Proper Holiday Greetings and Some Happy Meetings

00:00:03.777 --> 00:00:07.497
You are listening to the Balancing Act podcast. Here's your hosts,

00:00:07.897 --> 00:00:09.697
Jamie Wonko and Joe Vitale.

00:00:11.297 --> 00:00:16.677
Fa la la la la. We're officially recording. We are officially recording.

00:00:18.617 --> 00:00:22.377
Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to the Balancing Act podcast.

00:00:22.757 --> 00:00:27.397
My name is Jamie Wonko. I am here with Joe Vitale. He's here.

00:00:27.477 --> 00:00:28.997
I was going to say St. Dick.

00:00:29.877 --> 00:00:34.557
St. Nick. My dude is behind me in the window there, if you're watching on the YouTubes.

00:00:34.777 --> 00:00:38.237
He's a creeper. It looks a little creepy. I'm not going to lie.

00:00:38.277 --> 00:00:41.177
I like, I mean, you know, he's like, what are you doing with my cookies, Joe?

00:00:41.757 --> 00:00:45.557
Went a little virtual background. I like it. It's so festive.

00:00:45.797 --> 00:00:49.457
Yeah, you know, got to do it. We don't have our downstairs decorated.

00:00:49.577 --> 00:00:51.957
It's my wife's office, so we don't have it decorated down here.

00:00:52.117 --> 00:00:55.437
So, you know, I had to go virtual. I had to go back in the day.

00:00:55.777 --> 00:00:59.777
You know what? I have a little gift for you. You do have a gift for me? Oh my God. What is it?

00:01:00.357 --> 00:01:04.217
The gift is Season 3. It's brought to you by our presenting sponsor,

00:01:04.397 --> 00:01:05.297
Teacher's Insurance Plan.

00:01:05.517 --> 00:01:08.637
Check out their website for more information and to get a quote.

00:01:08.897 --> 00:01:12.577
Teacher's Insurance Plan, auto insurance that brings exclusive educator savings

00:01:12.577 --> 00:01:18.557
and exceptional customer care to New Jersey and Pennsylvania educational employees.

00:01:19.330 --> 00:01:23.870
Yeah, buddy. Yeah. That is our season three sponsor, which, you know,

00:01:23.990 --> 00:01:26.130
that's definitely a highlight from this year.

00:01:27.070 --> 00:01:33.030
As our show has continued to grow, we've gotten more viewers and more traction on social media.

00:01:33.250 --> 00:01:39.830
We definitely are, you know, super, super appreciative of our sponsor,

00:01:39.910 --> 00:01:43.890
Teachers Insurance Plan, and all the things that they are doing for us,

00:01:43.950 --> 00:01:46.810
as well as, like, things in the future that we're working on.

00:01:46.930 --> 00:01:51.410
It's really an exciting relationship. So, um, we always, I always like to say,

00:01:51.570 --> 00:01:53.130
please support people that support the show.

00:01:53.230 --> 00:01:56.350
Uh, that's a, that's a huge thing. So if you're looking, if you're in the market

00:01:56.350 --> 00:02:01.190
for auto insurance, as many people are in New Jersey, definitely give them a look. Absolutely. Yep.

00:02:02.790 --> 00:02:08.470
Absolutely. So are you feeling grinchy or are you feeling a little like a, like Mr. Claus?

00:02:08.770 --> 00:02:11.890
No, I mean, I, you know, I'm hanging in there. I enjoy the holidays.

00:02:12.150 --> 00:02:14.910
Uh, you know, the tree is lit. The, I love me.

00:02:15.090 --> 00:02:18.430
We've talked about this before. Love me a tree. I love turning the lights off

00:02:18.430 --> 00:02:26.750
at night and sitting with the tree on with just the glow of the lights and just enjoying, you know.

00:02:27.070 --> 00:02:30.770
And are you a white light or a colored light? It's funny you should mention

00:02:30.770 --> 00:02:33.410
that because we got like this little battle going on.

00:02:33.690 --> 00:02:40.050
So the other day I came home and our tree, my wife saw our tree on TikTok or

00:02:40.050 --> 00:02:41.150
Instagram or something.

00:02:41.310 --> 00:02:46.410
And it was like a Home Depot tree that had an LED light display.

00:02:47.391 --> 00:02:49.991
Where it's got like nine different modes and you can have this mode,

00:02:50.071 --> 00:02:54.371
that mode. We have the same tree. We do have the same tree? We do. Yeah.

00:02:54.931 --> 00:02:58.111
We got it before it was the viral tree. Okay.

00:02:58.431 --> 00:03:01.971
And it deserves to be a viral tree. It's everything. It is very pretty.

00:03:02.151 --> 00:03:06.651
It is. So there is, my wife had it on the one where it like constantly rotates.

00:03:06.651 --> 00:03:12.451
So it like, it like fades and then it blinks and then it fades and then it blinks

00:03:12.451 --> 00:03:14.411
and then it fades and then it blinks.

00:03:14.591 --> 00:03:17.191
And I'm like, I am going to be a mental patient.

00:03:17.391 --> 00:03:19.471
If I keep watching this so um,

00:03:20.078 --> 00:03:24.098
Sometimes we do colors, but most nights it's, we have the white twinklies.

00:03:24.098 --> 00:03:27.538
So it's on and the white is twinkling. I just love the way that looks.

00:03:28.398 --> 00:03:31.978
Twinkle on that particular tree is so perfect. Yeah.

00:03:32.278 --> 00:03:35.798
And the white twinkle is everything. I always choose the steady on,

00:03:35.938 --> 00:03:40.178
you know, but the twinkle, there's just something, it's very Epcot-esque to me.

00:03:40.518 --> 00:03:45.458
It reminds me of the trees in Epcot when you're leaving, through the front and up the back.

00:03:45.458 --> 00:03:51.798
Um yes and that and also like some of the ground in disney world has like twinkles

00:03:51.798 --> 00:03:55.378
in it like when you're walking they it's like they have a light like from the

00:03:55.378 --> 00:03:59.938
ground up and that is what it like that's the feeling that it gives me which

00:03:59.938 --> 00:04:03.278
is you know it's that's my happiest um you know.

00:04:04.258 --> 00:04:07.738
My love language is epcot so the um

00:04:07.738 --> 00:04:11.458
the battle in our house is colored versus white

00:04:11.458 --> 00:04:14.498
yes and so outside we

00:04:14.498 --> 00:04:17.798
have red and green and that's wonderful um

00:04:17.798 --> 00:04:20.938
i love the twinkling white i do

00:04:20.938 --> 00:04:24.038
also love the fact that it's just the remote control that can change it

00:04:24.038 --> 00:04:27.558
oh yeah it's awesome and there's a timer involved

00:04:27.558 --> 00:04:30.698
right so yeah i mean i just change

00:04:30.698 --> 00:04:34.078
it yeah but also the um my our

00:04:34.078 --> 00:04:37.238
second tree is colored got it and so

00:04:37.238 --> 00:04:40.038
that appeases everybody um you know

00:04:40.038 --> 00:04:43.178
so that we have one in one which i think is really we do

00:04:43.178 --> 00:04:46.178
have a second tree but it's not up and yeah as

00:04:46.178 --> 00:04:49.018
we get i mean i do want to put it up i have

00:04:49.018 --> 00:04:51.758
like some star wars ornaments i want to have my little star wars tree down

00:04:51.758 --> 00:04:56.038
in the basement i should just do it and no one is really going to care uh but

00:04:56.038 --> 00:05:00.898
we just why don't you no i don't know i don't know honestly because our weekends

00:05:00.898 --> 00:05:06.318
have been uh just crazy busy with like stuff going on yeah sure no honestly

00:05:06.318 --> 00:05:10.998
yeah we've we've been no did i did that sound snotty i know yeah Yeah, sure, of course.

00:05:11.218 --> 00:05:15.258
Well, not that you're Christmas judgy, but you're like, yeah,

00:05:15.338 --> 00:05:17.478
get on it, you jerk. Okay, put the tree up.

00:05:21.758 --> 00:05:24.058
I, you got to make the time. Yeah.

00:05:24.786 --> 00:05:28.186
It's a tree prevention. Okay. It's a tree prevention. You only have a few more

00:05:28.186 --> 00:05:31.046
weeks left to enjoy the beautiful, like, glow.

00:05:31.486 --> 00:05:39.046
And I just love this, you know, time of year for, you know, for that. And I just, I don't know.

00:05:39.086 --> 00:05:41.546
I encourage all the trees and all the things and all the do's.

00:05:41.666 --> 00:05:45.206
But, I mean, my second tree is dedicated to Epcot.

00:05:46.226 --> 00:05:51.986
And it has also become a little bit of, like, a spot. What else do we put on there?

00:05:53.326 --> 00:05:58.386
One of my favorite things that I miss like so passionately so so much when the

00:05:58.386 --> 00:06:04.546
kids were little making their Christmas lists to send to Santa and probably

00:06:04.546 --> 00:06:07.066
that is the one thing that.

00:06:08.024 --> 00:06:16.464
Gives me like the amount of joy that I derive from the Christmas lists that

00:06:16.464 --> 00:06:20.624
are ornaments that we have for now for years.

00:06:21.084 --> 00:06:26.044
And it was, of course, from the Elf on a Shelf and they still make them.

00:06:26.184 --> 00:06:29.884
And they, to me, they are classic, like shrinky dink style.

00:06:30.304 --> 00:06:33.624
And the paper goes, you write your list, the paper goes in the oven,

00:06:33.784 --> 00:06:36.964
it shrinks so that the Elf can fly with it.

00:06:36.964 --> 00:06:40.284
And i mean elfin magic absolutely

00:06:40.284 --> 00:06:43.644
the fact that i have like the five-year-old

00:06:43.644 --> 00:06:47.224
version of like their like even pre-writing of

00:06:47.224 --> 00:06:50.324
like half a letter and half like a picture

00:06:50.324 --> 00:06:53.104
and then to be able to take that out and hang it

00:06:53.104 --> 00:06:56.624
up and then watch them looking at their list

00:06:56.624 --> 00:06:59.384
from years to me it is such a

00:06:59.384 --> 00:07:02.104
genius idea i would oh my gosh

00:07:02.104 --> 00:07:04.904
what i wouldn't give to have like that you know for

00:07:04.904 --> 00:07:07.924
myself so the fact that they can have those makes me

00:07:07.924 --> 00:07:14.104
so happy and i'm not really like a you know i'm not crafty so that to me like

00:07:14.104 --> 00:07:19.044
it comes in a box and there are instructions so to be able to do that and execute

00:07:19.044 --> 00:07:22.504
it without like having to you know i have ornaments like i had an aunt that

00:07:22.504 --> 00:07:27.604
was super crafty and she would like make everyone an ornament every year and like you know although.

00:07:29.954 --> 00:07:32.914
Christmas ornaments. I have this ongoing thing.

00:07:33.074 --> 00:07:40.134
So because my mom's not well and she very rarely can leave her bed.

00:07:40.814 --> 00:07:45.954
Last year, just to try to warm up her room a little bit and give her a little

00:07:45.954 --> 00:07:50.414
something, I had started decorating a tree every month for her.

00:07:50.694 --> 00:07:53.474
And it was this $10 tree that I got

00:07:53.474 --> 00:07:56.654
at the dollar five general below whatever you

00:07:56.654 --> 00:07:59.354
know mishmash of those stores and um and it

00:07:59.354 --> 00:08:02.334
was pre-lit the lights have since broken um but we replaced

00:08:02.334 --> 00:08:05.114
them with new lights and um and it's every single

00:08:05.114 --> 00:08:07.994
day she's got to have her tree turned on and so we have had

00:08:07.994 --> 00:08:11.094
like birthday tree and we've had um flamingo tree

00:08:11.094 --> 00:08:14.594
that was a funny one in the summer fourth of july tree um

00:08:14.594 --> 00:08:17.374
so right now we're we're transitioning back to the

00:08:17.374 --> 00:08:20.454
first time having a full circle year

00:08:20.454 --> 00:08:23.414
of trees so i was like oh we got this

00:08:23.414 --> 00:08:26.254
we have everything upstairs you know i saved it from

00:08:26.254 --> 00:08:29.074
last year except that we've leveled up

00:08:29.074 --> 00:08:31.814
the trees over the course of the year in such a way that

00:08:31.814 --> 00:08:38.514
like those original things look kind of sad now yeah so avery crafted an ornament

00:08:38.514 --> 00:08:44.034
of every single person in our family with their name on it that's cute to hang

00:08:44.034 --> 00:08:48.914
on her tree which i'll be bringing to them very soon so that was it was really

00:08:48.914 --> 00:08:50.914
precious and, and really sweet.

00:08:51.054 --> 00:08:53.334
Yeah. So she gets the blow dryer out, you know, it's a whole problem.

00:08:53.574 --> 00:08:58.154
Yeah. So we do, we do, we get a, you know, normally we find something that we

00:08:58.154 --> 00:08:59.594
did for the year as a memento.

00:08:59.714 --> 00:09:02.054
We have like these different ornaments for each year.

00:09:02.314 --> 00:09:07.854
So, um, this year was our, was our trip to Alaska. So we have one for that and

00:09:07.854 --> 00:09:11.474
we have like, you know, other vacations and milestones and stuff like that.

00:09:11.574 --> 00:09:17.394
So we try and keep like that going. I think one of my favorite ornaments is, uh.

00:09:18.134 --> 00:09:22.894
I had a, there was a substitute teacher in, uh, one of the first schools that

00:09:22.894 --> 00:09:24.634
I worked in when the kids were born.

00:09:25.034 --> 00:09:30.574
Um, but he was like the, he was the, um, the father of one of the other teachers. Very, very nice man.

00:09:30.954 --> 00:09:35.194
Um, and you know, we knew him just from knowing his, uh, his daughter who,

00:09:35.374 --> 00:09:37.674
and his, all his kids went through the school and he was retired.

00:09:37.714 --> 00:09:40.994
So, but like, he was like, he was like a substitute, but he wasn't one.

00:09:41.174 --> 00:09:43.094
Like he was like, he worked there. You know what I mean?

00:09:43.334 --> 00:09:46.374
So I don't know if I'm making sense for those of you that might not be familiar

00:09:46.374 --> 00:09:48.774
with. I have no idea what you're talking about. Yeah, I don't know what you mean.

00:09:49.314 --> 00:09:52.194
Meaning he was a substitute, but he was there all the time. Yeah.

00:09:52.474 --> 00:09:54.834
So like there are sometimes when substitutes are there and you're like,

00:09:55.334 --> 00:09:58.794
not that you don't treat them the same, but like he was there all the time.

00:09:58.914 --> 00:10:02.174
And like when you had like, you know. He became part of the crew.

00:10:02.354 --> 00:10:04.654
Became part of the crew. He was just like, he was there every day.

00:10:04.674 --> 00:10:05.954
And that's when he was in our building.

00:10:06.174 --> 00:10:10.754
So, but he would do things with like the Christmas cards that like we would

00:10:10.754 --> 00:10:14.114
send him to work. So he took like a Christmas card that we had sent and he took

00:10:14.114 --> 00:10:17.674
it and he like put it on a piece of wood and like laminated it and like cut.

00:10:17.754 --> 00:10:20.414
My kids out um and made it into like

00:10:20.414 --> 00:10:23.094
a little ornament but the great part about it is is that it was

00:10:23.094 --> 00:10:27.314
the holiday picture where my daughter decided at daycare that she was gonna

00:10:27.314 --> 00:10:33.254
go i'm batman and jump off the jungle gym and essentially her face on every

00:10:33.254 --> 00:10:38.514
metal step on the way down so she has a big black eye um which it we laugh about

00:10:38.514 --> 00:10:40.594
it now and even she laughs about it but it's like it's like.

00:10:41.486 --> 00:10:46.286
Like every time we had pictures, there was something like my son got into a

00:10:46.286 --> 00:10:49.786
fight with a bookshelf and lost to take care and like had a little scratch on his face.

00:10:49.886 --> 00:10:52.426
Like there was always something and they're always fun stories now.

00:10:52.566 --> 00:10:56.466
But like, yeah, just when we put that back up, I always like chuckle about like,

00:10:56.586 --> 00:11:03.586
yeah, that's so. What about next year? You think maybe the 2026 ornament is going to be a college?

00:11:04.066 --> 00:11:06.926
I don't know. I mean, could be.

00:11:08.606 --> 00:11:10.726
Could. Yeah, definitely could be. Could be a college ornament.

00:11:10.726 --> 00:11:13.826
It could be, you know, we have some events planned, of course.

00:11:14.006 --> 00:11:19.106
They have their graduation and them going off to college and stuff like that.

00:11:19.786 --> 00:11:23.066
That's definitely a big deal. I don't know what it'll be. Maybe it'll be something

00:11:23.066 --> 00:11:27.146
that they actually add to the tree. They're going on, and your son is going too.

00:11:27.326 --> 00:11:32.586
They're doing the educational foundations function, whatever the company is,

00:11:32.646 --> 00:11:33.746
at the end of the school year.

00:11:33.766 --> 00:11:39.486
After they graduate, they're doing a trip to Europe for, what is it, 10 days?

00:11:40.046 --> 00:11:42.946
It's a lot. But yeah, they're going to be away. So they're going to England

00:11:42.946 --> 00:11:46.666
and Ireland and maybe they'll want to pick something up themselves to. Yeah.

00:11:47.006 --> 00:11:49.346
Bring me back to Guinness. You know. Yeah.

00:11:49.726 --> 00:11:52.466
I mean, we, you know, we've already, I've already talked about that with my son.

00:11:52.666 --> 00:11:57.866
So, you know, hopefully they'll, they'll, I want them to enjoy themselves and enjoy the experience.

00:11:58.086 --> 00:12:01.406
So I hope they can do that. Yeah. It's crazy to kind of think about.

00:12:01.546 --> 00:12:06.706
Somebody said to me today, just wait until your son comes home from college.

00:12:06.946 --> 00:12:09.886
He's not going to do anything to help you. I was like.

00:12:12.246 --> 00:12:15.466
What, you want to work through those feelings or have a good feeling, you know?

00:12:15.646 --> 00:12:18.666
Yeah. It's a big feelings right there. A lot of feelings, I guess,

00:12:18.786 --> 00:12:24.746
you know, um, when they come back, they're, you know, transformed into different people.

00:12:25.006 --> 00:12:26.966
I don't know. It'll be interesting. I was like, I don't know.

00:12:27.086 --> 00:12:28.386
There's, it's been weird lately.

00:12:28.626 --> 00:12:33.786
It's like this switch kind of went off on my, on my son recently.

00:12:33.806 --> 00:12:36.746
It's like it, not in a bad way, in a good way. He's just been like.

00:12:37.975 --> 00:12:40.295
Managing all the things. It's like, Hey, you got to do, yeah,

00:12:40.335 --> 00:12:41.955
I'll take care of that. Yeah, I'll do that. Like, it's just,

00:12:42.095 --> 00:12:45.215
it's, it's been, I don't know. It's just, I don't know where it comes from.

00:12:45.775 --> 00:12:48.435
Uh, but at the same time, he's been very good at like noticing,

00:12:48.435 --> 00:12:49.895
like, yes, this needs to be done.

00:12:50.035 --> 00:12:53.335
So I'm going to take care of it, uh, which I appreciate, you know,

00:12:53.495 --> 00:12:55.695
his room's still a mess, but yeah, I love noticing.

00:12:56.555 --> 00:13:01.655
I keep saying in my classroom, like, you know, can we, can we try to be noticers

00:13:01.655 --> 00:13:09.135
and looking and, you know, maybe observe the world around us a little bit more.

00:13:09.335 --> 00:13:17.435
And I would like to conduct a study of the group of students that were,

00:13:18.775 --> 00:13:25.115
first and second and third graders during COVID that are now the.

00:13:27.299 --> 00:13:30.519
Yeah. Seventh and eighth, right? Like crossover.

00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:39.599
So I'm curious to see, like, was there one particular group or age that was impacted more?

00:13:41.319 --> 00:13:46.259
Like, what am I trying to say? Impacted more developmentally, you know?

00:13:46.459 --> 00:13:53.539
And will this be like the last wave of them, please? because the rest of them

00:13:53.539 --> 00:14:01.059
really coming up are now like weren't necessarily in school full-time to have that impact on them.

00:14:01.459 --> 00:14:05.459
Yeah, we did like a little greeting card project during the holidays every year.

00:14:06.219 --> 00:14:11.599
I try to do one service project between Thanksgiving and Christmas where they

00:14:11.599 --> 00:14:14.459
do something to benefit the community. I've done a coat and hat drive before.

00:14:14.739 --> 00:14:18.479
I've done just little things, right? But this year, our local senior center

00:14:18.479 --> 00:14:22.159
was doing like, hey, make holiday cards. So I bought things and brought some

00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:25.799
stuff in and like, they all did a great job, but a lot of it is like,

00:14:25.899 --> 00:14:29.639
okay, so there's a couple of minutes left in class now. And now we have to clean up.

00:14:30.719 --> 00:14:34.979
So let's all clean up. Let's all make sure we put the colored pencils back and

00:14:34.979 --> 00:14:37.719
the scissors back. And, and it's like, what?

00:14:37.979 --> 00:14:40.859
Like, can, can you start now?

00:14:41.079 --> 00:14:44.139
Can you, can we, it's like, okay.

00:14:44.319 --> 00:14:48.099
Like I had, I had one, like, and I would walk around with like,

00:14:48.179 --> 00:14:51.119
you know, there's like little pieces of paper. So I walk around just so the

00:14:51.119 --> 00:14:52.759
room doesn't get too like crazy.

00:14:52.919 --> 00:14:56.699
I walk around with a broom, a broom and a dust pan and like, I'm sweeping stuff up.

00:14:56.999 --> 00:14:59.879
So like I ended one class and then I began the next one.

00:15:00.199 --> 00:15:03.439
And this kid was working. He was the only kid working at a table.

00:15:03.899 --> 00:15:06.879
And I bought like these little stickers that were glitter and they have like,

00:15:07.059 --> 00:15:10.659
um, adhesive back so they could put them on their cards and the tape and different

00:15:10.659 --> 00:15:11.579
things that they could color.

00:15:12.139 --> 00:15:14.479
I was like, at the end of the period, I was like, Hey, could you clean that

00:15:14.479 --> 00:15:16.639
stuff up? He's like, Oh, that was there when I got here. I'm like.

00:15:18.405 --> 00:15:23.545
No, it wasn't because, uh, I cleaned up and made sure, like,

00:15:23.545 --> 00:15:25.305
you can't just throw it on the floor.

00:15:25.505 --> 00:15:29.465
You have to clean up after yourself. Like I, I, I struggle.

00:15:29.905 --> 00:15:35.145
That's not fun. I know. Yeah. It's not fun. I used to play the Dora song,

00:15:35.265 --> 00:15:39.085
like clean up, clean up, everybody clean up. Oh, I love it.

00:15:41.345 --> 00:15:45.945
Everyone do your share. And they would laugh a little bit and then like, oh, ha ha.

00:15:45.945 --> 00:15:48.645
But it was you know clean up clean and it

00:15:48.645 --> 00:15:51.605
was just this sort of like signal like no we're

00:15:51.605 --> 00:15:54.365
all going to yeah and gosh maybe i

00:15:54.365 --> 00:15:57.785
should like circle the wagons and bring that one back because yeah i haven't

00:15:57.785 --> 00:16:02.005
done that i do i do they even know who dora is i feel like they probably do

00:16:02.005 --> 00:16:05.885
i do level yeah i do like juvenile call and response with them like every time

00:16:05.885 --> 00:16:09.345
i hand out a paper i'm like the first thing on your paper is your name and i

00:16:09.345 --> 00:16:13.085
make them say with a pencil and i you know and And then I have like the remix.

00:16:14.065 --> 00:16:17.525
But I do that literally every time. And like some people like roll their eyes

00:16:17.525 --> 00:16:19.605
and other kids are like, with a pencil.

00:16:19.885 --> 00:16:23.045
And they're like totally into it, which I'm down. I'm into it.

00:16:23.105 --> 00:16:25.905
I think that whoever that is, they're going to be that way at 40.

00:16:27.335 --> 00:16:31.895
Yeah. If you have like an enthusiastic nature, I think you'll be that way.

00:16:32.055 --> 00:16:35.915
I mean, I think some kids are turned like ever so slightly at like the 12, 13.

00:16:36.295 --> 00:16:40.795
But I do think that the, you know, I try to say you can't hate everything.

00:16:41.115 --> 00:16:45.435
Oh, yes. Yes, they can. They can hate everything. They do. They can want to.

00:16:45.595 --> 00:16:48.435
They do. But you shouldn't. They shouldn't. But they do.

00:16:49.175 --> 00:16:53.575
That's a problem. It is a problem. I know I'm making jokes about it, but like.

00:16:53.675 --> 00:16:55.975
No, it's true. I mean, it's like you don't like any of your teachers.

00:16:55.975 --> 00:16:57.715
You don't like any of the subjects.

00:16:57.815 --> 00:17:01.775
You don't like any of the information. You don't like any of the practices.

00:17:02.115 --> 00:17:03.915
You don't like any of the choices.

00:17:04.355 --> 00:17:06.655
You don't like any. That is a problem.

00:17:07.135 --> 00:17:10.755
Yeah. There's got to be some, even if it's Jim, good old. Yeah.

00:17:10.835 --> 00:17:12.695
Find something. Something.

00:17:13.035 --> 00:17:15.815
Something should be like, I can't wait to go to blank period.

00:17:16.155 --> 00:17:21.435
I try to do like, look, everybody knows that this time is like a white knuckle

00:17:21.435 --> 00:17:24.655
roller coaster to the, to the end of Christmas break. And we're almost there. Right.

00:17:25.855 --> 00:17:29.215
Everybody's dreaming of that long winter break where we get to sit down and

00:17:29.215 --> 00:17:33.395
stay in our pajamas. And as you like to call it, have fat week.

00:17:35.295 --> 00:17:39.475
You and your husband like to call it. We have taken to calling it rotting.

00:17:40.775 --> 00:17:45.075
I do like the idea of fat week, though. Yeah. It's like, yes. You just eat and do.

00:17:45.795 --> 00:17:49.595
Do I want a cannoli at 10 o'clock in the morning? Yeah. Yeah, I do.

00:17:49.895 --> 00:17:53.015
And you know what? Because time doesn't exist. Yeah, there's a really great

00:17:53.015 --> 00:17:57.655
thing that says like, you know, no one you don't really it's like you don't

00:17:57.655 --> 00:18:02.655
have a weight problem because you ate whatever you wanted from, you know,

00:18:03.115 --> 00:18:05.715
December 1st to January 1st.

00:18:05.815 --> 00:18:09.815
It's more of a problem if you do it from January 1st to December 1st.

00:18:10.175 --> 00:18:14.155
So it's like, look at the perspective of time. But yes. And also rotting.

00:18:14.255 --> 00:18:17.795
We like to say and permission to permission.

00:18:18.195 --> 00:18:21.795
You should give yourself permission to do nothing.

00:18:23.203 --> 00:18:28.143
There's too much going on. I try to do like, you know, I do like the Christmas

00:18:28.143 --> 00:18:29.503
card thing. We play some games.

00:18:29.623 --> 00:18:33.023
I still try to do like some, some different stuff. So I try to temper my expectations.

00:18:33.023 --> 00:18:36.803
Like I realize it's that time of year. Yeah. They're all bananas.

00:18:37.263 --> 00:18:40.583
So I have to like, I go into every day knowing that that's how it's going to be.

00:18:42.403 --> 00:18:44.743
Which allows me to kind of get through my day a little bit better.

00:18:45.003 --> 00:18:48.743
Have my like, you know, the kids leave class for me.

00:18:48.943 --> 00:18:51.883
The eighth graders leave lunch and there's like kids dancing in front of like

00:18:51.883 --> 00:18:54.503
my windows. Cause I, and you know, I'm the zoo, right?

00:18:54.863 --> 00:18:58.683
That the classroom is, is, is literally like a zoo exhibit. Cause I have like

00:18:58.683 --> 00:19:03.243
600 windows that go past because of where this room is and all the kids are walking by.

00:19:03.863 --> 00:19:07.423
And I actually had to ask like the, the vice principal was like,

00:19:07.483 --> 00:19:10.163
Hey, look, could you like, could you put somebody out in the hallway?

00:19:10.423 --> 00:19:14.003
Because it would help me because they're banging on the windows.

00:19:14.183 --> 00:19:18.183
Like they're walking by and like, they're jumping on each other's backs. They're kids. Okay.

00:19:18.823 --> 00:19:21.643
There's one kid is like dancing in front of my door. And the next day he comes

00:19:21.643 --> 00:19:23.603
by and he's dancing in front of my door again. I pulled him aside.

00:19:23.683 --> 00:19:24.543
I said, hey, come here for a second.

00:19:24.883 --> 00:19:27.203
I was like, you see all these kids standing? He was standing in the doorway.

00:19:27.503 --> 00:19:29.963
I was like, you see all these kids standing here? Like, they're all learning.

00:19:30.123 --> 00:19:31.063
They're all in the middle of doing something.

00:19:31.243 --> 00:19:34.463
And then I got you walking by dancing in front of my door.

00:19:34.863 --> 00:19:38.223
And I'm like, and by the way, it's not good. Like, if it was,

00:19:38.383 --> 00:19:42.023
if I was a judge on Dancing with the Stars, it'd be a three out of ten. Go to the cafeteria.

00:19:42.383 --> 00:19:45.163
And like, he just kind of looks at me. I'm like, yeah, three out of ten. Go.

00:19:46.283 --> 00:19:49.403
So he kind of got the point. And he laughed. And like, we move on.

00:19:49.403 --> 00:19:50.903
But like, I'm not going to make that a thing.

00:19:51.183 --> 00:19:54.503
Like they're all out of their minds. Yeah. And there's nobody to put.

00:19:55.315 --> 00:20:00.175
No, there isn't like there is there's nobody to put there because it's,

00:20:00.195 --> 00:20:04.535
you know, all of us that are in the cafeteria, as you know, I've been there.

00:20:04.975 --> 00:20:07.615
I feel like somebody could stand at the end of the hallway. You know,

00:20:07.715 --> 00:20:11.075
it's kind of like the state trooper on the highway. Right. They. Yeah.

00:20:11.595 --> 00:20:14.935
Everybody pumps their brakes when they see him, but he's probably not even paying

00:20:14.935 --> 00:20:18.135
attention to you. Like, I just need somebody to be there just as they come out.

00:20:18.615 --> 00:20:20.655
What's that? He's on YouTube. He's on YouTube.

00:20:22.055 --> 00:20:26.695
So, yeah, that would be that. I've been working on something new that I think

00:20:26.695 --> 00:20:31.835
is, you know, what I'm going to be doing for the rest of the year and into the new year,

00:20:32.315 --> 00:20:38.615
which is to identify the problem, state the problem,

00:20:39.755 --> 00:20:48.615
address the problem, define the problem, and then give solutions to why it is a problem.

00:20:48.875 --> 00:20:52.395
Oh, okay. Wait a minute. All right. I need to kind of get myself prepared for

00:20:52.395 --> 00:20:55.795
this. I mean, it's nothing, it's nothing, you know, yeah, it's,

00:20:55.835 --> 00:20:58.415
it's, um, hey, you know what?

00:20:59.861 --> 00:21:01.981
Yeah. I was just going to say, give me a scenario. That's what I need.

00:21:02.081 --> 00:21:03.581
Yeah. Hey, you know what? What?

00:21:04.641 --> 00:21:07.161
Thank you. Thank you for playing along. Am I playing along? Okay.

00:21:07.601 --> 00:21:09.681
I get it. Okay. You got it, guys. You got it.

00:21:10.981 --> 00:21:15.501
I'm a slow learner, as my wife will say, as my dog Jefferson steals the remote

00:21:15.501 --> 00:21:18.301
for the 600th time on the couch because I forgot to put it away.

00:21:18.801 --> 00:21:22.041
Go ahead. All right. So, hey, you know what? Yeah. Hey, you know what? What?

00:21:22.621 --> 00:21:27.161
I've been talking to a lot of the other teachers that I work with here.

00:21:27.361 --> 00:21:33.441
Wow. And we're all noticing the same issues are coming up.

00:21:34.181 --> 00:21:35.941
So I'm going to give you an example.

00:21:36.861 --> 00:21:42.641
You're all great people, but you've got a lot to work on as far as learners.

00:21:44.961 --> 00:21:53.481
So when someone is speaking in the classroom, you should turn and look at them. Yes.

00:21:54.841 --> 00:22:01.521
Acknowledge what they're saying with nonverbal communication, such as a head nod,

00:22:02.877 --> 00:22:04.677
A knowing glance.

00:22:06.737 --> 00:22:11.317
A look of affirmation. Let's all, yeah, very good, Joe.

00:22:11.897 --> 00:22:18.237
Now let's all practice. And what we're talking about is sensitive, personal.

00:22:18.857 --> 00:22:22.937
It's often, I mean, right now we're talking about world religions.

00:22:24.357 --> 00:22:29.137
And so we are talking about things that are very personal to many of you.

00:22:29.137 --> 00:22:36.857
So we will refrain from laughing, snickering, scoffing, or making judgy eyes

00:22:36.857 --> 00:22:39.837
while they're sharing. Yeah.

00:22:40.437 --> 00:22:53.317
And also don't audibly yawn while someone is sharing about their guru or their priest.

00:22:53.837 --> 00:22:56.817
Or ever. Yeah. Because that's important.

00:22:57.057 --> 00:22:59.037
Terrific. I think there's those

00:22:59.037 --> 00:23:04.057
little lessons that we have to teach them because they don't have it.

00:23:04.337 --> 00:23:06.997
Like we all think like, they should just know. They don't. I don't.

00:23:07.097 --> 00:23:13.597
So I have to, I've been charmed for the last few years for sure with a lot of

00:23:13.597 --> 00:23:17.957
well-knowing, well-mannered people.

00:23:18.257 --> 00:23:21.637
You know, the children that I've come across are very well-mannered.

00:23:21.637 --> 00:23:28.017
And so the other problem that we're running into a little bit is also not ever

00:23:28.017 --> 00:23:34.297
knowing when enough is enough and not having like a boundary in that sense.

00:23:35.057 --> 00:23:37.937
So we've been identifying that as well.

00:23:38.137 --> 00:23:45.397
Like this would be a situation, everybody, where you should be not doing that. Right.

00:23:45.597 --> 00:23:48.857
And so I think it's helping a little bit. I'd like to believe that it's helping.

00:23:48.857 --> 00:23:53.817
I'm hoping that it's helping because I think that a lot of it is just like, why, why?

00:23:54.766 --> 00:23:58.746
You know, what? What's the big deal? And it is because that politeness and like

00:23:58.746 --> 00:24:05.526
just general having manners is number one, the most important thing. Yeah. Always.

00:24:06.446 --> 00:24:10.546
And we're really not, you know, serving in that way.

00:24:10.746 --> 00:24:15.466
Like none of us are growing or being kinder, softer, better versions of ourselves

00:24:15.466 --> 00:24:19.846
when we can at least first lead with politeness.

00:24:20.286 --> 00:24:23.666
Yeah. So, you know, that's what I'm going to bring to this season. that's

00:24:23.666 --> 00:24:27.226
what i i i've been kind of doing that in

00:24:27.226 --> 00:24:30.626
in different ways all year long yeah and not being sarcastic

00:24:30.626 --> 00:24:34.286
no because that doesn't get anybody that

00:24:34.286 --> 00:24:41.126
just escalates everything and it yeah yeah i'm not saying you do that i'm saying

00:24:41.126 --> 00:24:45.266
in general of course but it's easy to go like oh my goodness you know there

00:24:45.266 --> 00:24:48.986
are times look there are times where that happens let's be very honest but at

00:24:48.986 --> 00:24:50.986
At the same time, it also made it the point to be like, hey,

00:24:51.466 --> 00:24:54.106
like, I appreciate how, you know,

00:24:54.726 --> 00:25:00.026
Johnny over there is taking the time to clean up as he goes and throw his papers

00:25:00.026 --> 00:25:04.086
on the garbage or like, you know, this thing fell on the floor and they're picking it up.

00:25:04.626 --> 00:25:09.726
Even like, to me, the littlest thing is, you know what, if everybody's cleaning

00:25:09.726 --> 00:25:15.286
up and you turn around and go, oh, there's a colored pencil on the floor. Oh, that's not mine.

00:25:17.066 --> 00:25:19.786
But like you should go oh there's a

00:25:19.786 --> 00:25:23.686
colored pencil on the floor i'm gonna pick that up and put it back like i

00:25:23.686 --> 00:25:27.726
that that to me is like the simplest thing that we can do for one another yeah

00:25:27.726 --> 00:25:32.966
i realize it's i realized like it this might be uh a ticky tacky type of thing

00:25:32.966 --> 00:25:38.406
but like it's the small little things that eventually erode and become bigger

00:25:38.406 --> 00:25:41.366
things it is a hundred 100%.

00:25:42.306 --> 00:25:46.806
It's so is. Or I say, you know, if your mom or dad was here right now,

00:25:46.986 --> 00:25:49.626
would they be proud of you? Mm-hmm.

00:25:50.814 --> 00:25:54.494
Or would they be upset and shocked at what you're doing?

00:25:54.814 --> 00:25:59.934
That's also like that snaps a lot. I use something recently.

00:26:00.074 --> 00:26:00.834
It's happened a few times.

00:26:01.014 --> 00:26:07.314
I've said like, hey, if you don't like the way that I'm asking you to do something, that's okay.

00:26:07.774 --> 00:26:09.674
You can choose not to do it.

00:26:10.934 --> 00:26:15.514
But when you choose not to do something, then you accept what the consequence is.

00:26:15.834 --> 00:26:20.134
Like, I'm not forcing you to do it. Like I'm, I have an expectation and I'm

00:26:20.134 --> 00:26:21.054
expecting you to follow it.

00:26:21.814 --> 00:26:25.994
And if you don't, or if you're not going to put in the rigor or the effort and

00:26:25.994 --> 00:26:28.134
that's, that's an issue for you.

00:26:28.294 --> 00:26:30.734
I said, that's fine. Then it's just not important to you.

00:26:32.314 --> 00:26:37.134
So you can kind of leave it behind and not do it and then accept what the consequences.

00:26:37.654 --> 00:26:42.254
It's, it's the, the adage of, uh, and I don't mean it this way,

00:26:42.254 --> 00:26:45.654
but like, you know, when, when my parents would sometimes used to say like,

00:26:45.734 --> 00:26:48.134
hey, play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

00:26:48.574 --> 00:26:52.994
Like, that's not what it is. Like, I'm not gonna say that to a kid, but you know what I mean?

00:26:53.134 --> 00:26:56.354
Like, if you're gonna, like, you wanna make a decision and you don't wanna do

00:26:56.354 --> 00:27:00.014
it the way that I'm asking because reading two paragraphs is too much for you,

00:27:00.154 --> 00:27:04.154
I'm sorry, then don't do it. Like, you can choose not to do it.

00:27:04.154 --> 00:27:05.694
Oh, the phrases of yesteryear.

00:27:06.854 --> 00:27:08.474
We had so many, I mean, my goodness.

00:27:09.944 --> 00:27:16.924
The phrases of yesteryear i mean i mean i will knock you into next week oh yeah,

00:27:17.864 --> 00:27:20.624
that was a classic that was a classic knock you

00:27:20.624 --> 00:27:23.684
into next week i'll hit you so hard your sister will feel it i

00:27:23.684 --> 00:27:26.704
enjoy yeah that's a good one there's a guy i didn't get hit but

00:27:26.704 --> 00:27:29.524
like yeah you know i also

00:27:29.524 --> 00:27:33.104
like i also likes me a good southern phrase uh like

00:27:33.104 --> 00:27:36.384
there's this guy justin stagner on the internet uh he

00:27:36.384 --> 00:27:39.104
does like southern grandpa he lives on the interwebs he lives on

00:27:39.104 --> 00:27:42.084
the interwebs um he does southern grandpa and he'll

00:27:42.084 --> 00:27:45.124
be like whoo that doris you see his new that uh

00:27:45.124 --> 00:27:48.044
that johnny you see doors his new girlfriend man that woman

00:27:48.044 --> 00:27:50.784
looks like she got uh set on fire and put out with a

00:27:50.784 --> 00:27:56.604
chain and like he'll just it's like so not appropriate but at the same time

00:27:56.604 --> 00:28:00.204
like you know they're gonna say that as setting up outside of this or like with

00:28:00.204 --> 00:28:04.104
my friends it is just like the funniest thing to me or there's this other woman

00:28:04.104 --> 00:28:08.684
who's like Southern phrases that people say When you're not smart It's like,

00:28:08.804 --> 00:28:12.404
oh, the engine's running But nobody's behind the wheel Or, you know,

00:28:12.684 --> 00:28:14.564
the wheel is turning But the hamster is dead,

00:28:15.364 --> 00:28:18.924
Like those types The hamster is dead Yeah, it's just all these little Southern

00:28:18.924 --> 00:28:23.764
phrases Always make me laugh The phrases of yesteryear As we talk about The

00:28:23.764 --> 00:28:28.404
phrases of yesteryear Yeah I love it Yeah, it's good stuff.

00:28:29.364 --> 00:28:33.004
So let me ask you Are you a turkey or a ham for Christmas?

00:28:33.324 --> 00:28:37.264
I am a neither Ooh, a la mancheree. What do you have?

00:28:38.004 --> 00:28:44.024
We normally do... What have we done in the past? Normally, we do stuffed shells or...

00:28:44.924 --> 00:28:48.644
My wife makes a big pot of meat sauce, and we have antipast,

00:28:48.764 --> 00:28:52.044
and we have shrimp cocktail and all that stuff. That's what we do. It's fancy.

00:28:52.384 --> 00:28:54.244
Yep, that's what we do. I like it. That's what we've always had.

00:28:54.624 --> 00:28:57.524
Yep, my wife, we have this gigantic... ...like...

00:28:58.358 --> 00:29:01.858
The jillion gallon pot that we make like a big pot of sauce with.

00:29:02.018 --> 00:29:03.138
And then that's what we have. The witch's cauldron.

00:29:03.498 --> 00:29:07.478
Yep. That's our thing. I'm not a, we're not like, we do turkey on Thanksgiving.

00:29:07.678 --> 00:29:10.778
I'm never a ham person. I just don't like a ham. I know.

00:29:11.958 --> 00:29:12.938
Controversial. Hot take.

00:29:14.478 --> 00:29:19.298
W-R-O-N-G. Yeah, I know. I know. I know you're a ham person. I just, I don't know.

00:29:19.418 --> 00:29:23.038
I just never was a fan of it when I was growing up. So we never really have it.

00:29:23.958 --> 00:29:29.158
So it's the only thing. It's the only thing, too, that like when I used to go

00:29:29.158 --> 00:29:32.438
to like when Tracy and I were dating and I'd go to my mother-in-law's house,

00:29:32.638 --> 00:29:35.358
the only thing my wife would say, like, look, he doesn't like ham.

00:29:35.558 --> 00:29:39.418
Like, I know we're having it on the soil. She would always make like a little something else for me.

00:29:40.058 --> 00:29:43.878
And I'm never picky. I'm not a picky eater. I mean, you can tell. You're not.

00:29:44.438 --> 00:29:46.958
No, I'm a triad. If you don't like it, you really don't like it.

00:29:47.038 --> 00:29:51.138
Yeah. I don't know what it is. It's just it's never been a thing for me. Huh. Interesting.

00:29:51.838 --> 00:29:56.258
Yeah. Well, let me ask you, do you know what the first artificial Christmas tree was made out of?

00:29:58.298 --> 00:30:06.338
I want to say what the first artificial tree was made out of fiberglass.

00:30:07.638 --> 00:30:11.678
Goose feathers. Oh, well, there you go. Never knew that.

00:30:12.198 --> 00:30:16.558
How about that? Interestante. How many Christmas cards are sent each year in

00:30:16.558 --> 00:30:19.958
the United States? Oh, God. By my wife, at least a million.

00:30:20.598 --> 00:30:22.358
Okay. Um.

00:30:24.458 --> 00:30:31.358
It's in the billions. B billion. So it's got to be like three billion. Ding!

00:30:31.918 --> 00:30:34.298
Wow, I'm right. Very good. Very good.

00:30:35.458 --> 00:30:43.518
Okay. How about... It's a lot. What is the best-selling Christmas song of all time? Oh, uh...

00:30:44.909 --> 00:30:48.189
I'm going to say it's I'll Be Home for Christmas.

00:30:49.129 --> 00:30:53.029
It's not. It's not. Is it Mariah Carey? It's White Christmas.

00:30:53.409 --> 00:30:56.589
Oh, White Christmas. Okay. What's your favorite Christmas song?

00:30:57.409 --> 00:31:01.049
Well, first of all, White Christmas is a specific version or just like White

00:31:01.049 --> 00:31:03.469
Christmas in general? Does it say like the Bing Crosby version?

00:31:03.689 --> 00:31:05.869
Dreaming. It is the Bing Crosby version. There you go.

00:31:06.189 --> 00:31:08.509
Yep. My favorite Christmas song.

00:31:10.909 --> 00:31:15.049
I feel like we've talked about this, too. I can't remember. I know like,

00:31:15.209 --> 00:31:18.949
uh, I like a lot of the Frank Sinatra versions of Christmas songs just because

00:31:18.949 --> 00:31:20.649
of listening to that when we were a kid.

00:31:21.489 --> 00:31:26.029
Uh, Christmas waltz is my favorite from Frank Sinatra. That's my favorite Christmas

00:31:26.029 --> 00:31:29.049
song. And my dad plays it on the piano and it is everything.

00:31:29.409 --> 00:31:32.589
Yeah. Your dad's pretty good at tickling the ivories too. He's really good.

00:31:32.709 --> 00:31:37.309
He's really good. So he is. It's yeah. It's wild stuff.

00:31:38.349 --> 00:31:43.269
When, uh, sending Christmas cards, people love to buy Christmas stamps.

00:31:43.609 --> 00:31:48.049
Okay. You know when the very first Christmas postage stamp was released? Oh, goodness.

00:31:48.569 --> 00:31:50.889
Before we were born. Even you. Okay.

00:31:52.049 --> 00:31:59.129
1964. Oh, so close, too. Oh, wow. Okay. 1962. So close. Yeah. I'm not that old.

00:32:00.009 --> 00:32:02.269
What country? Oh, wait. I did

00:32:02.269 --> 00:32:04.729
something funny. I'm going to say this about what happened to students.

00:32:05.569 --> 00:32:09.529
So we made those Christmas cards. Yeah. This is funny. I don't think I told you this.

00:32:09.709 --> 00:32:13.609
I don't think so either. We made the Christmas cards in class for senior citizens.

00:32:13.609 --> 00:32:16.789
And there was a flyer that the town sent out, the senior center and said,

00:32:16.889 --> 00:32:17.829
like, write a nice message.

00:32:17.909 --> 00:32:21.389
He's like, but, you know, make sure you write neatly and big enough because

00:32:21.389 --> 00:32:23.409
some of our seniors have difficulty seeing.

00:32:23.589 --> 00:32:27.109
So I said, like, you know, make sure you guys write neat. Make sure you guys write large enough.

00:32:28.149 --> 00:32:31.109
So I know the kids are going around and they're making the cards.

00:32:31.309 --> 00:32:33.489
I'm sitting at my desk and all of a sudden the girl comes up to me,

00:32:33.689 --> 00:32:37.349
sweetest girl. And she's like, can you read this? And I'm like.

00:32:38.959 --> 00:32:41.319
And I look at her and I'm like, are you trying to say, like,

00:32:41.379 --> 00:32:45.999
I'm a senior citizen and I need to be able to see what you're writing? And she just goes, yeah.

00:32:48.859 --> 00:32:52.679
Unapologetically, like, yep. And what? Yeah. And I was like,

00:32:52.759 --> 00:32:53.619
I just started laughing.

00:32:53.799 --> 00:32:55.839
And then she just kind of looked at me. I was like, I don't take offense to

00:32:55.839 --> 00:32:58.419
it. I was like, it's all it's all good. Like, I think it's terrible.

00:32:58.839 --> 00:33:00.979
I'm not even 50, young girl. I was like, I'm not even 50. But like,

00:33:01.059 --> 00:33:02.839
I'll take it. But she's like, yeah, can you see it?

00:33:02.979 --> 00:33:08.219
And like, there was no there was zero, zero malice in what she was doing.

00:33:08.219 --> 00:33:10.539
She's not, was it being sarcastic? It's a very matter of fact.

00:33:10.899 --> 00:33:13.979
And it was just, she was like, yeah. You're the oldest person I know today.

00:33:13.979 --> 00:33:15.859
You're the oldest person I know today in the room.

00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:18.899
Oh my God, it was great. Anyway, I'm sorry. I thought that was,

00:33:18.999 --> 00:33:20.879
I forgot to tell you that. I wanted to mention it. That's okay.

00:33:20.959 --> 00:33:23.539
I like it. I like it a lot. I'd like to meet her.

00:33:24.539 --> 00:33:28.879
Oh, she's great. She's very funny. Where was tinsel invented?

00:33:29.939 --> 00:33:34.579
Oh, my parents' house. Because they use about 8,000 pounds of it on a Christmas tree.

00:33:35.379 --> 00:33:38.339
Still? they not still

00:33:38.339 --> 00:33:41.479
they don't anymore okay oh my god they did

00:33:41.479 --> 00:33:44.439
the tinsel there's an episode the tinsel was everywhere

00:33:44.439 --> 00:33:47.319
and my dad used to go at the after christmas and

00:33:47.319 --> 00:33:54.179
buy the tinsel for the next year oh it's crazy there's an episode of the honeymooners

00:33:54.179 --> 00:33:59.399
they have a special christmas episode okay it's it's amazing it's everything

00:33:59.399 --> 00:34:05.879
and they're throwing like dancing and like throwing the tinsel on the tree,

00:34:06.399 --> 00:34:10.559
which isn't that bad in that apartment because there wasn't a rug.

00:34:10.699 --> 00:34:12.899
There's not like a lot going on. So very easy.

00:34:13.299 --> 00:34:15.299
Electricity was real. It would get everywhere.

00:34:15.779 --> 00:34:20.899
Yeah. But it is, it's such a good episode. And we always love it because there's

00:34:20.899 --> 00:34:24.419
a woman who comes on and she's like, I'm going to my sister's house in Bayonne.

00:34:24.799 --> 00:34:27.539
So of course, anytime any Bayonne is ever mentioned, we'd love it.

00:34:27.859 --> 00:34:29.079
Yeah. The answer is Germany.

00:34:29.479 --> 00:34:32.339
Shout out Germany for tinsel. What have you never known? There are Christmas

00:34:32.339 --> 00:34:38.039
tree farms in all 50 states Oh What were the very first ornaments?

00:34:40.339 --> 00:34:42.119
Uh Uh.

00:34:44.667 --> 00:34:46.147
The very first ornaments.

00:34:49.627 --> 00:34:52.367
I want to say like the bones of some animal, but no.

00:34:54.307 --> 00:34:57.707
I know, right? Fruit is the right answer. That makes sense.

00:34:58.147 --> 00:35:01.007
What's the story with why there's a pickle on a tree? And how do I not know

00:35:01.007 --> 00:35:01.847
this? I don't have a pickle.

00:35:02.047 --> 00:35:04.107
I don't have a pickle on my tree. I do not have a pickle on it.

00:35:04.127 --> 00:35:06.747
I'm up to the house with a pickle in my mouth, misbehaving.

00:35:06.967 --> 00:35:09.987
Did you watch that show? What the hell was that show?

00:35:11.467 --> 00:35:15.727
Did you watch The Righteous Gemstones? I did not. No, you told me about it.

00:35:15.827 --> 00:35:19.187
I did not. I want to. I did not watch it, but I do.

00:35:19.467 --> 00:35:24.127
They sing a song. They're like country evangelical singers.

00:35:24.467 --> 00:35:27.307
What is an underrated character actor? I don't care about anything.

00:35:27.387 --> 00:35:31.627
And that is the line that he sings, running through the house with a pickle

00:35:31.627 --> 00:35:33.687
in my mouth, misbehaving. Yeah.

00:35:34.227 --> 00:35:38.287
Daddy said not to. I did it anyway, misbehaving. It's amazing.

00:35:39.187 --> 00:35:42.187
Highly recommend to everybody. All our adult listeners, okay?

00:35:42.287 --> 00:35:44.067
Because it's an adult, very adult show.

00:35:44.567 --> 00:35:48.547
I'm sure. The pickle is like this German tradition, and it's supposed to be

00:35:48.547 --> 00:35:51.967
like whoever finds the pickle on the tree gets an extra gift. Oh.

00:35:52.527 --> 00:35:56.567
Yeah. We have a few of them. I'm surprised you don't. Because we spend a lot

00:35:56.567 --> 00:35:57.607
of time in Epcot, Germany.

00:35:57.967 --> 00:36:00.867
Germany, Epcot. And they have a lot of the pickle.

00:36:01.807 --> 00:36:05.027
Got it. If you get a... Sorry, go ahead.

00:36:05.167 --> 00:36:07.707
I was going to ask you if you were doing anything special over the holidays

00:36:07.707 --> 00:36:10.347
this year. Are you just like shutting it down and rotting?

00:36:10.727 --> 00:36:13.167
Which there's also nothing wrong with. I mean, a little bit of rotting.

00:36:13.447 --> 00:36:18.647
Yeah. It brings joy to all. I am very excited as I always am.

00:36:18.827 --> 00:36:23.047
And we have like our days planned and we know some that we have nothing to do.

00:36:23.387 --> 00:36:28.027
And we also, you know, spend a lot of time planning the menu,

00:36:28.227 --> 00:36:29.687
even though the menu is the same.

00:36:30.830 --> 00:36:39.430
The menu never changes. But the countless hours that I can spend via phone-to-phone

00:36:39.430 --> 00:36:43.390
communicado with my parents about what the menu is.

00:36:43.530 --> 00:36:47.810
And then the other day we had a, wow, and how about this and how about that?

00:36:47.810 --> 00:36:52.370
And I was cracking up because Drew, I don't do so good at remembering.

00:36:52.730 --> 00:36:58.290
And Drew is so good. I mean, he is just, I mean, it's wild style.

00:36:58.290 --> 00:37:01.470
Like it was a Tuesday in March and it was raining outside.

00:37:01.810 --> 00:37:04.670
I had a blue shirt on like that kind of situation.

00:37:05.230 --> 00:37:09.250
So I was like, you know what? Let me ask Drew. And he was like, Oh yes, we had two.

00:37:09.930 --> 00:37:13.250
And it was this kind and this kind. I mean, he could, he went through like the

00:37:13.250 --> 00:37:14.850
entire, and I was like, well, menu

00:37:14.850 --> 00:37:18.710
no longer needs to be disputed for last Christmas because that's exact.

00:37:18.750 --> 00:37:24.070
He remembered every single, you know, it's really like so unbelievable. So.

00:37:24.817 --> 00:37:29.677
Yeah. Um, so yeah, so we'll go through the menu and we will,

00:37:29.837 --> 00:37:33.377
uh, make sure that we have everything that we need because I host via satellite,

00:37:33.637 --> 00:37:37.457
meaning like I don't host in my own house, but I host, I host,

00:37:37.517 --> 00:37:41.437
but at my parents' house, uh, you know, there's always a trick to like shopping,

00:37:41.617 --> 00:37:43.457
buying, getting the list, all the things.

00:37:43.897 --> 00:37:47.397
So, um, you know, so my dad's really great about, um, you know,

00:37:47.477 --> 00:37:50.097
going out to the store and, and things like that.

00:37:50.217 --> 00:37:53.837
Um, and I did say to him even for Thanksgiving, Like, hey, make sure you have

00:37:53.837 --> 00:37:59.857
regular soda, which translated to like 77 cans of soda, which I was like,

00:37:59.937 --> 00:38:02.457
OK, so we're good for Christmas soda, you know, which is great.

00:38:03.137 --> 00:38:04.697
You know, he likes to buy.

00:38:05.437 --> 00:38:09.717
I guess it's what happens when you, you know, are a child who grew up with seven

00:38:09.717 --> 00:38:11.497
siblings. You can't break that.

00:38:11.717 --> 00:38:14.457
I need to have a lot extra.

00:38:14.717 --> 00:38:18.297
But yeah, so so that'll be nice. Nothing, you know, we're not going,

00:38:18.537 --> 00:38:23.157
going or anything like that. I am going to see a couple of Christmas shows in

00:38:23.157 --> 00:38:27.937
the next couple of weeks, which I'm really super stoked about.

00:38:28.177 --> 00:38:35.517
And I recently went to see a movie, and the movie theater had heated seats. Oh, nice.

00:38:36.142 --> 00:38:41.182
And I can't. Where was that? Where was that? I'll have to tell you offline.

00:38:41.422 --> 00:38:44.582
Oh, we don't want all of our listeners to flock there. Oh my goodness.

00:38:44.762 --> 00:38:48.542
I don't want to not be able to get tickets. Yeah. It was amazing.

00:38:48.962 --> 00:38:53.802
And I, that's all I, I'm like, oh, I would love to, and they're actually playing

00:38:53.802 --> 00:38:57.042
a Christmas story a couple of times in the next couple of weeks. Oh, that's fun.

00:38:57.102 --> 00:38:59.722
And I was like, I would love to see that in the movie theater.

00:38:59.862 --> 00:39:02.242
Or is it more that I just want to go back to the heated seat.

00:39:02.362 --> 00:39:05.922
They reclined, they were leather recliners and they're heated.

00:39:06.202 --> 00:39:08.042
That's pretty awesome. It was supreme.

00:39:08.342 --> 00:39:12.922
I highly, highly recommend. Yeah. I think it's in Wachung or Warren or for any

00:39:12.922 --> 00:39:18.642
of you New Jersey people, it is definitely a local, but it was really nice. Sweet.

00:39:19.022 --> 00:39:23.042
I highly recommend. Yeah. So are you, do you have like, are you going snow tubing

00:39:23.042 --> 00:39:26.082
or anything like one time.

00:39:26.542 --> 00:39:31.222
Um, no, we, I don't think we are. We're not really doing anything.

00:39:31.342 --> 00:39:32.322
We don't really have any plans.

00:39:32.542 --> 00:39:35.162
There's nothing, uh, specific that we're doing.

00:39:35.422 --> 00:39:39.702
Um, we too have to, uh, uh, I love the, the Grinch tree.

00:39:39.842 --> 00:39:43.042
That's what I dressed up as the Grinch tree in the back. I just,

00:39:43.042 --> 00:39:45.022
I'm sorry. I have to shout out. So nothing special.

00:39:45.622 --> 00:39:49.042
Yeah. Love it. My presents are over here and they're burning a hole in my pocket.

00:39:49.322 --> 00:39:52.002
Oh yeah. Don't worry. Oh, I know. Uh, so yeah, we

00:39:52.002 --> 00:39:55.062
don't have anything specific planned to be very honest i

00:39:55.062 --> 00:39:57.742
love that doing yeah i want to

00:39:57.742 --> 00:40:00.982
i want to kind of shut it down i know my friend uh my

00:40:00.982 --> 00:40:05.322
friend joe from indiana will be coming in um who i see every year in may so

00:40:05.322 --> 00:40:10.222
whenever he comes in oh that's so nice whenever he comes in we always like we'll

00:40:10.222 --> 00:40:13.582
definitely get together we'll do something we have christmas party for jason's

00:40:13.582 --> 00:40:20.882
family and i always look forward to that they do such a nice job shout out pumpkin um who is a uh very um.

00:40:21.684 --> 00:40:24.884
Steady listener of the pod and so they they're they're

00:40:24.884 --> 00:40:27.804
like so great at like creating like a

00:40:27.804 --> 00:40:30.724
very specific party atmosphere oh i

00:40:30.724 --> 00:40:34.244
love it and it is talk about like being intentional it is

00:40:34.244 --> 00:40:40.824
the it is thought out to the point of um the prayer the breaking of the poatek

00:40:40.824 --> 00:40:45.364
for you know my polish friends and family members which i am not but i enjoy

00:40:45.364 --> 00:40:50.144
that and like just little the little details that they add are just so lovely

00:40:50.144 --> 00:40:53.604
that I always look forward to like, Ooh, what are they going to do this year?

00:40:53.724 --> 00:40:57.624
That's so special and nice. And yeah, so that I love that, you know,

00:40:57.704 --> 00:41:02.884
when you know that someone is being so thoughtful and thinking of all the things, you know?

00:41:03.184 --> 00:41:05.744
So I, I did give you a little something.

00:41:06.324 --> 00:41:11.184
We have props. Uh, so as we know, we record this in two different places.

00:41:11.384 --> 00:41:16.064
So Jamie has a two little presents that I gave her, Which you can open either

00:41:16.064 --> 00:41:21.804
one So this is something that When I heard about it and I saw it I said if there

00:41:21.804 --> 00:41:27.764
is one person Who I know Would appreciate what she's about to open That's

00:41:28.094 --> 00:41:34.854
Okay, here we go. So here we go. And then you have to open the packages. So here we go. All right.

00:41:37.874 --> 00:41:41.274
It says butts on things. Yes. My booty bag.

00:41:41.854 --> 00:41:46.554
Two mystery butts. Do you know that last week I had a potato or a mushroom that

00:41:46.554 --> 00:41:51.054
looked like a butt and it made me laugh for like one hour. And then I had to be told, stop laughing.

00:41:51.254 --> 00:41:54.454
This is an artist and he does a series that's called butts on things.

00:41:54.634 --> 00:42:00.954
And he puts butts on things. And let me be very clear. It's a booty butt.

00:42:01.654 --> 00:42:05.454
It's a burger butt. So she's got a burger butt for one. And then you might even

00:42:05.454 --> 00:42:06.874
get a special one in the package.

00:42:07.114 --> 00:42:09.834
Oh, look at the popcorn. We were talking about the movies.

00:42:10.214 --> 00:42:14.754
This is so adorable. I know. So my daughter did get them too.

00:42:14.754 --> 00:42:19.534
I was looking for them for her, but I said I'm absolutely buying them for Miss Wonka.

00:42:19.634 --> 00:42:22.894
If there's anybody who enjoys a good butt joke.

00:42:23.620 --> 00:42:26.480
It's me not that she is the butt of any jokes but

00:42:26.480 --> 00:42:29.340
it is me me me a little gag gift but should

00:42:29.340 --> 00:42:33.340
i open the section of course you should i sometimes i'm a saver like oh no i

00:42:33.340 --> 00:42:37.260
can't have all the moment there are special edition ones too maybe you'll get

00:42:37.260 --> 00:42:42.620
one you never know i wonder what the special i see a cactus i see a donut i

00:42:42.620 --> 00:42:47.360
see a rainbow oh mr retaliate oh the pineapple.

00:42:49.900 --> 00:42:54.820
Oh, Jason and Marco. Yeah. My daughter got the, did get the rainbow,

00:42:55.060 --> 00:42:56.860
which is cute because it has three butts on it.

00:42:57.080 --> 00:43:00.200
So triple butt. Oh, this is really cute.

00:43:00.500 --> 00:43:05.720
It's a donut, but I love them.

00:43:05.900 --> 00:43:10.280
Thank you so much. I saw them and I was like, I mean, I have to get her butts on things.

00:43:10.460 --> 00:43:13.020
Oh, there's calendars, t-shirts and all sorts of things.

00:43:13.260 --> 00:43:17.100
And you know, it's a subtle, but it's a subtle, but it's not an over.

00:43:17.360 --> 00:43:18.740
In your face kind of butt.

00:43:19.540 --> 00:43:23.260
It's not a badonkadonk. It's just there. We will have to tag Brian Cook.

00:43:23.760 --> 00:43:27.080
Yeah, we should. Thank you, Brian Cook, for these butts on things.

00:43:27.460 --> 00:43:31.280
So that's series two, I believe. The first series, these are all at Five Below.

00:43:31.500 --> 00:43:35.360
He does them there. Series two. They also have like a, I think there's like- Mystery butts.

00:43:35.680 --> 00:43:39.880
And I think there's like a butts on things advent calendar, which if I would

00:43:39.880 --> 00:43:43.680
have thought about, yeah, for you, the queen of the advent calendar.

00:43:43.860 --> 00:43:45.040
Next year, next year. I know.

00:43:45.500 --> 00:43:48.160
Oh my goodness. Absolutely. you so much you're welcome i hope

00:43:48.160 --> 00:43:51.180
you enjoy them i already do good stuff

00:43:51.180 --> 00:43:54.000
you know what i enjoy what i enjoy the

00:43:54.000 --> 00:43:56.640
fact that our season three is brought to you

00:43:56.640 --> 00:44:00.560
by our presenting sponsor teacher's insurance plan check out their website below

00:44:00.560 --> 00:44:05.620
uh tagged in our episode for more information and to get a quote teacher's insurance

00:44:05.620 --> 00:44:09.740
plan auto insurance that brings exclusive educator savings and exceptional customer

00:44:09.740 --> 00:44:15.080
care to new jersey and pennsylvania employees jamie i appreciate you i I appreciate

00:44:15.080 --> 00:44:16.320
you and to all our listeners.

00:44:16.320 --> 00:44:20.580
We appreciate you so much for following us and staying with us on this journey.

00:44:21.220 --> 00:44:24.660
When we count our blessings, we count each and every single one of you.

00:44:24.760 --> 00:44:27.720
Oh, isn't that the sweetest? As I do with you, Mr. Vite.