Speaker 2: 0:00

This episode sponsored by Stuart Arango, oral Surgery. Learn more at SAOeralsurgeonscom. And Kathy L Wall State Farm Agency. Learn more at KathyLWallcom. Welcome to the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson.

Speaker 1: 0:21

And I'm Nellie Shudo, and we're catching up today.

Speaker 2: 0:24

Yes, well, we're wishing everyone a happy New Year. To begin with, it's our first episode of 2024.

Speaker 1: 0:29

Yeah, happy 2024 and happy year of the dragon.

Speaker 2: 0:33

I love dragons.

Speaker 1: 0:34

I do too. That's why it's kind of an exciting year, it's leap year this year too.

Speaker 2: 0:38

Oh, very nice.

Speaker 1: 0:39

So you know lots of stuff going on.

Speaker 2: 0:41

Well, this is not a New Year New you episode. It's just a New Year episode because I hate when people say that, Like, what was wrong with the old you? I kind of agree.

Speaker 1: 0:51

It's almost like enforcing that you need to change yourself Exactly, you need to do some work. It's a little insulting, I mean we all do need to do some work.

Speaker 2: 0:58

But you know we don't have to completely reinvent ourselves for it.

Speaker 1: 1:02

Well so, speaking of that, did you actually? I hate to say it because you just said you hate it, but did you make any? Like? I heard somebody say on the morning news this morning I'm not doing resolutions. I think they're ridiculous. So I just wonder did you have any resolutions or semi?

Speaker 2: 1:17

I stopped calling them resolutions a while back because, I just feel like we like make this big long list of all the stuff we want to change in the year and it's rare that we accomplish it, so I've just started calling them goals.

Speaker 1: 1:32

Okay, I like that.

Speaker 2: 1:32

My goals for the year and I haven't completely done them yet, but I am going to try to be making some changes, like just be better at planning for the future. Yes, I get that Definitely something that needs some work on. And just slowing down and taking a step back and just doing things a little bit better yeah, that makes sense to me, because I agree with you.

Speaker 1: 1:55

I kind of feel like you are similar to me this way, in that we're sort of hell bent on self-improvement at all times, so it's not like January rings in a whole new whatever. That's true. We're always like what can I fix?

Speaker 2: 2:08

I mean, january is like we have a fresh slate. But yeah, you're right, we're just constantly trying to do things better and improve and all that kind of thing. So well, I put together an end of year recap video for us that I've posted on social media, and it's so interesting because you go through the motions of your year and you don't really completely appreciate what you went through during the year. We had some really good memories.

Speaker 1: 2:33

Yes, I like that. I saw that video and I like it. I like what you're doing and I agree like you have to take stock in the year. I think that's a better way to look at New Year's right Taking stock in what happened over the past year instead of saying what do I need to improve?

Speaker 2: 2:47

You know, yeah, well, we just had so many good interviews, we met a lot of interesting people, did a lot of great events.

Speaker 1: 2:54

We had a hell of a year, I agree, and I think it will be good to do different ones and new ones this year. New events and new people and just I don't know just infuse a little new energy into it, which I always like to do.

Speaker 2: 3:07

Definitely. Well, we always need to be reinventing ourselves, so people might get tired of it Exactly, or us Tired of it, never, never. I wanted to read you something really nice that somebody sent the other day, and this ties in with, I think. Gratitude is something that a lot of us, myself included, kind of forget to show, and this somebody showed you an eyesome gratitude and it literally made my day.

Speaker 1: 3:32

OK.

Speaker 2: 3:33

She said this is a woman that's about to move here. I wanted to wish you both a happy new year and thank you for being such an incredible resource to me. My family is moving to the Park Cities this summer. We're so excited but also a little scary, because we're moving a one-year-old and a three-year-old away from our very close-knit community. It gives me such peace of mind listening to your podcast and learning about the endless advantages the Park Cities has to offer, from your descriptions of the community to the schools, to the restaurants and the events. I truly cannot thank you both enough. You're also such a delight to listen to, so grateful for the Bubble Lounge podcast, wishing you both, you and your family, the happiest and healthiest 2024. I look forward to hopefully meeting you when in Dallas. Okay, I like that and that's the sweetest thing she better come to our next party.

Speaker 1: 4:21

Oh, she has to, for sure, but that just it really made my day.

Speaker 2: 4:25

When people reach out and show appreciation, it just makes it, you know, all worth it. We'll be right back after this short break. Hey, park, cities, families we all feel that pinch of rising home insurance, don't we? But there is a solution and it's closer than you think. Meet Kathy Elwahl State Farm Agency. She's not just our trusted show sponsor, she's also the expert you need to navigate these unpredictable insurance waters. Why get lost in the maze of policies and rates? Kathy has a knack for simplifying it all. Call 214-350-2692 or stop by kathyelwahlcom to schedule a meeting. She's ready to review your homeowner policy and pinpoint where you could be saving more money right now. We trust Kathy wholeheartedly and once you chat with her, you'll see why. It's not just about rates. It's about trust, expertise and peace of mind. So don't let rising homeowner insurance costs catch you off guard. Contact Kathy Elwahl State Farm Agency now at 214-350-2692 or visit kathyelwahlcom. With Kathy Elwahl on your side, you'll have an agent you can trust and help secure your family's future.

Speaker 2: 5:34

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Speaker 1: 6:35

Okay, you and Sean will laugh at this as I say this, but really my only goal that I set. Obviously it's the usual, like we all want to be in better shape or we all want to do something, something better, but I feel like I really have to get better at social media.

Speaker 2: 6:50

And that's my big thing is to get more involved in it and to actually participate.

Speaker 1: 6:53

So I've been doing that.

Speaker 2: 6:54

I think that you would be great at it. There's this one actress that I follow that I'll send you her account, but she posts constantly and she's hilarious and just does cute little snippets all the time and it's so easy to do.

Speaker 1: 7:06

It is, I think I just avoided it, because I just have so many things going on that I always try to worry more about the content and what I'm doing creatively instead of sharing it. And now I have to take it to the next level and do that and share it.

Speaker 2: 7:20

I get that, and that's actually on my list is to stop the scrolling addiction for me. I like I'm wasting a lot of time doing it. I mean it just sucks you in. It's designed to do that. It's designed to be sticky and addictive and it has gotten me. Like, since we started the podcast, I got more into social media because I think for small businesses it's the best way to get your message out there and let people know about new episodes and all that. So it was kind of the opposite for me. I kind of got a little too addicted to it.

Speaker 1: 7:51

Yeah, so I want to just post.

Speaker 2: 7:53

You want to pull it? Back and go post what we need to post and move on and stop scrolling. Yes, so I'm not exactly sure how that's going to happen, because it's for sure an addiction Like it's going to take some work.

Speaker 1: 8:05

Well, it's really interesting because it's become such a platform for people to share things. For example, on my way here, I was looking at Facebook and my friend just posted that her mother passed away, which is really sad. But, to be honest, I'm not the person who shares that kind of stuff on social media.

Speaker 2: 8:21

I don't either.

Speaker 1: 8:22

You know. So of course I immediately texted her personally. Yeah right, that's what I did, and I said I'd like to call you whatever, but I didn't comment necessarily on the post. Sometimes I don't know how to do that, yeah. And I think it is how people share it, and I think I said I put prayer hands or something, but I do prefer a more personal interaction.

Speaker 2: 8:42

Yeah, definitely. Well, I mean, in some cases I'm with you. I don't like my dog died a year or two ago and I never posted that and everyone post about their dogs and things like that, but for some people that's just how they get the word out.

Speaker 1: 8:56

It is.

Speaker 2: 8:56

Yeah, you would never know. It happened probably if you weren't looking at Facebook.

Speaker 1: 9:00

Well, that's the interesting thing is, I guess I'm a little old school, and then I would think somebody would send out a text and say hey, by the way, my mother just passed away.

Speaker 2: 9:08

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:09

But instead they do it on Facebook or Instagram, et cetera, or X, and I get it Like that's their way of doing it, so everyone's different.

Speaker 2: 9:17

Yeah, exactly, you know, x, I can't call it X, I know I just did it. I did it so seamlessly, aren't you impressed?

Speaker 1: 9:24

I do not understand why he changed the name of Twitter to X.

Speaker 2: 9:28

I mean, we all know Twitter. Why would you change that?

Speaker 1: 9:32

I think because Elon Musk thinks he's a space cadet Little bit like Tom Cruise. I think they both sort of have lived in space and they might even have a planet somewhere that we don't know about. I wouldn't be surprised, yeah.

Speaker 2: 9:46

I mean, I think that that was the answer right there because, he's Elon Musk and he can.

Speaker 1: 9:50

Exactly, why not anyways?

Speaker 2: 9:53

It's crazy, but you know, I think self-care is so important as moms and working people. We just get so busy doing our daily life and you kind of forget to take care of yourself. I can't remember the last time I had a massage.

Speaker 1: 10:08

Yeah, or even just quite frankly, just sitting still for 30 minutes a day, yeah.

Speaker 2: 10:13

You know, yeah, whatever you like to do, to do it for sure.

Speaker 1: 10:19

Okay, so, speaking of taking time for yourself, what was your Christmas like? How was your New Year's, et cetera.

Speaker 2: 10:24

It was really nice. It's so good to have Alexis home, like I know you enjoy having Charles home. It just changes the dynamic. I got so used to her not being there, and now this break when they're in college good Lord, it lasts a long time.

Speaker 1: 10:37

I'm glad we have two more weeks, I know.

Speaker 2: 10:39

I'm excited.

Speaker 1: 10:39

We have two more weeks and I feel like it's been the busiest couple of weeks and I'm like I still have two weeks with him, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 10:45

I know I just kind of made that realization a couple of days ago myself. So now I'm getting used to her being around again, and now I'm going to have to go through the whole adjustment of getting used to her not being around again. So it's like this back and forth. But yeah, it was really nice, we were just here the whole time. We didn't go anywhere. Family from Fort Worth came over.

Speaker 1: 11:03

Yes.

Speaker 2: 11:03

So yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:05

What did you make? I'm just curious what do you guys do for Christmas dinner?

Speaker 2: 11:08

We had ham and we also had brisket this year we got a little crazing. Oh good, we had two options for the meat Very Texas-y. I like that, yeah, so we made a pumpkin pie and then this white chocolate cranberry cake that is to die for. It's a bundt cake and it is so yummy, it's so great. And corn souffle. And I forgot what our other two sides were. We had a couple other things.

Speaker 1: 11:33

Well, just the process of making it together is fun.

Speaker 2: 11:36

Oh yeah, definitely definitely. Well, what about you on your?

Speaker 1: 11:39

trip. So we went to the Hamptons, to the new house, which was really nice, and I know I told you, between the two houses are our elderly friends who were friends with my parents. So they came over for Christmas and we did. We actually went to their house for Christmas Eve. We had the seven fishes. They're Irish but it's an Italian thing which I frankly, didn't really know about.

Speaker 1: 11:58

But you're supposed to eat seven fish. Oh my, I had no clue because I was not raised very Italian at all. So we did that. And then on Christmas Day we did, you know my favorite the filet mignon log and a bunch of sides. And it was so much fun. And we actually went to the American Hotel in Sag Harbor. There are only two places open in all the Hamptons on Christmas, and there's the American Hotel and there's Pierre's in Bridge Hampton and that's it. So it's kind of fun to go to because it's packed and people are dressed up.

Speaker 1: 12:26

I mean, these towns are so cute and Christmassy I could imagine you know like with the trees everywhere and the wreaths and the lights, and just I mean honestly East Hampton, where we are, is two streets. It's just two streets that cross. Is that right? That's it.

Speaker 2: 12:39

I had no idea. Yeah, people don't realize that the Hamptons are very tiny.

Speaker 1: 12:42

I pictured it a lot bigger, Nope, so it's kind of fun to just like walk around and do I don't know that small town feel. It almost feels like Vermont or something.

Speaker 2: 12:52

Yeah, yeah Well, so it was pretty crowded.

Speaker 1: 12:55

There's a good amount of people there it was crowded in a good way. I love winter out there because there's a crowd, as in places are open and it's fun, except on Christmas Day. But yet there's not the traffic.

Speaker 2: 13:07

The traffic could be horrendous.

Speaker 1: 13:09

So, and then I also, I went for one night to my friend's wedding. My friend who helped to raise so this one family we're very close to, from Los Angeles, who, charles, went to school with it's her sister. Her sister was their nanny, so they all lived together. So we all kind of raised our kids together before we moved here and a little bit after we moved back. And so she just got married to her girlfriend at a wedding that I just have to tell you about. It was so much fun and so different. First off, the dog was walked down the aisle, which I thought was so cute. Second of all, they had a choir Like they both work in the church and they had a choir that sang just like a prayer, and then they sang living on a prayer and changed the words to it in the church.

Speaker 2: 13:53

They're saying, living on a prayer.

Speaker 1: 13:55

And then, finally, the reception was at the church's gym, but it's the gym where Back to the Future was filmed, so it was a Back to the Future wedding. Isn't that funny that is so fun the gym was decorated exactly like that. Oh my gosh, that's really creative yeah so it was very creative and very fun and very different, you know.

Speaker 2: 14:13

Yeah, yeah, I don't think I've ever been to a non-traditional wedding.

Speaker 1: 14:17

Yeah, and it was at a United Methodist Church. It was a traditional setting, but they did it non-traditionally, which was really interesting.

Speaker 2: 14:22

No, that sounds fun, you know. Yeah, I mean, why do the same old thing over and over again?

Speaker 1: 14:27

Yeah, and my friend, wore a white suit and red shoes, which I think was cute, and then her bride wore a traditional Monique-Lewis dress. So but it was fun and I love the dog walking down the aisle. That was my favorite.

Speaker 2: 14:39

Everybody laughed. Now, did the dog have a job? Was the dog the ring bearer?

Speaker 1: 14:44

or anything like that. The dog just walked for fun. Just cute like the Westminster dog show walking down.

Speaker 2: 14:49

That's so funny. Did the dog have a handler or did the dog know what to do? No, the dog had a handler.

Speaker 1: 14:55

And then I saw the dog. The dog had so many handlers that the dog was actually then put into a car and sent home afterwards.

Speaker 2: 15:01

Oh, okay, not welcome at the reception, exactly.

Speaker 1: 15:05

So, and then I got sick, which was really nice, or right before that I remember Right, you did that's.

Speaker 2: 15:09

Ah, that's no.

Speaker 1: 15:10

So I missed that fun party.

Speaker 2: 15:11

How was that party? It was really fun.

Speaker 2: 15:13

It was really it was. It was non-traditional. Okay, yes, lots of people, lots of beautiful decorations, and what Nellie's talking about is there's these two guys that one of our mutual friends brought to our four year anniversary party at the Lumen Hotel, and so we just kind of got to know them through that and I've stayed in touch with them on Instagram once again, social media and they invited us to this party. It was in between Christmas and New Year's, so it wasn't really either or, but it was just a really interesting mix of people. You know, people that I don't normally have a chance to get to know, and I just had a really good time. Everybody I talked to was just very interesting and very, very nice group of people.

Speaker 1: 15:59

Yeah, and it's fun to have a different crowd.

Speaker 2: 16:01

Yeah, you know, definitely. Well, I mean, as I said, non-traditional. I hesitate to mention this because some people get offended, but there were drag queens at the party.

Speaker 1: 16:10

I like that.

Speaker 2: 16:11

Which was really funny. They were very over the top in the way they were dressed and there were no kids there, so don't worry, it was all age-appropriate, but it was.

Speaker 1: 16:21

There was no story hour.

Speaker 2: 16:23

Don't get all upset. Exactly no stories were read. They just were singing songs and dressed really crazy, but it was definitely entertaining. I'll tell you that, so what else is going on?

Speaker 1: 16:36

OK, so I'm going back to do the Daki series. We'll start working on that again, and then we won't even start editing until after February. So that's exciting. And now that's in Oklahoma. No, that's in LA. I mean, we've done it everywhere we interview people is where it is, so the final interviews are in Los Angeles.

Speaker 2: 16:56

So we'll do that.

Speaker 1: 16:56

So I mean we were Oklahoma, Kansas, wherever the people were, We've flown to them where we've flown them, depending on what works for them.

Speaker 2: 17:03

And tell us one more time, just in case people didn't listen to the other episode where we talked about it. Tell us all about it.

Speaker 1: 17:08

Okay, so it's called the Taylor and it's about a tailor to the stars in Vegas in the 1970s, like Elvis Presley in Marilyn Monroe and the Foley-Bergere and Super Fun, and he kind of straddled the fence between the FBI and the mob because he became the biggest cocaine dealer in the 70s in Vegas.

Speaker 1: 17:26

That is so insane and so it's really fascinating, and it was a different time when the rules were like just think about how we fly now, think about how we have to have a little three ounce bottles and all that kind of stuff. This was not the case then, so people were just carting stuff in from Cartagena and it was a whole different time. So it's an interesting story, and he's since passed away and, quite frankly, a lot of the people have since passed away, which is a good thing and partially why we can tell the story, because, as you can imagine, there's a little bit of danger in calling out names on something like this yeah, definitely.

Speaker 2: 18:02

Well, so is there a good amount that are still alive that you're able to talk to?

Speaker 1: 18:06

Yes, there were the perfect amount Like DEA agents, some Foley-Bergere dancers, some of his siblings, his son, people who knew that he was straddling both fences. So that's interesting, but I don't know that they would have spoken before. Maybe five years ago certain people had to pass away, which I'm not gonna say, but I remember somebody said that to me and I thought am I in danger for hawking this project around? Without thinking? I just thought, oh, this is fascinating, yeah right.

Speaker 2: 18:37

So are any of the bad guys quote unquote still around, oh dear.

Speaker 1: 18:43

Oh, dear, okay, so when will it be? Available. So we have to finish our interviewing by the end of February, which means editing after that and summer. Nothing comes out. So I would say September that's my guess. I mean, you know it takes a while to edit, it takes a very long time to edit it does and to release something. So I would say September makes sense. You know how all the good stuff comes out in September. Speaking of, have you been watching any Oscar movies? Have you watched anything?

Speaker 2: 19:08

I have not watched any Oscar movies. I have watched a new TV show, what was new to me, called Shrinked. Is that right, sean Shrinking, shrinking sorry. And it's really good. It's about a psychiatrist office. Oh okay, it's just a really funny group of people that are therapists there and all their interactions with their families and boyfriends, girlfriends, all that kind of stuff. That's hilarious. It's very entertaining. What? About you have you seen any?

Speaker 1: 19:39

Okay. So some of the movies I've been watching were Anatomy of a Fall, which I thought was good, kind of a mystery. I loved Maestro. Did you see Maestro? No, okay, maestro is about Leonard Bernstein, a famous conductor. Yes, I would say it's really good, but it's everybody's giving it the same reviews. The acting's fantastic, the cinematography is gorgeous. There's kind of no plot, so it's a little weird. But they flip back and forth from black and white to color so it was pretty interesting. And of course, oppenheimer, killers of the Flower Moon. But I really liked the holdovers and Poor Things, the holdovers with Paul Giamatti, who's so amazing, and these are comedy, so they're separated. We don't know the Oscar movies yet, but these are separated. The Golden Globes they separate into dramas and comedies, right, right. So for some reason the holdovers, which was actually very depressing, is considered a comedy, which I don't understand.

Speaker 2: 20:33

That's interesting. Well, it will be interesting to see what happens Now. Will you be working the Oscars again? Yes, I will.

Speaker 1: 20:40

So, but it's not till March, it's late this year. That's what I'm saying. Is like you? Know, I just started watching the movies early because I thought I'm gonna vote on them and I just wanna see them. So I'm paying for them instead of getting them delivered. But I just don't wanna wait.

Speaker 2: 20:55

Yeah, you know. No, I think that's good because there's so many to catch up on. No, I have not done very well with my movies the past couple of years, so I'm not up to speed on any of those actually.

Speaker 1: 21:06

It's kind of embarrassing. Well, a lot of them are just, you know, you can rent them, you don't have to go see them, which is kind of sad that we don't go see the movies anymore, you know as much.

Speaker 2: 21:17

I thought that they'd kind of change that and they've gone back to the theater.

Speaker 1: 21:20

I hope so but not for me. It hasn't changed Like I just feel like I get busy and it's easier to watch it at home. I hate to say that, but it is.

Speaker 2: 21:27

I think a lot of people feel that way. But I was thinking that Barbie and Oppenheimer kind of got people out back out there, that's true, which was good, because I just think it's such a fun experience with your spouse, your kids, family, to actually pick up and go. And most of the theaters have nice food options there now, and cocktails and anything you'd want. So it's just, it's a fun experience.

Speaker 1: 21:50

Yeah, that's making me wanna do that, because I should have seen Meister in a theater, but they released it widely for free to get people to watch it. Yeah, so it was just available and I was like I can't help it.

Speaker 2: 22:03

Well, you should splurge and go to the movies when something has like good sound or special effects, that kind of thing. But if it's just your basic drama, maybe just do that one at home. Yeah, do those at home, yes exactly so okay.

Speaker 1: 22:17

so what about you? What's coming up?

Speaker 2: 22:18

What is coming up? Well, I briefly thought I was going to Florence. Okay, kind of on a whim. One of my good friends' daughter is going to be studying abroad there and she's going to be leaving at the end of January, and so my friend was gonna go to get her settled in and she's like why don't we just make this a girls trip?

Speaker 1: 22:34

And why don't?

Speaker 2: 22:35

you come with me, and I kind of went back and forth. You know, it's never a good time to do stuff like that. And then I was like, okay, yes, I'm in. And then she tells me that the daughter doesn't want her to come. No other parents are coming. And to wait till, you know, a couple of months down the road to come and visit or something. So I guess there's hope that I could still go again. But Well, maybe go in like April.

Speaker 1: 22:57

Yeah, just don't go in the summer. Oh, I know. I mean just it's gotten so crowded. It's amazing how people are traveling again, which is great. Oh yeah, it's great they're making up for lost time. They certainly are Like everything's crowded, you know no.

Speaker 2: 23:08

I had read that this was a really good time to go because it wouldn't be very crowded, the weather would be kind of cold, but, you know, bearable and all that. So I was pretty excited that it wasn't gonna be too terribly crowded and, you know, started making my list of stuff I wanted to do and then we got the rug pulled out from under it.

Speaker 1: 23:26

Well, I have to say to everybody this is just my piece of advice. Right now, it is so inexpensive to travel. Hotels are cheap, airfare is cheap and it's going to go straight up when we all go on spring break.

Speaker 2: 23:38

So if you wanna go somewhere, go now. I have not found that the airfares are cheap. I'm trying to book like has yet another La Crosse tournament coming up? And the airfare is horrible.

Speaker 1: 23:49

Really.

Speaker 2: 23:50

Yeah, at Palm Springs. And then the flights are very limited. So, as of this moment, he's gonna miss probably two days of school one and a half and never, a good time to miss school. So, I don't know, I'm just kind of back and forth if that's gonna work out. But yeah, the flights are not cheap yet and I feel like in the past, as soon as January hit, you get bombarded with all these emails and ads everywhere talking about the cheap flights. And they are cheap.

Speaker 1: 24:21

I booked Charles's flight back to Boston. It was $120. Holy cow, I know $120.

Speaker 2: 24:27

What airline?

Speaker 1: 24:28

American.

Speaker 2: 24:29

Good Lord, I know when did you book that?

Speaker 1: 24:31

I booked it right before the New Year.

Speaker 2: 24:34

Oh my God, I cannot believe that.

Speaker 1: 24:37

But Palm Springs will always be expensive and it's the season in Palm Springs, so it's kind of like flying to Florida. You know, like that's like a resort kind of. January is a good time to go, so that might be why.

Speaker 2: 24:47

I'll tell you when it's not a good time to go, but I'm sure you'll never, ever do that when it's so hot. It's miserable.

Speaker 1: 24:54

I remember staying there with Chris and Charles and like we couldn't, we were at the pool and it would burn our feet to walk and we were like just to walk to the pool.

Speaker 2: 25:05

No, I was with my friend from San Diego, so she had her car there and she has a Tesla and they have this, these giant chrome handles. We literally had to carry towels with us to open the car door because it was so darn hot. Like our hands were just scorched when we would touch it. It was awful yeah, no, the whole place was awful during the summer.

Speaker 1: 25:24

Don't do it, ever Don't do it.

Speaker 2: 25:28

So, yeah, that's coming up, and what else is?

Speaker 1: 25:33

coming up. When is your spring break? Do you know? Do they have different spring breaks, Blake and Alexis?

Speaker 2: 25:38

I think that they're the same. She is going to Mexico with some friends and he is going skiing with some friends and I don't have plans.

Speaker 1: 25:48

That's hilarious. Once again, You're going to be. Will Sean be out of town?

Speaker 2: 25:53

He is going on this ski trip.

Speaker 1: 25:55

Oh good, so you'll have the house to yourself. I know you can just lie around naked.

Speaker 2: 25:58

It could be fun. Yes, that's exactly what I do when it's there. Oh my God.

Speaker 1: 26:03

But there is something to be said, and I'm sure all you women out there understand what I'm talking about. When your kids and your husband are gone. Your home is a vacation.

Speaker 2: 26:11

It does. It feels so relaxing to be there by yourself.

Speaker 1: 26:15

It just does.

Speaker 2: 26:16

I was home last year for spring break and I actually really enjoyed it.

Speaker 1: 26:19

Yeah, didn't you clean out your entire house? I feel like you were like doing closets or something.

Speaker 2: 26:23

It was. That was probably my goal.

Speaker 1: 26:24

Okay, back to the word goal.

Speaker 2: 26:26

It was probably my goal and I probably got like one done. I don't really remember that's always a goal. I've got so many things that need to be cleaned out and cleared out and get rid of stuff. It's an ongoing project that I can't seem to keep up with. I just lose my motivation because it's not fun, you know? Yeah, I know what you're saying. So I get this big burst of dedication and I like get on it and I'm so proud of myself and then poof, something happens and I lose it.

Speaker 1: 26:51

Well, I kind of, like a lot of people, have two speeds. If I'm booked and I'm busy, I can accomplish so much, but once I slow down, if I slow down too much, I'm like maybe I won't do it. I get a little bit lazy and I find that I just then I'm like, oh, I just sort of get moving. A little bit later I drink coffee too long. I just don't. You know, I don't produce as much as quickly.

Speaker 2: 27:13

Yeah, I think I might be with you on that one. I either full force or a late lazy. Yeah, it's frustrating, though I wish I could keep up the momentum for the projects around the house. Oh well, so you don't have football, Not technically. Blake has. So okay. Yesterday he informs me he needs to be at the school at 6 am for powerlifting. I was completely news to me. I had not heard anything of this, but apparently they have it like three days a week on the off season and then he's also supposed to stay after school to do some more type of training.

Speaker 2: 27:51

I'm not even sure what. We haven't really received communications. I think what they're doing and I kind of agree and kind of don't is, you know, they're older now, they're freshmen. They need to be responsible. They're communicating directly with the boys, yeah, but that doesn't always translate back to communicating to the parents.

Speaker 1: 28:10

You need what we have. You need the big gas station calendar that everybody makes fun of me for.

Speaker 2: 28:14

Oh, I have that. Okay, you do. I have that for the podcast mainly.

Speaker 1: 28:18

Okay, I have it for our lives. That's so funny. On the counter and everybody has to write everything down and that way you have to look at it.

Speaker 2: 28:24

Because otherwise.

Speaker 1: 28:25

I forget everything.

Speaker 2: 28:25

I'm very visual and I like to see like the month at the glance, like what? You're talking about and the gas station calendar that's pretty funny, mine is as big as Sean's computer monitor. Well, because mine is big and ugly. It's just one of those big ones that you see at a gas station, that you can't miss.

Speaker 1: 28:41

Yeah, like when people come over I hide it Because I'm like they don't want to see the gas station. Next time I come over I'm gonna ask to see it. Where is that damn thing?

Speaker 2: 28:49

That's really funny, but you know whatever it takes to keep us all on task. You know and remember all the stuff that we have to do. We all have way too much to do. It's exhausting. So does Blake go back to school? Monday he went back on the third we're recording this the day before.

Speaker 1: 29:04

Wow, okay, I didn't realize that. I thought they had a whole extra week.

Speaker 2: 29:08

Well, I thought he was supposed to go on Tuesday.

Speaker 1: 29:10

I was like you're going to school. He's like you gotta get ready.

Speaker 2: 29:13

You gotta go to bed early tonight, get your stuff ready. All this. He's like mom, I don't start till Wednesday. Oh no, oh no you're going tomorrow. Then I look at the Highland Park calendar, I was like, oh God, he's right the one time that he gets the dates right you know, going back to school. No, I would have had his little booty up there on.

Speaker 1: 29:30

Tuesday morning.

Speaker 2: 29:32

I'm so ready just to get our schedule back. I say this every summer to like too much downtime and like winging it with the schedules. It just it starts to get to me.

Speaker 1: 29:43

And.

Speaker 2: 29:43

I was really kind of in a funk the past couple of days just because I feel like I need to be available to my kids. Even they don't really want me for that much anymore.

Speaker 1: 29:53

Yes, yes.

Speaker 2: 29:54

But if they're around I feel like I need to kind of be around, like I would have loved to have gone to get a massage and I think Sean suggested I did that and I was like I just feel guilty doing that when they're around. But, I mean. The truth is they're just watching TV or not doing that much.

Speaker 1: 30:09

Yeah, they don't care if you go do something.

Speaker 2: 30:11

They probably wouldn't even notice if I left the house for two hours? They probably wouldn't, so anyways yeah, he started back and then she doesn't go back for a couple of weeks, like we talked about earlier. Why does college get so long off? Why do they need that much time off?

Speaker 1: 30:27

Well, I don't know. I talked to Charles about this and I said, listen, when I had a month off, I worked Like I would, whatever my summer job was, they'd be, like, can you come work a couple of weeks?

Speaker 1: 30:35

And I did so. I said you really have a lot of downtime. But as I always say, if you're playing a sport and I'm sure you say this to your son as well I'm like if you're playing a sport and he's going and working out three days a week and doing all that stuff over the holiday, to me I think that's OK, that is a job in itself, and Charles is shooting some music videos for some people. But the fact that he has to train always makes me say OK, if you have to train. If he was just sleeping till noon every day and doing nothing, I would be a little bit irate. Right, right, right.

Speaker 1: 31:07

And out till 2. Doing the out, going out every single night. Yeah, you know, yeah.

Speaker 2: 31:12

Well, alexis was supposed to possibly be working at Sevies, which is her summer job last summer, and so the first excuse was, you know, the wisdom teeth were coming out and I don't really know how long it's going to take to recover. Then we moved into she was possibly going on a ski trip and that didn't happen. And there's just. You know, there's been a lot of reasons not to work.

Speaker 1: 31:33

Yes, yes.

Speaker 2: 31:36

I wish I could have come up with some of those reasons.

Speaker 1: 31:38

Well, you know what, you know what you can do, because I'm trying to get. Charles to do this, make her apply for internships for the summer.

Speaker 2: 31:44

Because now's the time yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:46

You know and like, at least then it's like you're looking him up, you're doing something, you're applying, you know.

Speaker 2: 31:50

That's a really good idea.

Speaker 1: 31:51

I'm going to write myself a note, right now, so I don't forget. Yeah, because they're all gone by like February.

Speaker 2: 31:56

Now will he be back here this summer.

Speaker 1: 31:59

I don't know. He might be in DC at CNN. He might be in LA at a couple jobs.

Speaker 2: 32:03

Depends on who takes him Right. Got a lot of options.

Speaker 1: 32:06

So he's yeah, well, he's applying, you know yeah a lot of irons in the fire possibilities.

Speaker 1: 32:11

I mean I don't want him to be gone the whole summer. Yeah, so I don't know. But we already planned a Hampton's trip with his college and high school friends in June, very nice. And they all said yes right away, which was a little daunting for me because I thought, oh, we're going to need two cars, like we have to, so Chris has to go. You know, I just I didn't realize they would all say yes. I thought there were people who were like no, they're like yes.

Speaker 2: 32:34

Like how many people are we talking?

Speaker 1: 32:35

Like 12. Oh wow, that's a big group of guys, mm-hmm.

Speaker 2: 32:39

Oh my.

Speaker 1: 32:40

It's some girls too, so it's what? Yeah?

Speaker 2: 32:42

Well, yeah, I wish that we would plan ahead as well. Listen to that Sean over there, Because I do think the airfares will be lowered, possibly next week. The channels that I'm looking at yours are already lower, sounds like.

Speaker 1: 32:58

I don't, yeah, I don't know if it's just my timing or the like I said. Maybe nobody wants to fly to Boston in January, which is possible, right, Because you're talking Palm Springs.

Speaker 2: 33:06

I think that could. I think we could be onto something on that one yes. Because you know, sean went to college there and he tells me often about the snow and how cold it was and all that. So I kind of think that's your answer. I think that's why, yeah, yeah, why can't they have the lacrosse tournament in Boston, exactly, and the dead of winter.

Speaker 1: 33:25

So yeah, dead of winter in Boston. Charles is going off to Boston to run. It's so funny because when he's running here he's like, oh, it's so cold. I'm like honey, get used to the running. Oh, my gosh Because winter is going to be a whole other story, so I think we're in for a big winter. It's been a nice. This is a nice start to the season for us, for the podcast. For sure, but I think we're in for a cold winter, don't you?

Speaker 2: 33:46

Well, I mean they kept saying it was going to be the coldest one on record, basically, I guess according to the Farmers Almanac. But so far I don't think it's been too bad. But I mean it could kick in any moment. I think it's coming. You just never know, I think it's coming, but we're ready.

Speaker 1: 34:00

We're ready for the new year and we're ready for the cold weather.

Speaker 2: 34:02

Yes, yes, and we wish all of you a very happy 2024. And that is it for our first episode of the year.

Speaker 1: 34:09

Yeah, that's been another episode of the Bubble Lounge. I'm Nellie Shudeau.

Speaker 2: 34:12

And I'm Martha Jackson, and we'll catch you next time.