She was a regular guest of the company. James, the guy that used to do the interviews with the with the celebrities and he had like the James Lipton. James Lipton. He came. And yes, I would say for me, I went the most fan crazy about him of all people that we've had just because I love that show and I loved his questions. And I loved all of that. But that was the actor studio, right? The actor studio, yes. And they'd they'd show those on Bravo. Yeah. Yeah. So when we had him And James Earl Jones, I mean, meeting him was really important. he's very quiet. He's a very, very quiet person. yeah, there's a there's a lot. So this this actually this career you've had has done had some major exposure for you to a lot of well-known people, also very talented people and also very revered people in the music world. So that's an amazing thing. So can we just slide over to You retired recently. Correct? How's that going? And how was that transition for you? Because we do like to talk about that with a lot of our friends who are contemplating retirement or have retired already or have decided never to retire. So how how is it going for you? the first few weeks was really difficult for me. it was really, really hard. It was they equate it to COVID where you're just cut off. And, you know, all of a sudden I didn't have email, you know, I didn't have I was always checking my emails for anything needed attention or something. And all of a sudden I didn't have that. And I didn't have any music gigs and I didn't have any I didn't have anything to do. And it gave me a realization that, my God, I really was a workaholic, I guess, because all of a sudden I have to figure out things to do. it was it was very difficult. It was very, very difficult. Yes. It typically is very difficult. Yeah. I would say the first month I had a gig in August. So I retired the end of June. So the month of July was very, very difficult for me. But once I started playing, that was good. And then I had a trip planned in September. I went to South Africa as my gift to myself for retirement. So I had that to look forward to. And then once that trip was done, then I had a lot more playing ahead of me. And I've found that if I have something planned, no matter what it is, every day, at least I have something to do. Sure. Otherwise, you know, it's more difficult for me to find you know, figure out what am I gonna do today. Right. But you also are still quite involved with the music world because I I see you posting all the time. You're going to symphonies a lot. You go to quite a few As a as a guest you go to see quite a few. So you're you're still very much involved with the music. I am. I I hope I don't annoy my former colleagues with coming backstage. Why would hanging out? It's just no, not at all. That's your that was your family for many, many years. So you don't And I love seeing the musicians. I had a lot of opportunities to work with the musicians and the orchestra because I helped coordinate all the chamber concerts that they did. So I got to know. Quite a lot of them. And so it's always nice to see them backstage and on stage. So as a former employee, you still have like a backstage pass, so to speak. Nice. No, that's great. Would you still have Seth McFarland's phone number, by the way? Okay, in a minute, dear. In a minute. We're talking about Lisa now. Yes, about me. Hello. That's right. So wait, how go ahead, Gary. Sorry. I was gonna say, so obviously music has been a huge part, and I'm glad that you still have a connection to it. So you've been traveling more, at least I I hear about more trips. You have one coming up. You squeeze this in before you head off to another trip. good, I'm going to Barcelona, right? Yes, I'm going to Barcelona for a week, Lyon for a week, and then I'm gonna take a tour of I guess northernish Italy. I've never been to any of those places. So I'm meeting I'm staying with friends in Lyon and then I'm gonna somehow get myself to Italy for this tour. And then it's a organized tour and it starts in Venice. How many weeks are we talking about? Like three weeks? I think it's it's a little over three weeks altogether. It's it's a long time. But isn't it nice to have the opportunity to take the time to truly explore that way? 'Cause most times of European trips you get one week off and you gotta squeeze everything in in six days or something, but now you have three weeks to do that. I don't Take as much time as my brother and sister in law. They go for three months at a time wherever they go. So I'm working my way up to that, but I'm not ready. Baby steps. So did you do a lot of traveling before, or now that you're retired, you're like, let's get going. I c I'm still mobile, I'm young, I can still do this. I mean, had you been to Europe before? Yes. Been to Europe many times. our parents believed in vacations. our dad was richly he was born in Berlin and our mom was from Cleveland and she was in the Foreign Service. So she did a lot of traveling and he did a lot of traveling before they met and were married. And we always went on vacations. We went we went to Mexico. Would we would drive everywhere. We went to Mexico. One nice trip, my dad took a month off work and he borrowed his sister's Winnebago. And we went up to Canada. And over to Montreal and then back through the United States for a month. So I was ten when that happened. But that was an amazing trip. It was really fun. And I think also, Lisa, because I was very similarly, my parents took me out of school to take longer trips mostly to Europe because of our affiliation with an airline. So I have to say you most likely appreciated, maybe not at the time, but a lot of times having been exposed to all that when you're a younger kid, you get a lot more exposure and get used to what other cultures are like and what they are. And I probably have an appreciation for everything that we have that other cultures might not have or anything. So I think Traveling at a young age is actually a really great idea for kids. Yeah. And even just traveling throughout the United States. I mean, there's so many different ways people do stuff in different parts of the country. Right. So, you know, it's and the weather, just the weather alone is so different. And I'm always so happy to come back to the Bay Area because it's like the perfect weather. You know, it's never too hot, never too cold. It's just Now you mentioned your mother was in the Foreign Service. Wasn't one of your trips to kind of retrace some of her steps? Well, that was where she had been Africa. 'Cause she worked in South Africa. and I always was interested in going there. She also worked in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. And I don't really have an interest to go there. And then she worked for three years in Mexico City. So someday I'll go there. She sh she was in the same apartment building as Diego Rivera. She had her opportunity. She had cocktails with Truman or Eisenhower at the embassy in Mexico City. And so she's she had her fun time with celebrities. And she certainly took advantage of coming backstage at the symphony. We had Ross Staprovich conducting. And she actually swooned when she met him. Yeah. How does one swoon? Yeah, just yeah, yeah. Kinda sort of To you, Dom, we mentioned Seth McFarlane and you swoon. So that's it's kinda funny. So you're enjoying your traveling and spending the time there. Is there a list like a bucket list of places that you would like to go to while you're stayable to? Yeah. I haven't been to South America. So somewhere I've always wanted to go to Patagonia. and then Antarctica would be fun too, but it's really expensive. So I don't know about that one. I'd love to go up I always thought Nova Scotia would be nice to see. I'd like to go to Alaska. I want to see the northern lights, so Norway, Finland, up there, Sweden. I wouldn't mind going back to Africa. It's such a huge country. There's so many places to see. Right. Yeah, it's a big world, a lot of places to see. I will say, f to for r with regard to Africa for a moment, because most of not Africa, Alaska, that while most of the cruises leave out of Seattle. There is one at least out of San Francisco, which was totally convenient when I did that what, three years ago. 'Cause I literally just walked down the embarcadero the cruise ship terminal and got on the ship. And it was ten days there and back and then I w I got off the boat and I just walked home. so you don't have to worry about flying somewhere else and and so on. But the Alaska one, people I it's been on my bucket list for years, so finally had the opportunity to do it. But for people who haven't done it, they the the running joke if it was they want to go before everything melts. There was a woman who was on I didn't meet her, but when I went on my cruise, there was a woman who had done the same thing like ten years prior and she had compared photos of what it looked like then versus now. And it was dramatically different. How much has has disappeared. So that's an easy one 'cause they go from like April to October ish is the season. And so that I would say if that's something on your list, I would say sooner rather than later just because I mean that's my two cents. Thank you. Good T cents. and you're going to Barcelona. Is this your first time to Barcelona? Yeah. There's so much to see. It's a beautiful city. I've been there two times, I think. At least two times. And Dawn, you've been there. Yes. Yes. Architecturally In fact, one year I went was like the the some they were celebrating Gaudi. The and and so I visited many of his like his the big apartment building and the park that's across town Park Gup. Cuel is the name of the park. A beautiful park. So there's all kinds of stuff to see there. So I wish you luck on that because I I love Barcelona. It's beautiful. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. We Yeah, I already have a ticket to see the Sagrida Familia or Familia Sprita. Yes. and a friend of mine, she went on a a food tour. I might do that. So yeah, there's there's a lot to enjoy. In the weeks ahead. And when you're in Italy, do you know if it includes like a cooking tour cooking class? 'Cause a lot of people like to do that. Yeah. They'll go to a foreign country and take a one day class, if you will, on cooking. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I don't think Is that something you'd like to do? Are you a cook? I love to cook, yeah. It's very good. And when I my brother and sister, I go to Thailand every year and I went once and my brother reserved a cooking class. So we learned which was great. It was so much fun. it was like outside, inside outside. It was like there weren't any walls and everyone had their own cooking station and the teacher had the thing with the mirror and you know, you could follow along and then you got to eat everything for lunch when you were done. Yeah. Great. That was really fun. So Lisa, so question switching back to the retirement thing and us getting a bit older. Did you ever experience any kind of ageism in the workplace or any kind of people treating you differently because of your age ever? No we're working. I mean, most people think I'm younger than I am. So I don't I haven't really ever had that at all. It's weird being called ma'am. But you know, that's a personal thing. Don't I know it? I hate when that happens to me. Me too. I hate it when they call It's Yeah, the first time you're called fan, it's like, I don't know. You're not ready for that. And when they assume that you should get the senior discount at the movie theater or at the Sizzler? That I don't mind getting a discount. I do. When I turn fifty five, a friend of mine is like, you can get the discount at IHOP now. Let's go. I was like, What? So we went to IHOP and I was like, I've fifty five, I get the discount. And they're like, okay. So And you've probably never been to an IHOP before. Right. I was looking for that's fine. Well, I went to a movie Go ahead. sorry, go ahead. Like I said, I went to a movie theater once and the young kid who was selling a ticket asked if I was eligible for the senior discount. I'm like, Well senior discount told me the age and I think I was so said yes and it's like It was only twenty five cents left. Like really, that's it? Please. Give me a real discount. I know. I I'm taking my age back. I'll digress. Forget how old I am. Yes. Well, my friend Steve took us drug us to the Sizzler out in Beaumont when we were going to Palm Springs. He's like, I wanna go 'cause he likes the cheesy bread or something. It's like I hadn't been to the Sizzller since the seventies. And he goes in, he I says, you know, 'cause you he gets the senior discount there. And I was in the back of mine looking at what to order. He said, Hey Don, how old are you? They want to know so we can give you the senior discount across the friggin' restaurant. Got a lot of name. Yeah, right. So I told him I'm forty seven. I don't get a discount. They give it to me anyway. But I do want the cheesy bread. Yeah. No, I've been fortunate. I I have never really felt any ageism issues. So speaking of age, one question we ask is if you could go back and give your younger self some advice and you pick the age, eighteen, twenty five, whatever, what advice w would you give your younger self? I don't know. That's a hard question. It's okay. Yeah. I mean, 'cause some of the just to give you an idea, some people would say, I wish I had, you know, had more confidence or I and I I wish I spoke up more. I mean, for me, I would always be the one that I don't wanna ruffle any feathers, so I'm I'm just gonna stay in my lane, not say anything. But as I've gotten older, I'm like, you know what? That's not right. Someone should say something or do something. And so I'm more likely to say or do something now than I would have years ago. Or another thing would be I would very self conscious about what people think about me. Right. So I'd again stay in that in that zone of not stepping outside the box for fear that somebody would mock me or whatever. And now like if I'm going to the grocery store I'm wearing sweats, I don't care. I'm just gonna go get some milk. I don't I don't need to like impress anyone. So it's just it could be a change in attitude or change in self confidence or whatever that is. So you maybe don't have to give yourself advice. Maybe everything went well during your youth. I've just had a perfect life and no. I mean, for the moment I can't really think of anything I would tell myself. Maybe be a little more confident in certain aspects. Yeah, I think that's a very common one. I think I think we're all like that. Yep. Yeah. But I can't really I've gotten along pretty well. I've had a pretty good life. You know, I'm sorry, maybe I didn't meet a special person to have a long term relationship with. But that's nothing I I don't know. I'm a member of that club. Yeah. I mean, that but, you know, I I've gotten over that too. You know, I'm very comfortable. Yeah. Mm-hmm. You know, just living my life. Okay. Well, I mean, yeah, I mean you continue with music in your life. You own a home, which is great. A lot of us can't say that. I mean you live in the Bay Area, but you really enjoy and you get to travel. I mean, so yeah. Yeah. And you found time to do some volunteer work. I do that too. Yeah, I just started Which is near and dear to my heart. I started volunteering every so often at the Sif Marin Food Bank, which is very rewarding and exhausting at the same time. And then I volunteer at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, which I love doing because it's such a pretty area. What what 'cause you've been doing that for quite a while, since like for like eleven plus years, I think. Yeah. That's what LinkedIn says. What what got you started there? Well, I moved Well, if it's written down it must be true, yes. Especially if I wrote it down. It's gotta be true. Right. Well that's a two. When I when I moved here to Half Moon Bay, I think I was just driving around and I drove down south and saw the lighthouse and you know, I never really stopped here. I'm gonna stop here and go down a p the path and they have a nice deck that looks out on the ocean and there was a docent sitting there knitting and we just started talking and I was like, so how long have you been No volunteering and what do you do? And she's like, well, there's gonna be a a docent class coming up. here's the number to call if you're interested. So I thought about it and I called and it was like a five week you know, every Saturday class. And the teacher was amazing. She was great. And then I just started working there. And they only required one day a month. And that was like, Well, I can do that. I can come home one day and then You know, to meet the minimum requirement. And but now that I'm retired I go a few times a month. And so yeah, it's nice. I enjoy it. Yeah, it's convenient, it's not that far from where you live. It's not that far. And it's always a pretty ride and it is. I I've not been there before, but once I found out you were volunteering there, I've been there two or three times. Yeah. But never when you're there. It's usually, you know Well Do you love living in Half Moon Bay, Lisa? 'Cause I know that's a beautiful part of the Bay Area. It's just gorgeous. It is. It was it's been really nice. I mean, it's very rural. I'm very fortunate that my backyard looks onto a horse farm. So I have nothing but fields behind my house. I have neighbors on either side. I'm in a you know, a development, but looking out my back window, there's just nature, which I love. And like during COVID when people weren't coming over here. And really discovered that they could come over here. It was really easy to cross Highway One and just walk over to the ocean. So that was a really wonderful benefit of living here. And then just, you know, working in the city and then coming home. It it's a, you know, the city's busy busy place. And then coming here, it's, you know, farmlands and the ocean. And it's just it's very peaceful. It's very nice. Very quiet. Yeah. I love it. Very happy here. You like going on your hikes there on the ocean? Yeah. Yeah. They have a great coastal trail and and it's a nice community. Mm-hmm. The downtown is very cute. Yeah, yeah. Town's cute and lots of good restaurants. I I enjoy going there. Yeah. But I like the nature. I'm a nature girl, so I like that. Lisa, is there anything that you wish people would stop asking you besides the senior discount question? No, I don't mind people asking me anything. Whether I'll answer I don't like people asking me how old I am. I just don't like that. Well they're gonna ask me it, I'll tell them how old you are. So I've no problem. That's what I heard. Right. That's exactly correct, because that's in that's in writing, it's in the internet, so it must be true. Yeah. I mean if you write it down yourself doesn't mean it's not true. So Right. But go ahead, Don. What? Do you have any issues with technology? Because you pe a lot of people make fun of us boomers, not being able to find our remote or figure out what our phone does. Do you have any issues with technology? I don't. My philosophy is that we're smarter than the machines. So whenever like when I was at work and something happened to the Xerox machine and people get frustrated, it's like, we're smarter than the Xerox machine. We can figure this out. And, you know. So I I find myself pretty good at Tech stuff. But it's always good to have a younger person around because they they can answer questions that you might not know the answer to. They know a lot of words. Even if they call me ma'am. Yeah. There's a lot of words they use I don't know. That's true. I still don't know what six seven means. I have no idea what that means. I don't either. I heard that the other day, six seven. Yeah. It was a thing like a few months ago, six seven, and I have no idea what it means. Yeah, I have to look it up. I'd someone made a reference to it. I looked it up and I don't think I re I re understood what it meant. Yeah, I don't good luck. While I looked that up, I have a question for you that we ask all of our guests because we are in the 60 club and we've got to a certain point in our life. Is there something that you ain't ain't nobody got time for that anymore? Anything you just don't want to put up with anymore, don't have time for, don't have the patience for anymore. I pretty much don't have patience for other drivers. Other drivers are just they're crazy. People are crazy. I'm driving just down one, going speed limit. It's not fast enough. People want to be going like you're on two eighty. And one time I was coming through the tunnel, which was where double slide is. And I was going speed limit and this car passed me on the right. And there's no passing lane on the right. It just like I wasn't going fast enough. It like it just zoomed right by me. It was just like, What the heck? What is going on? Then yesterday some idiot pulled out in front of me to cross over all the lanes and I was literally two feet from hitting his rear end. He just was just like God. I said I swore I couldn't for just a little bit. Just just a little bit. But yeah, other drivers just I don't have time for them. They're just well you'll be happy to know that six seven, it says no real meaning. It's nonsense. Primarily a six seven has no fixed literal definition. It is a brain rot meme, a nonsensical repetitive phrase used by kids to create an inside joke that intentionally confuses adults. Well, that works. It works. They say six seven, you s so when they say six seven, you go four three and turn around and walk away. Yeah. Well thank you for for looking that up and setting it straight. Well, I'm glad I did, because I'd be thinking about it on my drive down to San Mateo to my mom today. And did you know that Riz means charisma? Like they got Riz. Okay. Yeah, there's a lot of stuff that comes up. I didn't know we had so much Riz though. Did you? I did. You two definitely have riz. Well now now now we all know. Yes, yes. So how are the sixties trading you guys? Turn it back on you. Well, that's that's not about he says it's great meeting you on. Look at the time. Well, you know, like I said earlier, I I used when I was younger, I cared more about doing the right thing, saying the right thing, not doing this, not doing that. Now I'm I'm just like I don't care. So that that's the one thing of me. you know, I'm thinking ahead to when I retire, and that might be Three and a half years from now? Cause I'll be sixty-four this year. So I'm I'm shooting for sixty seven. But then, you know, I'd like to w can I really last that long? So that's like an internal conversation I'm having. But other that, you know, I'm good. Obviously stress here and there, but who doesn't have stress in their life about different things? You know, trying to be good about health wise and, you know. Make sure I pay my bills and 'cause I got, you know, like everyone else, mortgage and insurance and this and that and blah blah blah. So yeah, but I I can't complain. There's I mean, there are people that are a lot worse off. You know, coming out of the pandemic, there people that lost their jobs or got furloughed. I got cut back in hours, but eventually, you know, five years later got brought back to full time. So I just had to be patient. So that was challenging, but you know, again, I could have been a lot worse. Yeah. Yeah. True. You know, if if things had gone a much different way, I maybe would have had to sell my house. Of course I would have moved back with my mom, which she would have loved. Your mom's a good mom. Yeah. But yes, I will go see her later today. One thing But Donald Yes. sorry, it's going back to me now. One thing that's do it. God my friends admire, I think, is that I'm still friends with my a group of people from high school. 'Cause I know a lot of people that do not have that same connection. Right. I d don't know anyone left from high school and you know, and we have this really great group of people that have stayed in touch or gotten back in touch and you know, we're able to do things together or just be in touch with each other and see how everyone's doing and right, care about each other. And I think that's a rare and a very special thing. That we're very fortunate for. I have the same thing with college friends. I have a lot of college friends. And I think it's because of the music, because you know, you run into them like gigs, you know, you haven't seen them for a few years, but you're right back, you know, where you were the last time you saw them. You just have a history. and I think that's super special to for sure. Yeah, and we're lucky in that Alicia and the Bayer, there's lot of people that have stayed in the Bay Area. Right. And if they don't, I mean Dawn flew up for your party. Yeah. Yeah. You know, J Jamie who lives on the East Coast has come out a couple of night. She's coming again in September. So when we when we know her dates, we'll let everybody know and try and do a get together. So the dogs. So there is definitely still connection and we're we're lucky that we're able to get together when we can for a dinner or this or that. Sorry. He had the code. Which one is that? That's Rocket. Okay. It's very camera shy. Sorry about that. Anyway. So Donald any any other questions? Are we ready to wrap it up? Or do you have any other questions? We're ready to wrap it up. I think if it's okay with you, I want to throw the lightning round at you. It's very easy questions and you don't have to have an answer for all of them. So if you don't have an answer to say, pass. Okay. Do I get a prize when it's over or absolutely you get paid. Highly, if you answer all of these questions correctly, and I can I'm the only one that knows the correct answers, then you'll have to repeat the questions back backwards in alphabetical or then you win the prize. Lord. Ready? Okay. Okay. It's easy. Red wine, white wine, champagne, beer, or nothing. Sangria. That wasn't on the list, but okay. That's what she likes. Next question. Movies, comedy, horror, or romance? Drama. Morning person or a night owl? Morning. Cats or dogs? Depends. Okay. Sweet snacks or savory snacks? Depends. Nothing in your email inbox or one hundred of un hundreds of emails. hundreds of emails, but they're all red. Okay. Sushi or tacos? Depends. Okay. Do you do the cooking or do you do the dishes? Both. Okay. Celebrity gossip or true crime? Let's go gossip. Okay. Yes. Pineapple on pizza, yes or no? Okay. Lisa. Coke or Pepsi? Neither now. Used to be Diet Coke. Okay, good. Done. Guess what? You didn't answer any one of those questions the way I wanted you to, so you get no prize. well. I had to I had to answer Actually you're the first one that's done. I had to be me. No, I know, but that's what's actually really refreshing is that you had you answered them the way you would answer them, not necessarily the option that I gave you. So you're very much an individual positive thinker on your own. And that deserves a nobody puts Lisa in a corner. You can't box me. Lisa with a Z It's Lisa with a Z, not Lisa with an S because Lisa with an S goes. I love that. Well, so many people write my name with a Z because my last name starts with a Z. So they substitute the S and Lisa with a Z. So anyway, you did great. You did great. Sex in the mail. Swear to God. I'll be waiting. Okay. Hopefully this is enjoyable, not too painful. It was great. It was great. Well, see? All the nerves went away, right? You weren't nervous, were you? What would you be nervous about? Well, you never know. It's just us. I was nervous. No, kidding. I'm always nervous. I'm a nervous. No, this is very nice. Thank you for inviting me to Well, thank you for joining us. It's supposed to Always good to see you, Lisa. I look forward to Gary's next party that he's gonna figure out, right, Gary? Because you're in charge of that now. Yes, there's a pressure to do something in April or May and I you Well wait till May. that's about me, nobody else. You got that right. Apparently. That's why your name's on the title of the the episode. And we're back. And we're back. Well, that was a fun interview with Lisa. Good to see her. And I'm excited for her trip. Yes, I know, but I you see w she didn't seem nervous to me. No. Okay, good. Good. Well, I mean, I you know, she she is I always, you know, think of her as little shy, so just like, well, you she even said like I won't have anything to say. No, she had lots to say. And she We couldn't stop her from talking. Has an amazing career. She's enjoying her retirement. She's doing some traveling. She gives Keeps in touch with us. So I mean, come on, we wouldn't want that. And the pay is incredible. Right. She just wanna come back to get paid again. Yeah. She'll have a return visit to us. So we can call her Lisa Lisa and the cult jam, Lisa with a Z, or Lisa Pizza? Or Lisa Lisous. Lisa Lisaus. Guess what, Lisa? You ready to close this out though? I think we are. So that wraps up a very busy week for us recording. We are front loading all our recordings. We have some amazing guests that we've recorded. We have more coming. and then every once in a while you and I will do, you know, we'll go solo and talk just about us. We have some we'll be doing a little trip down memory lane with Hollywood and the loss of a lot of big names. Yes. And we'll focus on one person in particular and her exact some of her movies. We'll talk about that. We talked about maybe doing a thing about favorite comedies. Last night on TV was the Ritz with Rita Moreno. Yes. So I watched I stayed up late watching that again for like the MT Times. That was fun. But anyway. I had a dream. I dream about Jew, baby. I love that. Not that I know the movie. No, not at all. But anyway, so we have, you know, we'll be talking more about retirement, a lot of interesting topics coming up. With guests or without. So tune in. You can watch us on YouTube. You can listen to us on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify. Our main hosting page, Podpage, has all of the platforms listed where you can leave comments. You can call and leave a recording. You can email us, Don and Gary Duin60 at gmail.com. And of course on social media, you'll see us on Instagram and Facebook. We're everywhere. Yeah. So good job. So that's my closing. You have any pithy words to end this No, just we'll see ya next time assuming our naps don't run long. That's right. Right. Okay. Well thanks, Gary. You did a great job hosting today. I want to say that we'd pay you well, but you already are paid very well, so keep doing up the the good j hosting job. Good keep doing that. I paid well? Yeah, you are. Okay. Okay. Talk to you later. Bye. Bye.