Latest / The Delicious Culture with Jon Francois / Lil Wayne Is Delicious w/ Jess Marie

Transcript

Lil Wayne Is Delicious w/ Jess Marie · The Delicious Culture with Jon Francois

0:00
Hey, delicious, grab a plate and taste the delicious
0:02
culture. I'm your host, John Francois. We are
0:04
feasting on food, pop culture and lifestyle with
0:07
the host of the unapologetically overcoming podcast.
0:11
Jess Marie. Hi, Jess. Hello. I am so glad to
0:16
have you on the podcast. I listened to the recent
0:18
episode of your podcast. It's very wonderful.
0:21
I'm interested in getting to know you more. With
0:24
the three questions that anchor this podcast
0:27
here, first off, what is a delicious meal that
0:31
you've had lately? So last Friday, I actually
0:34
went out to dinner with a group of friends to
0:37
celebrate one of my friend's birthdays. We went
0:39
to this really cute little restaurant. I think
0:41
it's newer in this area. It's called Bloom. Where
0:44
are you from? Upstate New York. Okay, cool. I
0:46
used to live there. What part? Awesome like not
0:49
far from Albany. Okay. All right. Yeah. Yeah,
0:51
I lived in I worked in radio there. I lived in
0:55
coho's and Yeah, and and I worked more of in
0:59
the general Albany area, but yeah, I'm in Vermont
1:02
right now not too far away, but Good memories.
1:06
Sorry. Go ahead I don't remember the exact like
1:13
exactly what it was called, but it was like an
1:15
espresso rub salmon that came with quinoa and
1:19
sweet potato hash. And then we had, we all shared
1:23
these like pork belly bites as an appetizer,
1:26
which those were delicious. I love salmon. So
1:31
anytime I go out to eat, if it's on the menu,
1:33
I like to get that. But the espresso rub part
1:36
was different for me. So I was like, I'm going
1:38
to try that for sure. And it was really, really
1:40
good. What's the restaurant called? It's called
1:42
Bloom. Okay. We got to break this down. So first
1:47
of all, espresso rub salmon. This is salmon with
1:52
the same kind of espresso that you would get
1:54
in coffee. I would imagine that's what it was.
1:57
I didn't ask specifically because at first I
1:59
was like, I don't know if I should be eating
2:01
espresso this late at night because, you know,
2:04
caffeine, it was probably like eight o 'clock
2:06
by the time they brought our dinner out, but
2:08
it did like it didn't. have like a crazy heavy
2:11
espresso taste. It was really, I ate everything
2:14
on the plate. Like it was gone. There was nothing
2:17
left. So. How would you describe the taste of
2:21
that espresso rub salmon? It, it had almost like
2:25
a sweet sort of, but not too sweet to where it
2:28
was like a weird sort of sweet with the fish,
2:31
but it was like, it was almost like a. Like a
2:34
honey sort of glaze kind of flavor. Like that's
2:36
what it reminded me of. More like a barbecue
2:39
sauce kind of, but yeah. I love that. I mean,
2:44
I can always go for a barbecue flavor. So that's
2:47
great. I literally had, I think maple barbecue
2:50
wings last weekend. There you go. Right up my
2:54
alley. So the other part of the meal, we have
2:57
the espresso rub salmon and then what else did
2:58
you say? It was a quinoa and sweet potato hash.
3:02
Okay, quinoa and sweet potato hash. I think quinoa
3:05
I've had for like a vegan dish before. Remind
3:09
me what quinoa is because I think I'm thinking
3:11
of like some kind of jasmine rice looking thingy.
3:15
What is quinoa? I think it's... I think I could
3:19
be completely wrong about this, but I think it's
3:21
like similar to rice kind of, but it's like they're
3:23
tiny little, they're like almost, they look like
3:25
little pebs. Pebbles almost maybe is what quinoa
3:28
is. But then there was like the chunks of sweet
3:31
potato were cut up in it. And it was, again,
3:33
that was an interesting combination too. Cause
3:35
I eat quinoa, I eat sweet potatoes, never had
3:38
them together, but it was really delicious. Quinoa,
3:42
I think I tasted it on its own not too long ago
3:45
and I didn't like it, but I like sweet potato.
3:48
I mean, my wife, Tony, my wife, Tony here in
3:50
Vermont makes great things with sweet potato,
3:52
like, you know, sweet potato casserole and she's
3:54
made like sweet potato and. Broccoli and and
3:57
chicken all together and so yeah, the sweet potato
4:00
can make a big difference toward the the opinion
4:02
of Yeah, and then what other part of the meal
4:06
are we missing? What's not the appetizer? It
4:09
was pork belly bites okay pork belly bites and
4:14
What does that look like because I'm imagining
4:17
like cubed beef Some of the other girls that
4:26
we were there with had been to this restaurant
4:28
before and they were like, you have to try these.
4:30
You have to try these. So that's what we all
4:32
got for our appetizer. And then like we split
4:34
them because there were, I think there were like
4:36
seven or eight of them on the plate. And I'm
4:37
like, if I eat all of those, I'm not going to
4:39
eat my dinner. So, but that's exactly what it
4:41
was. They were cubes of pork essentially. And
4:45
they were kind of like a little crispy on the
4:47
outside, not too crispy though, to where like
4:49
they dried, they were dried out or anything like
4:51
that. They were, they were also really. Really
4:54
good. Um, I don't know what was on the bottom
4:57
of the plate that they came on. It almost reminded
4:59
me of like, um What is it that orange? Um, I
5:05
can't I don't know i'm gonna mess it up It's
5:07
like that squash, but it was like the creamy
5:09
orange cup A creamy orange squash thing acorn
5:14
squash. I don't know. It was like a creamy sort
5:17
of thing though that like if you dipped the Pork
5:19
in it. It was just again the sweet and savory
5:22
kind of combination. It was now I want to go
5:25
back there like right now because I'm. Are we
5:29
getting it? Are we getting a chewy sensation
5:31
with the pork belly bites? Because going back
5:33
to the beef bites, I'm just thinking like, oh,
5:35
is it chewy or is it more more of an easier?
5:38
Good. So I there was some. that on some of the
5:43
pieces, which I don't like. I know some people
5:46
like to eat that part of the meat. I am not one
5:48
of those people, so I stayed away from the chewier
5:50
parts of the pork. But the parts that I ate,
5:54
it wasn't chewy at all. It was cooked to perfection,
5:57
I have to say. Now, what kind of restaurant is
6:01
Bloom? Like, what kind of cuisine? What's the
6:03
atmosphere? What's the vibe? Like, how would
6:06
you describe it? I will say, I don't know, like,
6:08
what kind of food. Like, if I had to say, like,
6:12
you know, if it was Italian or anything, like,
6:13
I don't, I don't know what kind of food their
6:15
menu falls under as far as that goes, but. They
6:19
did have a lot of different things on the menu.
6:22
Like things, I don't eat scallops or anything
6:24
like that, but they had, there was stuff like
6:27
that. There was pasta, but like different kinds
6:30
of pasta mixed with different things. So it was,
6:32
it was definitely a different kind of menu as
6:35
far as like a place that I would normally go
6:37
and eat. But inside like the vibe, it was a little
6:41
bit darker inside, but there were like flowers.
6:44
Like it was flowers everywhere, hence the name
6:46
Bloom. But I mean, it was really cute. It was
6:49
nice. The waitress was awesome. I would definitely
6:53
go back. It was really cute in there, for sure.
6:56
So was it your first time going? It was my first
6:58
time. The other girls that I was there with had
7:00
been there before. I had never been there before,
7:02
though. So it was my first time. And it was good.
7:05
They do brunch and stuff, too, which their brunch
7:07
looks really good. So I'm definitely going to
7:09
go back. try some other stuff on their menu for
7:12
sure. So this was a situation where the girlfriends
7:14
were like, Oh my God, you have to go to this
7:16
place, bloom with us. It's great food. And do
7:19
they recommend that specific, uh, dish that you
7:21
ended up eating or did you like spot out yourself
7:23
on the menu and was like, Oh, that looks good.
7:25
Yeah. No, the, the appetizer, the, they did recommend,
7:29
but as far as like the main course, most of the
7:32
other girls that I was there with got steak.
7:34
Um, a couple of them got something different
7:36
that, um, I think the one girl got scallops.
7:38
The other girl got like the pasta dish. Um, but
7:41
a majority of them got the steak because again,
7:43
they had been there before and it was really
7:44
good. So, um, but I went with the salmon cause
7:47
it sounded, I was like, I'm intrigued by this
7:49
espresso rub thing. So I went for it and I'm
7:52
not mad that I did. I'm happy with my decision.
7:55
And were you indeed energetic like espresso would
7:57
make you or were you just fine? I was not actually,
8:01
no. Um, I. We went to her house after to do birthday
8:05
cake. Cause like I said, it was one of the girl's
8:06
birthdays. And after like 10 30, 11 o 'clock,
8:10
I started yawning and I was like, I gotta go
8:12
guys. I'm tired. It's past my bedtime. So there
8:15
wasn't enough espresso in there for me anyway,
8:18
to energize me to keep me up for way longer than
8:21
I should have been on a Friday night. Yeah. What
8:23
kind of birthday cake did we have? Um, it was
8:26
a I don't know if you guys have this in Vermont,
8:28
but they have a spot here called Everything Bunt
8:31
Cake. So it's like Bunt Cakes, and it was a lemon
8:34
one with this delicious frosting on it, which
8:37
was also really, really yummy. So, yeah. Okay.
8:40
I've been trying to seek out this cake that my
8:43
parents used to give me a few times for my birthday
8:45
as a kid, and I can't quite spot it out. It's
8:49
like... maybe buttercream, but not buttercream.
8:52
It's like this like kind of like light whipped
8:54
creamy frosting sort of thing. Cause you know
8:56
how like birthday cake frosting can like be like
8:58
heavy and thick, but there was this one that
9:01
was just like very light and cool whippish and
9:04
I can't spot it and can't identify it. But I
9:09
have to, I have to search for it. The search
9:11
continues for that. So. Everything bunt cake,
9:15
huh? Lemon sensations and all that stuff. Whose
9:17
birthday were we celebrating? My friend. One
9:19
of my girlfriends. It was her birthday. So we
9:22
went out to celebrate for her. And it was a lot
9:25
of fun. Love that. Scallops. Remind me what scallops
9:27
are. Because I feel like I've eaten them before.
9:30
Are they some kind of potato? They're, it's like
9:32
more seafood -ish. And I don't do, like I'll
9:35
eat fish, but not seafood. Like scallops, shrimp.
9:40
Stuff like I can't do, I can't do those. Yeah.
9:43
My wife and I, we can both do shrimp. Um, I could
9:46
do a, I could do a fried fish every now and then.
9:50
I mean, my, you know, again, my, uh, my mom used
9:53
to make a lot of that when I was a kid. And,
9:56
um, my only thing was like all the bones within
10:00
the fish that I would end up almost choking on.
10:04
So like a bone. Right. Yeah. So like a boneless
10:07
fried cooked fish. Like that's, that's, that's,
10:10
that's perfect. But yeah, I mean, aside from
10:13
shrimp and cooked fish, I mean, I'm kind of like
10:15
you. I, yeah, I don't really have that much of
10:17
a relationship with seafood where it's like,
10:18
Oh, I'm going to go to a seafood restaurant.
10:20
Like it just doesn't hit me at all. Yeah. No.
10:22
I mean, I will say a lot of times people, when
10:24
they get those dishes, they look really good,
10:26
but I just, I can't, I just can't do it. Yeah.
10:30
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Are you a mom? I am a
10:35
mom. Yes. Okay. What's your opinion on the filet
10:37
-o -fish? Because my my wife and I know we like
10:43
we were laughing the other day about how both
10:46
our moms were filet -o -fish people whenever
10:49
they took us to McDonald's. And I don't know
10:51
if, and, and, uh, Bowen Yang from the Lost Culture
10:54
Esus podcast also said that his mom, uh, used
10:57
to get filet -o -fishes as well. Were you, are
11:01
you a filet -o -fish mom or, or did you have
11:04
a filet -o -fish mom? Like, is there something
11:06
to that? This is really funny. So I am not a
11:11
big McDonald's eater. Good. I have seen one too
11:15
many of those McDonald's in a jar experiments,
11:17
so I can just stay away from McDonald's. Prior
11:21
to having watched any of those, I did eat like
11:24
their burgers. After that, if I go to McDonald's
11:29
and that's like the only thing I can eat, like
11:32
perfect example, I took my son to game one of
11:36
the NBA finals in 2024. And when we left the
11:39
game, the only place open for us to eat was McDonald's
11:43
down the street from our hotel. And I was starving.
11:46
So I'm like, well, I guess I gotta go for it.
11:49
And I got a fish filet because I feel like that's
11:52
the safest thing on the menu. Just you know again
11:57
because of all the things that my mind has been
12:00
poisoned with from the internet so and they have
12:02
like a I think it's like a fried fish square
12:05
and then the Yellow cheese and then like what
12:08
some tartar sauce or mayonnaise on it I could
12:14
be wrong, but I feel like moms back in the day
12:15
were told that this is like the diet sandwich
12:18
This is the sandwich that will like be good for
12:22
you. Give you some Whatever healthy ingredients
12:25
that you usually get from fish like, is that
12:27
correct? Yeah, I would probably agree with that.
12:31
I think that, again, like it's not only is it
12:33
the safest thing as far as like what you're actually
12:35
eating, but probably healthy, I guess, if you
12:38
can use the word healthy and fast food in the
12:40
same sentence. I don't know. Yeah. You went to
12:43
game one of the NBA finals with your son. Wasn't
12:45
that with the Boston Celtics and who else? Oh
12:47
my God, who are they playing? Why can't I remember
12:49
who they were playing that year? Yeah, that's,
12:51
oh my God, who are they playing on the West?
12:53
Oh, God. I can see, like, I have, like, a memorabilia
12:57
ticket that I bought afterwards for Christmas
12:59
for him, and I can't... It's... I'm drawing a
13:02
complete blank. Yeah, because they ended up winning
13:03
the championship that year, didn't they? They
13:04
did. They did, yeah. How could you afford that
13:07
game? Wow, that must have been, like... Well,
13:09
Klarna. Yeah, the payment plan service. Is the
13:15
sponsor to all of my irresponsible financial
13:18
decisions that I make in life. But I will tell
13:20
you that was worth every single penny because
13:23
it was so much fun to be there. I mean, we were
13:27
like three rows from the top, but neither one
13:29
of us cared. Just the fact that we were there
13:31
was amazing. So yeah. Yeah, me, my brother, a
13:37
couple of cousins, uncle, my cousin's girlfriend.
13:42
We've gone to a few Celtics games in the past.
13:46
So they're all based in Connecticut, so they're
13:48
just a couple hours away from Boston and I'm
13:50
only a four hour drive away from here in Vermont.
13:53
Um, so we've had good memories with those games,
13:55
but they've been like regular season games and
13:57
going to a finals game or any playoff game has
14:00
always been a dream, but it might have to stay
14:03
that way because those tickets are not cheap.
14:07
They should, they should pay me for as much as
14:10
I talk about them because I, I use them a lot,
14:14
especially for things like that, that are really,
14:15
really expensive. Um, but yeah, it was, it was
14:19
worth it. It was worth every penny. They ended
14:20
up winning that first game, didn't they? They
14:22
did. Yeah, it was a really good game A really
14:25
good game. Yeah. And I looked it up. They played
14:27
against the Mavericks, the Dallas Mavericks for
14:30
that finals. Yeah. And someone that I used to
14:33
go to high school with back in Connecticut, where
14:35
I'm originally from, he has a relationship with
14:38
Dallas. He lived in Dallas prior to Connecticut
14:41
and then has been in like New York and probably
14:45
somewhere else. But now he's back in Dallas and
14:48
he's like the most major Dallas sports fan you
14:50
can imagine. So he was nonetheless very heartbroken
14:55
when it didn't go, when it didn't go his way.
14:57
But it's that complicated thing of like, Oh,
14:59
like he has Connecticut roots. So he knows a
15:01
lot of Celtics fans, but he also has Dallas roots.
15:03
So he has that labs part of them. So, yeah. Oh
15:07
man. People always question why I'm a Boston
15:10
fan and I live in New York and I can't, I can't
15:12
really explain it. I don't really, my sister
15:14
lived in, in Massachusetts for a while. So like
15:17
I would go visit her and we would go see the
15:19
Celtics, but like, I don't know. I think I liked
15:22
them before she moved there. So I I can't really,
15:24
I can't really explain why. I mean, there's quite
15:26
a rich history with the Celtics. Certainly a
15:29
rich winning history. Uh, I don't know if you
15:32
got a chance to see the HBO docu -series about
15:34
the Celtics recently that came out called like,
15:36
I think it's called Celtic city. Um, yeah, I
15:40
highly recommend it because it goes through the
15:41
entire history of the organization and it just
15:44
kind of combines with the history of Boston as
15:47
a city and of, and of course with the NBA being
15:50
majority black and all the racist stuff that
15:53
has happened within the city of Boston. Um, so
15:57
that's been great, but I don't know, I would
15:58
have to guess that like the New York. Knicks
16:01
and the fact that there was a period of time
16:04
where they lost so much. And then the Brooklyn
16:07
Nets maybe had a period where they were good.
16:10
And then maybe a period where they were bad.
16:11
Like New York basketball teams haven't been as
16:14
consistent where I could understand you being
16:17
like, I'm going to go with Boston. Yep. Yep.
16:21
I know I was never, when it comes to basketball,
16:23
I was never a New York fan of any basketball
16:26
teams. Like when I was in high school, I was
16:29
an Orlando Magic fan. So I don't, I never really
16:32
liked a New York basketball team. So yeah, that
16:36
could be wild though. Cause you know, there wasn't,
16:38
there wasn't really a lot to like, I guess. Oh
16:40
yeah. Oh yeah. We could go on and on and on about
16:43
that. But yeah. So you had your, you had your
16:45
McDonald's after your Boston Stockings game.
16:49
I used to go hard on McDonald's, especially my
16:52
bachelor years, because if I'm not cooking for
16:55
myself as much, I probably was at McDonald's
16:58
every two weeks or so. And then luckily, living
17:02
with my wife and she being a really great cook
17:04
and also just getting older, you know how it
17:07
is. You get to a certain age and your body cannot
17:11
comfortably digest the foods that - You used
17:14
to digest so easily when you were younger. Um,
17:17
so now McDonald's is like, all right, once in
17:20
a blue moon, like if I, if it's a Friday night
17:23
after work and I feel like celebrating treating
17:26
myself, sure. Um, And then I'll regret it the
17:29
next day because it'll just be that heavy feeling
17:31
in your stomach overnight. And then you got to
17:33
go to the bathroom. Uh, but yeah, that's what
17:36
it is right now. McDonald's is just a rare special
17:39
occasion. Like if I got nothing else and maybe
17:42
I feel like treating myself, like I was stressed
17:45
after purchasing a car back in December and to
17:49
relieve my stress. McDonald's. Makes perfect
17:53
sense. Absolutely. Yeah. I actually got my son
17:56
McDonald's for dinner last night because I don't
17:58
cook on Fridays. I order out or I pick something
18:00
up on my way home. And I stole a few of his French
18:04
fries. And immediately when I took a bite, I
18:07
was like, why did I do that? It was only like
18:11
three of them. And I was still like, I'm going
18:13
to hate myself later for that. But now I survived
18:15
and I'm here. So was it a freshly hot French
18:18
fry or was it already like cold? at this point.
18:20
Yeah, no, they were like, they just brought it
18:22
out to the car. And like, before I even pulled
18:24
out of the parking lot, I was like, I'm gonna
18:26
steal a couple of these french fries real quick.
18:27
So they were, they were fresh. Oh, good, good,
18:30
good, good. Yeah, that's the key. When they're
18:32
fresh, and they're hot, and they're especially
18:34
salty. Greatest thing ever. But you know, you
18:38
leave them sitting for just a little too long,
18:41
and all of a sudden, it tastes like something
18:43
that's not food. Oh my God, it's so crazy. Yeah,
18:50
no, I just, there's just so many things to say
18:52
about McDonald's because it's just been so much
18:54
a part of American culture for so long. I want
18:59
to know what is a delicious piece of pop culture
19:03
that you've been consuming lately? This could
19:05
be like a TV show, movie, music, play, book,
19:08
just anything in pop culture. Would a podcast
19:11
count? Yeah, absolutely. Sure. Okay. So one of
19:15
my all time favorite podcasts that I listen to
19:18
religiously, actually, I watched because they
19:21
have they're on Patreon. So I watched them on
19:22
there. It's called Good Moms Bad Choices. Oh,
19:26
okay. Tell me more about that. Um, so they are
19:29
two moms. Um, Erica and Mila are their names
19:32
and they, they talk about, um, like women issues,
19:37
um, like choices that moms sometimes make that
19:41
other people might think are bad, but like really
19:44
aren't. Um, they talk about all sorts of things.
19:47
I mean, pop culture, they talk about on their
19:49
podcast. They talk about self love and things
19:51
like that. They have a segment on their podcast
19:54
called bad choices where people can share things.
19:57
that to some people might not seem bad, but then
20:00
other times people might be clutching their pearls
20:02
a little bit maybe at the things that people
20:05
are sharing. Sometimes it's just the two of them
20:07
together. Sometimes they have guests on. Yeah,
20:12
it's just, they really normalize things that
20:14
I think a lot of society looks down on, which
20:18
they shouldn't because if what I'm doing over
20:21
here isn't hurting anybody, then who are you
20:23
to say anything about that? Can you tell me more
20:29
about what they talk about that society would
20:31
look down upon? Well, one of the things that
20:35
they really talk about a lot is moms who smoke
20:37
marijuana. To some people, that's a horrible
20:41
thing for a parent to do, but it's really not.
20:45
I think you're not supposed to do that when you're
20:49
pregnant, but besides that, why not? What's the
20:52
harm? Yeah. Well, I'm right there with you, but
20:54
I do, like, I know, I know plenty of people who,
20:58
you know, like, oh my gosh, you do that. Like
20:59
still, and I'm like, it's 2026. Why are we, why
21:01
are we making people feel bad for smoking marijuana?
21:03
Like I don't get it, but you know. Yeah. It's
21:06
legalized in much of the country and most places.
21:10
Yeah. Yeah. And, and, and I like, at best you'll
21:13
be relaxed and sleepy and which, I mean, which
21:16
a lot of moms can use. Cause I know they, they
21:18
work their butts off. So. Yeah, people are just
21:22
judgmental and like, like their own harsh opinions
21:25
where it doesn't apply. And, um, yeah, I mean,
21:29
as long as moms can still function as adults
21:31
and, and as parents, then do, do whatever you
21:34
want to do. Oh my God. So how did you seek out
21:38
this podcast? Was it like where you just at a
21:40
point as a mother where it's like, Oh, like I'm
21:43
feeling all these things as a mom and I really
21:45
want to like connect with others and, and listen
21:49
to their experiences as moms. Did someone recommend
21:51
this podcast to you? Like, how did this podcast
21:53
find its way in your life? So they were actually
21:56
guests on another podcast that I listened to
21:59
and that, and I was listening to their interview
22:03
with them and I was like, these ladies sound
22:06
like people that I want to be friends with. So
22:08
I found their podcast after that and started
22:12
binging it from the beginning. And I was like,
22:16
I just, I love how open and honest they are.
22:19
And like, they really, they kind of don't care
22:21
what other people think about the things that
22:23
they're saying and the things that they're doing.
22:24
But like, they're also empowering women in the
22:27
process of just showing up as themselves and
22:29
being who they are. you know, and not being afraid
22:32
of what anybody else thinks about them. And it's
22:34
called what again? Good Moms? Good Moms, Bad
22:36
Choices. Good Moms, Bad Choices. What's the most
22:39
valuable piece of advice from that podcast that
22:41
you've applied to your life as a mom? Oh, that's
22:46
hard for me to pick just one thing. But I think,
22:50
I think for me, if we're talking specifically
22:53
about like being a mom, it's just doing what
22:57
I feel is best and not listening to the outside
23:00
world. Because again, there's a lot of opinions
23:03
out there in the world and everybody is always
23:05
going to have something to say about what you're
23:07
doing, how you're doing it. I think especially
23:09
when you're a mom and you know, there are lots
23:11
of people who aren't parents and like to give
23:13
advice about what you're doing as a parent, which
23:16
also like, you have no idea what you're talking
23:19
about. So maybe keep your opinion to yourself.
23:21
But you know, I think just recognizing that,
23:26
you know, the decisions that we make, as moms,
23:29
while other people might think they're bad, whatever
23:32
they are, really aren't that bad. I am tempted,
23:37
and you don't have to say anything if it's too
23:39
personal, but what is, can you think of a decision
23:42
that you've made as a mom? that other people
23:45
are just like, oh, I don't know about that. And
23:48
you just held firm to it. You just felt like
23:50
it was right and best for you and your kid. Well,
23:53
I'm actually I can give you a very recent example
23:55
about this, actually. So recently, my son is
23:59
17. He got his license in October. So he's driving
24:02
now. I work two jobs. So it's really difficult
24:07
for him to find a job on his own with as much
24:10
as I work because he at the time didn't have
24:13
a vehicle. So he either needed to rely on me
24:15
bringing him back and forth to work or him taking
24:19
my car, which again was difficult because of
24:21
how much I work. So he had gotten in trouble
24:23
for something probably like a week and a half
24:26
before this happened. And we had been looking
24:28
for cars for him because it would be easier for
24:31
him to have his own car to get back and forth
24:33
to work. So he got in trouble. He was grounded
24:37
and the following week, he, I think he had an
24:41
appointment somewhere or maybe he had a job interview.
24:43
So it was, it was a job interview. So we were
24:44
on our way home from the job interview and we
24:47
stopped at a car dealership and I ended up getting
24:51
him a car. And in particular, my best friend
24:54
was like, should you really have done that considering
24:57
he was just in trouble last week? And I was like,
25:00
listen, I get that in theory, this is kind of
25:03
like I'm rewarding him. for misbehaving the week
25:06
before. But like in the big picture, he needed
25:10
that vehicle so that he was available more so
25:12
he could find a job. So that's like a recent
25:16
example of someone being like, I don't necessarily
25:18
think that that was the best choice, Jessica.
25:20
And I was like, well. Maybe it wasn't, but it
25:23
is what needed to be done for us. It was, it
25:26
works for us. So that's what we're doing. So
25:27
it sounds like she was saying that from the perspective
25:30
of like, Oh, you know, your son is now going
25:32
to be reckless with this car and go out partying
25:35
and drinking and yada yada yada. But it, it sounds
25:37
like your son is more practical and will literally
25:42
primarily use it to get to and from work. Correct?
25:45
I mean, for the most part, my son is pretty responsible.
25:48
I mean, let's be real. He's a 17 year old boy.
25:50
So. There's that. But, I mean, he is a very responsible
25:53
kid. And he was tirelessly looking for a job.
25:58
And he got one. So, like, you know, it took a
26:01
little bit longer than I was hoping it would
26:03
take. But, you know, it all worked out in the
26:05
end. So, yeah. Yeah. What's he doing? He's going
26:09
to be working at one of the Burger Kings in a
26:13
rest stop near our house. So. OK. All right.
26:17
You know, the great job for a teenager. And that
26:21
takes a load off your back because you are not
26:24
worrying about like, oh, I got to pick them up.
26:26
I got to drop them off. Like that's an extra
26:28
load off your shoulders. And so I totally agree
26:31
with that decision. That's great. Yeah. I guess
26:34
I'm hung on like the Good Moms Back Choices podcast.
26:38
So like the back choices part of it, I assume
26:41
like they've talked about like making bad choices
26:45
as moms and how they either recover or learn
26:48
from that or just Yeah, okay with that. Can you
26:51
give me examples of some quote -unquote bad choices
26:54
that they've made? I mean one of them I mean
26:57
for them and I don't want to speak for them But
27:00
like just the things that they talked about so
27:03
openly like on the internet as moms and it's
27:07
like, sometimes it's like, well, do you know
27:08
your kids are going to listen to this someday?
27:09
So like that sort of thing. You know what I mean?
27:11
Like sometimes we talk about things that we go
27:13
through as moms or things that maybe we did when
27:15
we were younger. And before the internet, like
27:18
that stuff kind of stayed by it, I guess, because
27:21
it wasn't out in the world for everybody to hear.
27:25
But, you know, now it's it's out there. It's
27:28
on the internet. They wrote a book like they
27:29
talk about. you know, all sorts of things, like
27:32
relationship things that they've dealt with and
27:34
choosing to stay or leave a partner and, you
27:37
know, just all sorts of stuff that they talk
27:40
about. Have they talked about, like, sex life
27:42
and how that gets affected as a mom? Yeah, yeah,
27:46
yep, definitely. That's something that they talk
27:48
about. And even, like, the choices that they
27:50
make, like, after having a baby related to decisions
27:54
like that. So, yeah, they cover it all. They
27:57
really do. Yeah. Do you just have the one son
28:00
or do you have how many kids? Just the one. Yeah.
28:02
Just the one. Okay. All right. Very nice. Very
28:05
nice. A delicious event that's happened in your
28:09
life lately that, you know, this is just any
28:11
positive thing that's happened in your life.
28:13
So this week in particular, I am a huge Lil Wayne
28:18
fan. Um, so... Rapper? Yes. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah.
28:24
So he just announced his tour, his new tour that
28:28
he's going on and he's coming near me in the
28:31
summer. So I purchased my ticket for that. Again,
28:35
shout out to Klarna. There's a spokesperson at
28:39
this point. Right? I'm telling you, they should
28:42
be paying me. I shouldn't be paying them. They
28:44
should be paying me. Any of my friends will tell
28:46
you that when I go to a Lo -Wayne concert, I
28:47
can't be like... far away, I have to be in the
28:51
first several rows. So I, hence again, why I
28:55
needed to use that to purchase my ticket because
28:57
the tickets that I get when I go to his concerts
28:59
are not cheap. So I'm very excited about that
29:03
concert again. I just saw him not that long ago,
29:05
but like, I think that this is the ninth time
29:08
that I'm seeing him. So yeah. Huge Lil Wayne
29:12
fan over here. So what do you like about Lil
29:15
Wayne? How far back does the fandom stretch?
29:17
I mean, I've liked him since like the bling -bling
29:20
days, but he's just... Have you ever seen him
29:25
perform live? No, I have not. Okay. He is an
29:28
amazing... performer. He brings so much energy.
29:33
He never stops while he's on stage. And I know
29:36
a lot of people laugh at this, but he literally
29:38
says thank you to his fans after every song that
29:41
he's done performing. Really? And not only that,
29:45
but he is genuinely appreciative of his fans.
29:48
He knows that he wouldn't be where he is today
29:51
if it wasn't for us. And he makes that known
29:54
when he's performing. Yeah, I just I love him.
29:59
Yeah. Yeah. No, I've been aware of him for like
30:01
the past 20 or so years going back to when I
30:04
Don't think he's associated with Birdman anymore.
30:06
Is he with like cash money? Money now, it's not
30:10
cash money. Got it. It's the different kind of
30:13
money now Used to be cash now young got Yeah,
30:20
no, no, he's he's definitely a legend in the
30:22
hip -hop world. I know I know a cuz I know a
30:24
cousin who would have preferred him for the halftime
30:27
show instead of Kendrick Lamar that year. Yeah,
30:29
I was a little disappointed about that, too.
30:31
But Kendrick was awesome. I really enjoyed his
30:33
performance. But yeah, Lil Wayne would have been
30:36
nice to see up there. Yeah. You think he'll ever
30:38
be a Super Bowl halftime performer someday? I
30:41
don't know. I don't know. I mean, he's got the
30:45
catalog. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if he's
30:48
not. He absolutely does. Yeah. He for sure does,
30:50
but I don't, I don't know. I mean, he's involved
30:53
so much with like ESPN and the sports industry
30:56
and stuff now that like you would think they
30:59
would ask him. Like it seems like a no brainer
31:01
if you ask me, but I mean, I'm not in charge
31:03
over there, so I don't know how that works. I
31:05
have no idea about this ESPN sports involvement.
31:07
Tell me more about that. So I, I don't necessarily,
31:10
I don't watch that part of it. Oddly enough,
31:13
I'm like, if a clip shows up on my Instagram
31:14
page, I'm going to watch, but he does, he does
31:16
something like he's a part of. Like commentary
31:20
on like, I don't know if it's like a show or
31:22
something. I would have to, it's, I don't know
31:24
what it's called exactly, but I've seen him.
31:26
Like it was all over my Instagram at one point
31:29
when he first started doing it. Um, so yeah,
31:32
he's, he's involved in some things in that world.
31:36
I think it's more decision for them. Yeah. What's
31:40
your favorite Lil Wayne song? I have so many.
31:42
How to Love is one of my favorites. Recite a
31:44
lyric for me. You're not gonna make me sing right
31:47
now, are you? As best as you could. Wait, wait,
31:50
wait, wait. Did he do some song about a lollipop?
31:53
Yes, he did. Yep, he definitely did that. Yep,
31:57
I like that. So, Amelie is another one of my
31:59
favorites. I really like that song. Was that
32:02
like, Amelie, Amelie, Amelie, Amelie? Yeah, yeah.
32:04
Okay, okay, okay. Now my memory's being jogged
32:07
back. Yeah, I haven't listened to Lil Wayne in
32:08
a while, yeah. Yeah, yep. Yeah, and some of his...
32:13
I like from his earlier... Records like I like
32:16
hustlers music. I like fireman Yeah, how does
32:20
fireman go? Oh that sounds familiar to me that
32:23
I I would I don't want to embarrass myself right
32:26
now, so I'm not Can you at least just say the
32:30
words you don't have to sing them or rap them
32:31
just like say them and maybe like fireman I'm
32:36
a fireman Okay. Anyway, hang on. Let me see if
32:45
I can pull this off. If I was in my car right
32:47
now, I would go in with that, but I can't embarrass
32:49
myself or him. I don't want him to like come
32:52
for me if, you know. Right. Right. Wait, wait,
32:54
wait. So we like Lil Wayne and you're seeing
32:59
him in concert again for the nighttime? Yes.
33:02
When is this? Um, July. July. And he's coming
33:05
to Albany? Um, Saratoga. Saratoga. Oh, yes. I,
33:09
when I lived in Albany, I went to see Logic and
33:13
Wiz Khalifa in concert at the Saratoga Springs,
33:17
uh, performing arts center. Is that what it's
33:19
called? Yeah, everybody calls it SPAC, but yes,
33:21
that's exactly what it is. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. I
33:23
used to work for Flat 82 .3 and, um. Yeah, yeah,
33:27
yeah. So the perk of being a radio personality
33:29
is that every now and then you get free concert
33:31
tickets. So yeah, well, logic and Wiz Khalifa
33:34
did a wonderful concert. It was like on a Tuesday
33:36
or Wednesday night, just like smack dab in the
33:38
middle of the week. And yeah, I don't know if
33:42
I cared much for Wiz Khalifa. I was more into
33:44
logic, but it was a great turnout, great show.
33:48
And have you seen any other shows there? Well,
33:51
I've seen him there several times. What have
33:55
I seen at SPAC? Actually, my very first concert
33:58
that I went to when I was like seven was at SPAC.
34:00
I went with my parents. We saw Phil Collins.
34:03
Um, so that, that was a long time ago. I think
34:06
I've seen. This was like during his Genesis days,
34:09
Phil Collins, when he was, or was he, or solo
34:11
at this point? I, I mean, I was seven and that,
34:14
so I'm about to be 45. So that was a long, a
34:18
long time ago. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like the eighties?
34:23
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know. I don't
34:28
know too much of Phil Collins besides Genesis
34:30
and obviously some soul hits. So I'm 34. My introduction
34:35
to him was on the Tarzan soundtrack. Okay. Okay.
34:42
That's the Phil Collins I knew first before I
34:45
got into the other part of his catalog. Yeah,
34:49
yeah. Oh my God. Yeah, no, Saratoga Performing
34:52
Arts Center. They got some history there. I think,
34:54
I don't know if you're familiar with Doc Severinsen.
34:56
Sounds familiar. Did you ever watch The Tonight
34:58
Show with Johnny Carson growing up? I know what
35:00
that is, but I couldn't, I don't think I did
35:04
ever really watch it. No. That's okay. That's
35:06
okay. Doc Severinsen was the band leader. He's
35:09
probably the only one of that Tonight Show crew
35:11
that's still alive. He's like 98 right now, but.
35:14
Okay. Yeah, his final concert was at the Saratoga
35:16
Performing Arts Center, I believe, back in 2022,
35:20
so there's some history there. But yeah, no,
35:23
I'm excited that, you know, July, there's nothing,
35:25
I feel like there's nothing like a summer concert
35:28
at a place like... the Saratoga Performing Arts
35:31
Center because isn't it like, it's outdoor, right?
35:34
So there are seats that, well, the whole thing
35:36
is kind of like, it's like a pavilion sort of
35:39
thing. So even when you're inside, you're not
35:41
like, still it's open. There's just like the
35:43
seats on top and the thing over it, but they
35:45
have, I mean, there's tons of lawn seats. I would
35:48
never get lawn seats for a Lo -Wayne concert.
35:50
That's just unacceptable. Really? Why not? Because
35:55
it's too far away? Too far away, yes. I need
35:57
to be close. We need to be able to make eye contact
36:00
with one another. He needs to know I'm there.
36:02
Like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And also is it
36:05
a comfortable way to see a concert? I mean, yes,
36:08
it's definitely a cheaper or maybe free way to
36:10
see a concert. Yeah. But yeah, I don't know.
36:13
I've always observed, not always, but there was
36:16
a one concert that I went to when I used to live
36:17
in Iowa where I observed people in long chairs.
36:20
And I just kind of wonder like, oh, okay, like
36:22
that could either be a relaxing way to enjoy
36:24
a concert or it could just be like. Man, I wish
36:27
I was in a bench or in a pre -made concert seat.
36:30
Man, like, I don't know. Now it's back. They
36:34
used to let you bring your own lawn chairs. If
36:36
you sat on the lawn, they don't let you do that
36:39
anymore. So you either have to stand, which I
36:42
mean, I usually stand during a concert anyway,
36:45
but like in the in -betweens, like having the
36:47
option to sit down is ideal because again, I'm
36:50
a little bit older now. I can't stand for that
36:52
long with like I could when I was, you know,
36:54
in my early twenties, but Especially at SPAC,
36:57
it's like the lawn part is like slanted because
37:00
it's a hill. So standing like that for too long,
37:03
like I probably wouldn't be able to move for
37:05
four days after that. So now they have lawn chairs
37:09
that you can buy or rent for the show, which
37:12
I think is just another way for them to probably
37:14
make some more money. Oh, I'm sure. Here's a
37:17
lawn seat for $200. How about that? Right. Yeah.
37:22
$50 water bottle. Right. Enjoy the show. Yeah.
37:27
Well, I mean, with all the stuff about like expensive
37:29
concert ticket pricing, expensive event ticket
37:31
pricing was, how were your little Wayne tickets?
37:33
Was it okay? Or were you paying a lot? I mean,
37:36
I, for the seats that I got, I mean, they were
37:39
expensive probably for most people, but where
37:42
I'm sitting, I don't think, I don't think they
37:46
were that bad. Cause I saw him years ago at SPAC.
37:49
And I was in the front row and I have a friend
37:53
that, um, that helped me get those tickets because
37:57
he worked there. So they were expensive then,
38:02
but not as expensive as they would have been
38:03
if I just bought them myself. Um, and this ticket
38:07
that I got for this show is actually cheaper
38:09
than those tickets were. So. I think I did pretty
38:13
good. I want to know price details. Is it too
38:15
much to ask about that? No, I don't mind. I mean,
38:17
you could go on their website and see it. So
38:19
it's not like it's private information. The seat
38:21
that I got for this show was $329. Okay. How
38:26
close are you to the stage? So there's the pit
38:30
section. And then I'm in the section right behind
38:33
there. I think like the third, like the third
38:36
row back. Okay. So I'm close. I'm very close.
38:39
That's not bad. That's not bad. I mean, I don't
38:41
think it's that either for like, I mean, some
38:45
other concerts, you, you could get a really terrible
38:47
nosebleed seat for that price. So you're actually
38:49
doing pretty good. Oh my God. Yeah. No, I used
38:55
to work for a secondary ticket market, like a
38:56
stop hub. It was called ticket network. And,
38:59
uh, the amount of people that would, uh, uh,
39:02
really verbally abused me on the phone because
39:04
they were. They were not having those service
39:07
fees. They were not having these eight because
39:10
the sellers that we have to like sell tickets
39:13
for there a lot. I mean, I remember a Disney
39:16
on ice events that I was trying to sell tickets
39:19
for. Someone was wanting to inquire about prices
39:21
on the phone. This was a call center. And because
39:25
like the tickets were just like boom, boom, boom.
39:27
And there were not too many seats left. I think
39:29
at the last minute, I found like a couple of
39:32
seats for $8 ,000. Oh my god. This is for Disney
39:38
on Ice. I'm gonna say that's like Super Bowl
39:40
ticket prices. That's insane. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
39:43
And that's, and that's the thing about these
39:45
secondary ticket markets is that they're not
39:47
going by the actual value of the ticket. They're
39:49
going by market demand. So the more like tickets
39:52
are selling and there's not too many left and
39:54
a lot of people are demanding them. The, the,
39:57
the, the very, um, the very greedy and liberal
40:01
way, the more greedy and liberal that, that,
40:03
that sellers get with, with, with, with what
40:05
they price. And, um, and you talk about Superbowl,
40:08
I've had situations where, uh, people will buy
40:11
Superbowl tickets from these secondary ticket
40:13
market sellers and they'll show up at the gate
40:16
and the tickets are not valid because the seller
40:20
decided like, oh, I'm going to invalidate this
40:22
ticket because someone else is offering me a
40:23
lot more money for this Super Bowl experience.
40:26
And so, yep, yep. I met some great people at
40:29
Ticket Network, but dealing with the customers
40:31
who are understandably stressed and frustrated
40:33
about all this. It made for a lot of, a lot of
40:37
bad days, a lot of, a lot of days where I just
40:39
said, you know what, I'm not going to come into
40:40
work. I'm going to take a sick day. I won't be
40:43
here. Sorry guys. Oh my goodness gracious. But
40:47
you're going to have a great time at low Wayne.
40:48
I cannot wait. Um, before we go, uh, tell us
40:53
about your podcast, the unapologetically, I'm
40:56
sorry. Is it unapologetically overcoming? Is
40:58
that what it's called? Yep. Okay. Yeah. Tell
41:00
us about it. So my podcast focuses on topics
41:04
that typically have stigmas attached to them.
41:07
So things that people maybe are afraid, ashamed,
41:09
embarrassed to talk about. Um, and I do it, I
41:13
started it for two reasons. One, to let people
41:16
know that they're not alone in whatever they're
41:18
going through, because I think a lot of times
41:20
when we're experiencing something, especially
41:22
something difficult or traumatizing. We feel
41:25
like we're the only person that is dealing with
41:27
something like that. So I want people to know
41:29
that that's not the case. There's chances are
41:32
pretty good that someone out there on the world
41:34
is either going through it too, or has gone through
41:36
it. want people to have hope that whatever they're
41:41
going through, they can come out on the other
41:43
side. So, you know, I talk about a lot of, I
41:46
have fun conversations on there sometimes too,
41:48
but for the most part, it's kind of heavier topics
41:51
because again, like I think that's the hardest
41:53
thing for us to talk about as humans is the hard
41:56
stuff. So, you know, I want people to have a
41:59
space where they can do that and feel comfortable.
42:01
And again, just let other people, they're not
42:02
alone at that. and that they can get through
42:05
it. I can't talk all of a sudden. It's okay.
42:07
It's okay. Look, I know what you mean. You know,
42:10
you talk so much and sometimes you slip up on
42:12
your words. Do you mind expanding upon some of
42:17
the heavy topics that you've talked about with
42:20
guests? Yeah, of course. So I have, I mean, lots
42:24
of different things. Again, much like the Good
42:26
Moms, Bad Joices podcast, nothing is off limits
42:28
on my podcast. So I talk with people about mental
42:31
health issues, addiction, struggles. I've had
42:35
people talk about abortions. I've had people
42:38
come on and talk about religious trauma and getting
42:42
out of the church and things like that. I've
42:44
had people on who have been to prison and they
42:46
talk about that experience and kind of where
42:48
they are now in the world. anything and everything
42:51
is is up for up for um, conversation over on
42:55
my podcast. Yeah. I mean, I would definitely
42:57
love to be on the podcast sometime if you'll
42:59
have me. Yeah, of course. Of course. Yeah. Yeah.
43:02
Yeah. Especially at like talking about things
43:04
like mental health issues. Um, yeah, I mean,
43:06
I, I've certainly, you know, been through that
43:09
journey recently, uh, got, got back on antidepressants.
43:14
Um, you know, cause as, as with a lot of adults
43:19
of my age, 34 and you're dealing with the world
43:22
as it is. with the economy and everything's expensive,
43:25
yada, yada, yada. And also like, oh, am I fulfilling
43:28
my career goals the way that I want to? There's
43:31
just a lot going on. And especially me and my
43:34
wife, we're trying to have a kid and there's
43:38
a lot going on. There's a lot going on and it
43:41
can be very easy to have your mental health take
43:45
a back seat. So to be able to constantly check
43:47
in with myself, not only taking the antidepressants,
43:50
but meditating every day. I've been meditating
43:53
for the past, I don't know, 10, 11 years. I love
43:56
that. And, you know, having gone to therapy and
44:01
journaling, audio journaling. I express how I
44:06
feel every morning on my way to work, whether
44:09
it be just something boring, like, oh, I'm just
44:12
looking at snow outside and it's cold. Or if
44:15
it's something like, oh my God, this podcast
44:18
episode that I felt passionate about didn't get
44:20
as much engagement and I feel really sad and
44:22
let down about that. Or, you know, my wife is
44:25
going through the IVF procedure and this is how
44:27
it's been feeling for her, this how it's been
44:29
feeling for me. So there's just a beautiful roller
44:33
coaster of feelings to feel and to express. And
44:37
I feel like the more that we can be with expressing
44:41
them and giving ourselves grace the better, if
44:44
that makes any sense? Yeah, no, it absolutely
44:47
does. I would love to have you on because I think
44:49
especially as a man talking about that stuff,
44:52
I don't think that men talk about it enough.
44:54
They don't, no. Which, you know, I would love
44:57
to have you on and have a conversation about
44:58
that. And particularly, I love having conversations
45:01
that maybe people are more afraid to have like
45:04
that, or not necessarily afraid, but like that
45:06
aren't being had, things that we need to talk
45:09
about more. So mental health stuff, I would love
45:13
to talk with you about that. Grief is also something
45:15
I talk about a lot more now, obviously, because
45:17
of everything that's happened. But yeah, all
45:20
the things, all the things. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
45:22
for sure, for sure. Grief is, you know, you talk
45:26
about grief and I think about my grandparents
45:30
who... passed away, oddly enough, like this month.
45:35
They both passed away in March, but in different
45:37
years. Like my grandfather was March 2014 and
45:40
my grandmother was four years later in March
45:44
2018. And they were a big part of my life when
45:48
I was a kid and my parents were at work and they
45:50
needed someone to watch me and my siblings when
45:52
I was younger after school. So my grandparents
45:55
were there to watch us and to feed us and, you
45:58
know, and to supervise us to make sure we're
46:00
doing homework and not watching TV. Maybe so
46:02
much so. There are some times where I think about
46:07
them and the role that they played in my life
46:08
and I'm still like, or I'm just realizing that
46:11
I'm like, I'm still processing the fact that
46:13
they're no longer here because yeah, they were
46:18
just there after school, they were there at Thanksgiving,
46:21
Christmas dinners, and now all of a sudden they're
46:24
not on this earth and it can be a lot. So yeah,
46:27
grief is a big thing. Grief is a big thing. Definitely,
46:30
definitely. Definitely one of those topics that
46:32
we don't talk about enough, which blows my mind
46:34
because it's something that we all experience
46:36
in life, whether it be losing a person or a relationship,
46:40
a job, like the future that we thought we were
46:42
going to have. Like there's a lot of ways that
46:44
we experience grief. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
46:47
And, and, and not only, not only humans, but,
46:50
but pets, uh, Tony and I, uh, Tony and I, I cannot
46:54
even keep track of the amount of pets that we've
46:56
lost, but one that comes to mind for me. is when
47:01
I had my dog Buddy, and I had him in a period
47:04
of time when I was single, I was in my mid -20s,
47:07
and I was transitioning from my time in Iowa
47:09
to coming here to Vermont. And I had Buddy for
47:13
a few years, and it was getting to a point where
47:16
his quality of life wasn't up to par, and we
47:18
had to make that difficult decision to put him
47:20
down. And yeah, I still think about him, because
47:22
he was with me through some really tough... uh,
47:27
joyous, transitional, like, you know how it is.
47:30
I mean, like you're in your twenties and then
47:32
you're going from the sort of discovery, rebelliousness,
47:36
adventurousness, mistake -ridden part of your
47:38
twenties. And then you're transitioning into
47:40
your thirties where you're maybe a little bit
47:42
more mature and mellow and smart in your decision
47:44
-making. Like, Buddy was there for a good portion
47:47
of that. And, and, and, and I still miss him.
47:50
You know, I still miss him all these years later.
47:51
Yeah. Definitely. Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. Wow.
47:56
Um, last question. Uh, since my wife and I are
48:00
trying to have a kid as a mom of a 17 year old,
48:04
what advice can you give us slash maybe her,
48:09
but, uh, but, but, you know, however you want
48:12
to take that question, like, uh, cause, cause
48:14
I always am curious about, um, experiences of
48:18
parents and, you know, you'll have that parent
48:20
that's like, don't have kids. There are a lot.
48:24
Uh, and then you'll have the pair that could
48:26
be more nuanced. Like it's a lot, but it's also
48:28
a very rewarding experience. So what can you
48:31
give personally as a mom to us? Um, I mean, I
48:35
would say I'm definitely on the side of it is
48:37
a lot, but it is absolutely the most rewarding
48:40
job that I have being a mom. You know, it's,
48:43
it comes with lots of challenges, especially
48:45
I'm a single mom. So there's a lot more challenges
48:48
that come with it doing it all by myself, but
48:51
I will say. Trust your instincts as a mom and
48:58
as a dad, too, because you guys are going to
49:02
know your child. You will know if something is
49:05
wrong. You will know. I think a lot of times
49:08
people tell us. We question ourselves when we
49:11
think something might be off. And I'm not talking
49:13
about necessarily even big things, just tiny
49:15
things too. Like if you know, if you feel like
49:17
something might be, might not be right, whatever
49:20
it is, trust yourself. Don't be afraid to advocate
49:23
for, you know, what you think and feel regarding
49:26
your child. But I also think to give yourself
49:29
grace because when you are a parent, especially
49:32
a first time parent, but I think even with, if
49:34
you have more children after that, I mean, I
49:36
only have one, but when you become a parent,
49:39
You're new at being a parent, just like they're
49:42
new at being here in this world. So you're learning
49:45
just as much as the child is learning. Like the
49:49
child is gonna make mistakes, but you're also
49:50
gonna make mistakes as a parent too, because
49:52
we're not perfect. So I think that that's really
49:56
important too, to know that like you're learning
49:58
and growing right alongside them. Pretty much.
50:01
Um, you know, it's, it's a process for you and
50:05
the child. Um, but yeah, I think, and I also
50:09
think too, don't stop taking time for yourselves
50:12
as parents, which I know can be hard because
50:15
you feel like it's selfish to do that, but it's
50:18
not, it's necessary. You have to take care of
50:20
yourselves because if you don't, you won't be
50:23
able to take care of your child. So those are
50:25
some of the pieces of advice I would give. That's
50:27
great advice. Great advice. Um, Yeah, I mean,
50:32
Tony and I have talked about it, about what it
50:34
would be like to bring a kid into the world.
50:36
I will say from my perspective, I hope to be
50:41
a parent that is very encouraging of their kid
50:44
to live and find themselves. Be bold. take, take
50:50
those adventurous risks. And sure, maybe as a
50:53
parent, I might worry about like, Oh, what if
50:55
they fail, blah, blah, blah. But I would hope
50:57
to also understand and remember that like I'm
51:00
failing. I'm making mistakes. I'm okay. It's
51:02
all part of the learning process. Yep. So hoping
51:06
for that and the giving grace part that, that
51:08
really, that really just touches on a nerve with
51:11
me, because I will say that even though, um,
51:14
you know, for the most part, I had great morals
51:16
taught by my parents. What I do remember, especially
51:20
from my dad was that there was this perception
51:22
of like, okay, like I'm your role model. I know
51:26
everything you need to follow me and my example,
51:29
like it had this air of it being able to remind
51:34
your kid. I don't know, to have that balance
51:36
with your kid of like, okay, I'm going to teach
51:39
you all the basic morals, the rights and wrongs
51:41
of the world, but at the same time, I'm human
51:44
and I can still make mistakes and I can still
51:46
mess up and that can be okay. That's what I hope
51:50
that Tony and I will be able to instill upon
51:52
our kid is just, we're human, while also being
51:57
there to teach you about basic morals and to
51:59
help you along the way. So that's uh, it'll be
52:03
interesting. It'll be interesting. I mean, we're
52:05
hoping for a kid and it'll be interesting to
52:07
see what that all Looks like yeah, I don't know.
52:12
I feel like I had something else I had to say
52:13
about that, but I but I thank you I thank you
52:14
for for for the advice and the insight because
52:16
it's very helpful. Yeah, of course I'm happy
52:18
to be able to offer some advice for sure. Yeah.
52:22
Yeah Just thank you so much for being on the
52:24
podcast. How can people find you? How can they
52:27
connect with you on socials? How can they listen
52:29
to your podcast? Tell us yes Thank you so much
52:32
for having me. This was a really fun conversation
52:34
people can find the podcast on Apple Spotify
52:38
iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. I do have a website
52:41
as well. It's www .unapologeticlifecoachingllc
52:45
.com. I'm on Instagram, unapologetically, underscore,
52:49
overcoming, and then my Facebook is unapologetically
52:52
overcoming the podcast. I think that's everything.
52:56
All right, wonderful. And similar to the Delicious
52:59
Culture, you can find it Apple, Spotify, iHeart,
53:01
Amazon, SiriusXM, wherever you get your podcasts.
53:03
If you have any feedback, Positive, negative,
53:07
whatever, hopefully positive. TheDeliciousCulture
53:09
at gmail .com. That is TheDeliciousCulture at
53:12
gmail .com. And follow us on socials at The Delicious
53:15
Culture, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok. We're at
53:18
The Delicious Culture. Subscribe, comment, like,
53:20
share, follow. It means the world. If you are
53:24
on Spotify and if you like the podcast, a five
53:27
-star rating, please. Yay. Love it. And if a
53:30
written review on Apple Podcasts is your style,
53:33
I love that style. Write us up. Helps the algorithm.
53:36
Love that stuff. Jackie, thank you. Thank you.
53:40
Thank you. I look forward to being on your podcast
53:42
whenever you want to have me. And I appreciate
53:45
you being on here. I hope to have you on again.
53:48
Yes. Yeah. And for those of you listening. Yeah,
53:51
I know. Thank you. It was a lot of fun. I agree.
53:53
And for those of you listening and watching,
53:55
let deliciousness ring.