Paper, Pop, and the Pope!

Remember the satisfying feel of opening a quality stationery set? That first whiff of fresh paper? The smooth glide of a perfect pen? We're diving deep into our shared love of all things paper in this nostalgic episode that celebrates the tangible in our increasingly digital world.

Our journey begins with a hilarious taste test of Aldi's Summit Cola Diet, inspired by a viral TikTok claiming it's indistinguishable from McDonald's Diet Coke. Spoiler alert: the mouthfeel is subpar, but we've got tips if you're brave enough to try it yourself! We then share the bizarre tale of a YouTuber arrested for leaving a Diet Coke on a restricted island inhabited by an isolated tribe – previous unauthorized visitors weren't so lucky, meeting their fate at the end of bows and arrows.

The heart of our conversation celebrates the dying art of handwritten communication. We reminisce about our wedding invitations, our first personalized stationery sets as children, and debate the merits of mechanical pencils versus traditional ones. Did you know there's a "perfect pencil" that sells for $750? Or that pen caps have holes to prevent choking deaths? 

We also explore paper's fascinating history from its invention in China around 121 CE to innovative modern alternatives like stone paper – a waterproof, tear-resistant option made from quarry remnants that breaks down in sunlight. Between fits of laughter over childhood memories of scented markers and crayon-eating mishaps, we contemplate whether the Christmas card tradition is what's keeping the stationery industry alive.

What writing implements do you swear by? Do you still send physical thank you notes? Share your stationery stories with us and join our celebration of the written word!

Mike Haggerty Buick GMC
Right on the corner, right on the price! Head down to 93rd & Cicero & tell them the Noras sent you!

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Transcript

Podcast Introduction & Catchup

Speaker 1 0:07

hi, thanks for joining us today. It's nora and nora, that's how it goes. Yay, we did it. Oh, take two. Wow, we're almost done with our third season. We are almost done with our third season. Thank you to all of you who come back each week listening for more. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoy recording. Indeed, because it's been a fun three years.

Speaker 2 0:29

It has been. We've learned a lot, we've done a lot of cool things, met a lot of neat people.

Speaker 1 0:33

I've really learned a lot in the last three years because I'm not really a history whiz bang and I'm not one for research really, and I'm not a trendy on, you know, on the cusp of fashion person.

Speaker 2 0:43

You've kept me current.

Speaker 1 0:44

Yeah, that's been a nice balance, a yin and a yang.

Speaker 2 0:47

I would say so If you will. How are you? I'm good. I was listening to Amy Poehler's new podcast, which I think both of us really love. Good, hank, and have you heard the Paul Rudd interview?

Speaker 1 0:57

I don't know who. That is the problem. My only-.

Speaker 2 1:00

You do.

Speaker 1 1:01

Oh, he's from Clueless. He was in Clueless, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do. Okay, now I'll go back and listen. The problem with her podcast it's the only problem is that I don't know a lot of her guests and sometimes if I don't know the guest it's not as entertaining for me. But Jack Black, I knew him. Jack Black was great he was great.

Speaker 2 1:20

She and Paul Rudd were just talking about when things are stupid funny, how much they appreciate stupid funny and just when people laugh over really simple stupid things, how great that is and just how cathartic and how fantastic and there's no feeling that beats it and that reminded me of our podcast.

Speaker 1 1:39

Yes, sometimes we laugh so hard over nonsense, nonsense, straight up nonsense.

Speaker 2 1:42

It's the best laugh. It is a good laugh, she's the best laugh.

Speaker 1 1:45

It is a good laugh. She's a good hang. We're a good laugh. Oh yeah, and we're still waiting on a pope.

Speaker 2 1:49

We are Al. Yesterday was like oh, black smoke. I was like I didn't expect it on the first day. When do you think we'll hear? Maybe the weekend?

Speaker 1 1:57

Okay, it really doesn't affect me.

Speaker 2 1:59

I mean, I am Kathleen, but I haven't looked into it too much. I just hope that it's somebody who's kind and forward thinking and isn't like you know what would be great Masses in Latin, with the priest back to the audience, like it used to be like pre-Vatican II.

Speaker 1 2:20

But there is some Cardinal New York that said he'd have a better chance hitting cleanup for the Yankees than being selected. Like you know what I like a guy with a sense of humor, that's funny. Oh, I like that too. It's crazy.

Speaker 2 2:33

Al and I were looking at a couple of the guys. The 7th and 8th graders at our school did a conclave. They did a mock conclave and Rory's Cardinal seemed like a lovely man but he's like 66 years old and we were like, oh, that's probably too young. It was just crazy, like too young to be a cardinal. You know whippersnapper at 66 or whatever he was.

Speaker 1 2:59

Anyways, did you have anything for Cinco de Mayo?

Speaker 2 3:02

Not especially. We went to my favorite Mexican restaurant, cafe Salsa, the night before to celebrate the end of the musical, so we kind of did it a day early and then it was May crowning. So I was out with all the eighth grade moms for a luncheon that goes till seven o'clock at night.

Speaker 1 3:22

It's the best way to celebrate Mary.

Speaker 2 3:25

Yeah, you know, I'm sure that's a boozy one she had in mind. Yeah, yeah, it was uh. Uh, how about you?

Speaker 1 3:29

um, we were kind of low-key. We had some neighbors over for a few margaritas. Your husband makes a great margarita, does make a good marg, yeah, so it was low-key. Okay, that's good. And speaking of drinks, we tried Diet Cola, if you will, yesterday.

Speaker 2 3:45

Yes, our friend Jessica Gehrig was our marketing.

Speaker 1 3:48

whiz bang as you call her.

Speaker 2 3:51

It was part of your birthday. It was amazing because she came to lunch with many bags, yes, and they looked heavy, but neither of us knew what was in it. And then, all of a sudden, she pulled out.

Speaker 1 4:00

She did say this is for the podcast. A 12-pack of cola. Summit Cola Diet Diet. Yes. And it's the Aldi knockoff of Diet Coke and she saw this on a TikTok that went viral.

Speaker 2 4:18

A.

Speaker 1 4:18

TikToker was claiming that she couldn't tell the difference between the Summit Cola Diet, and I'm saying it that way because that's how it's printed.

Speaker 2 4:24

That is how it is written.

Speaker 1 4:26

yes, and the McDonald's Diet Coke.

Speaker 2 4:29

Correct, so we decided to put it to the test.

Speaker 1 4:31

Yeah, so we tried it in a glass with ice. It had real potential.

Speaker 2 4:35

It did. Yes, you know I am a juice sommelier so perhaps I couldn't spread my knowledge and expertise into the cola world, but it looked great. It had a beautiful pour.

Speaker 1 4:47

It had a nice crack when you opened it.

Cola Diet Taste Test

Speaker 2 4:49

Yes, and it smelled really good, but the mouthfeel was subpar. It tasted flat. It tasted flat and not even like sometimes you'll get a flat Diet Coke but there's so much syrup you can still kind of enjoy it. This was like flat but not enough syrup.

Speaker 1 5:08

Yeah, so we thought, maybe we would just try it in a can.

Speaker 2 5:13

Yes, let's see oh, that sounds great. So it has the sound.

Speaker 1 5:18

A little steam yeah.

Speaker 2 5:21

This is like ASMR, what's rising from it? That happens. It's like a cool crisp kind of thing. It is better in the can, and you said something yesterday. I think you're right. It tastes more like RC.

Speaker 1 5:36

It almost tastes like a Diet Pepsi. Right now. This tastes like Pepsi out of the can and the glass with ice and a straw tastes like RC.

Speaker 2 5:40

This tastes like Pepsi.

Speaker 1 5:42

Yeah, I don't mind this. I don't love it. I'd much prefer a Diet Coke.

Speaker 2 5:45

It's fizzier in the can.

Speaker 1 5:48

Yeah. I think if you're going to head over to your local Aldi and buy a cola diet.

Speaker 2 5:56

They need to work on the order you need to drink it out of the can. It needs to be super cold and it needs to be out of the can. Yeah, this is super cold, right? Oh? Super cold and it needs to be out of the can. Yeah, this is super cold, right, oh yeah. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I think this is why it's better, because yours is really cold and it's just in the can. I probably wouldn't buy it.

Speaker 1 6:13

I wouldn't buy it, no, no, but I would try their other cola diets. I mean, they're like if they had, like a diet Like a flavored. Yeah, they had like a diet Sprite I like a diet Sprite sometimes.

Speaker 2 6:23

Oh, I wonder if it would be like Fresca. I love Fresca, I like Fresca. And that's a good mixer for the summertime cocktails and things. It's a great mixer, yeah.

Speaker 1 6:31

I just feel like does Fresca really get its followers?

Speaker 2 6:35

My brother from my brother-in-law it does. He's a huge Fresca fan. Oh, he is.

Speaker 1 6:39

Yes, fresca came out with a mixed drink. Oh, okay, and it was bad.

Speaker 2 6:44

I keep looking for the Crystal Light Seltzer that was promised. Yeah, but I haven't seen it. That was promised that was promised. It's weird how this same beverage can taste different based on the drinking vessel Like well, maybe that's why people are so crazy about what glass are you putting your beverage in for cocktails and things you know?

Speaker 1 7:06

That's true. Yeah, Like I do not like to drink a Diet Coke in a plastic bottle.

Speaker 2 7:14

And you do, I don't mind it. I will do it like for, like, tech Week, or if I'm working on stuff, because, like if I'm mostly theater things, because I can put a cap on it but I don't cap on it.

Speaker 1 7:30

But I don't mind drinking it, like if I pour it into a big plastic solo cup out of a two-liter bottle. That's fine. Oh, it's just the one liter, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 7:35

I feel you on that.

Speaker 1 7:36

It's neither here nor there. But speaking of Diet Coke, oh, what Did you hear about this 24-year-old YouTuber? No, mikhail Polyakov from Scottsdaletsdale, whoa, do you know him? No, thankfully not, because he was arrested. What? He was? Visiting an island off the indian ocean, okay, and this island has some rule that you can't get in within three miles of it? Oh, oh, because there is a tribe living there, the Sentinies. Okay, and they operate on this island on their own. Okay, without any outside people, and he landed on that island because he wanted to meet them.

Speaker 2 8:20

Did he take a?

YouTuber Arrested on Restricted Island

Speaker 1 8:21

boat. Yeah, he arrived via boat, okay, he landed, he left a Diet Coke and a coconut to like lure them or like entice them, but he didn't see them. And then he left. But he was arrested by— Because he probably filmed it. He probably did film it, yes, but he's—no no, he never got out of whatever the country, india.

Speaker 1 8:46

He was from India to this country. Yes, and so the officials arrested him because he's not supposed to be there. Yeah, I will say it's a good thing he was arrested, because in 2018, an American missionary landed there accidentally, uh-oh, and he was killed by bone arrow. And in 2006, two fishermen landed there and were killed, yeah, so Intruders Stay off.

Speaker 2 9:12

Yeah, Just if it's not your island.

Speaker 1 9:14

So now he's going to court because he was on this restricted territory.

Speaker 2 9:18

But at least those other well, the missionary probably wouldn't dare on purpose, but I feel like he knew better. Like what was he expecting?

Speaker 1 9:26

to do, and why bring him a?

Speaker 2 9:27

diet coke? Why also like, if that's what they want to do, why are you trying to bust up their island life?

Speaker 1 9:35

yeah, I don't know, I thought that was interesting.

Speaker 2 9:37

If I was visiting somewhere.

Speaker 1 9:39

I don't think I would bring a diet coke to no like, if, like.

Speaker 2 9:42

Oh, I'd really like to spread Western culture. I don't think that would be my. Maybe I'd bring like a really soft blanket, that might be nice.

Speaker 1 9:51

They may even weave those though Sunscreen. That would be more helpful than a Diet Coke.

Speaker 2 9:59

Because then they'd be like there's only one, how many people are there? That's not enough for the whole tribe. Or like a chocolate chip cookie.

Speaker 1 10:10

That would be like a whole box of cookies would be nice. Yeah, a Diet Coke is not a hostess gift. No, it is not a hostess gift.

Speaker 2 10:14

Padel, did you hear in Texas a truck carrying dimes?

Speaker 1 10:19

Oh, I saw, it's $800,000 in dimes In stimes and the people had. They had to have people out there picking them all up. I didn't read the story, I just saw the headline. Tell us more.

Speaker 2 10:33

So it was traveling in the truck, but it was like were they just double dimes.

Speaker 1 10:39

That's my question. I'm just being like a big fan. You should have had them all in those little rolls, rolls, yeah.

Speaker 2 10:47

Like what in the dime truck? They're just like, they're like all right, fill it up.

Speaker 1 10:52

I'm thinking like how sand or like cement or something. And then they just all spilled out. And then how are they going to remove them from the truck? Exactly If it was just a pile of dimes.

Speaker 2 11:01

It's like in a funnel, but that's so many. Did you ever go to a casino before it was all electronic, like when the coins would come out? No, oh my God. I went with my grandma a couple of times when it was still quarters and I hit a couple of times. Maybe I won like $100. But even then, like you have all these quarters coming out, you're like, oh my God, what are you going to do with these things? And it's just so loud and it's heavy and I was just like, oh my God, and this like cup.

Speaker 1 11:37

So I just kept thinking about all these dimes.

Speaker 2 11:38

How many $800,000 worth of dimes. Yeah, how many dimes is that? So that's 80,000 dimes.

Speaker 1 11:45

Is that right? Yeah, no, is it? I don't know, that's just a lot of dimes.

Speaker 2 11:48

We could wait. I sound like a real dummy. Okay, clearly not a numbers, nora. We just did the math. So it's 8 million times. Thank you, alexa. Yeah, we really had to go to Alexa on that one.

Speaker 1 12:00

There's a lot of zeros 8 million times. How did they pick it up? Did they bring a by?

Speaker 2 12:05

hand what Rakes, brooms and an industrial vacuum. Why didn't they get like a scooper, Like a skid steer? They used their good old fashion right and left scoopers.

Speaker 1 12:18

That doesn't seem. Imagine how bad your hands smell after that. What do you? Just throw them back into the truck? I don't know.

Speaker 2 12:24

This article did not give a lot of details and they said like they called the US Mint, they called the trucking company no Call them back.

Speaker 1 12:32

We have a dime spill oh boy, that's a real problemo it is a real problemo. Should we check in with our sponsor? Let's? Oh, hey, there, nora.

Speaker 2 12:42

Nora just the girl I wanted to talk to you about Tell me more. You know. You know I direct a children's musical and I've got this props list that I'm trying to work through and I really need a tire.

Speaker 1 12:55

You think I have a tire.

Speaker 2 12:57

Well, I don't know, I'm just, I'm getting desperate. Where does one get a tire? I know a guy, you all have a guy for everything.

Speaker 1 13:05

Hagerty Buick GMC Service Department is full Of tires Of the answers. They have a Fresh Start Tire event going on now. Buy three, get one for a dollar on select tires.

Speaker 2 13:18

Wait, buy three, get one for a dollar.

Speaker 1 13:21

Yes, and I'm sure if we head down to 93rd and Cicero, we'd be able to find something for you?

Speaker 2 13:27

Oh, that would be great, because you know what. Why don't I just get my car some new tires, put the old one in my show?

Speaker 1 13:35

I mean, I think we just solved that problem.

Speaker 1 13:37

Prayers answered While you're there, you can take a look at the rest of their inventory too Hummer EVs, sierra pickups, I mean you name it, buick, encores, gosh, they have it all, yeah, everything for a great deal, right on the corner, right on the price. How can I get a hold of them? You can check them out on HagertyCarscom, or head on down to 93rd and Cicero and just tell them Nora sent you. And now back to the show Holy smoke. Literally, this smoke is right While we were on our little commercial break.

Speaker 2 14:10

Big news, big news.

The Joy of Quality Stationery

Speaker 1 14:12

Nora broke it first. I did break it first, but then you found it. We excuse me. We have a new Pope and we are sitting here waiting for the media to disclose more information. Yeah, it was super exciting.

Speaker 2 14:28

We're just going to sit tight. We are, but until you know, the new Pope is announced. We are talking about stationery, Something you and I love. Oh, we do have a joint love of stationery. There's nothing like a nice quality handwritten card on some nice thick paper that has some texture to it and like, smells good.

Speaker 1 14:55

I also like when it comes in a lined envelope, oh yes, and embossed monogram on the top.

Speaker 2 15:03

Am I being too picky? No, when we were in prime wedding season era, I used to love getting people's wedding invitations and seeing the paper.

Speaker 1 15:12

The paper calling.

Speaker 2 15:13

That kind of thing. And what was the lining? There's that little tissue paper in there, because you and I both were very particular about our wedding invitation. Yes, I loved my wedding invitation.

Speaker 1 15:25

I loved my wedding invitation too, but I took great pride in the quality of it. Yes, Because I felt like it was kind of not a lost art, but not everyone appreciates a quality card Because it matches the importance of the occasion.

Speaker 2 15:41

Yes, you know, that's how I always felt. I loved mine because they opened up kind of like Oscar envelopes. Mine they didn't have, it was in an envelope and then you opened it and then it like flipped. I should have brought one, we should have brought it.

Speaker 1 15:57

Have we brought? Have we done that before? I don't know, we talked about weddings, but yeah, have brought one. Have we done that before? I don't know, we talked about weddings, but yeah next week, let's bring our wedding invitations. I still remember the first personalized stationery I ever received. Yes, me too. I was in third grade and I was moving to Arizona and a friend of mine, as a going away gift, gave me stationery with my name on the top. It had lions on it and a border of zoo animals.

Speaker 2 16:25

Oh, mine was pink and it had flowers on it from my godmother and it came in a white box and it had like tissue paper, yeah, so like if you had to take it out you had to like undo the tissue and take out the. I still have wedding thank you notes left.

Speaker 1 16:39

So do I, but I don't have any more envelopes?

Speaker 2 16:42

Oh, I might have, Are they small? Oh wait, ours were printed at the same place.

Speaker 1 16:50

I think Were they At Alpha Graphics Were yours at Alpha Graphics.

Speaker 2 16:51

No, no Alpha Graphics. In mine. I was like, oh, I might have envelopes you can use. That's funny, I know I should look into it. I have and I use them for whatever teacher notes or cards.

Speaker 1 16:57

Mine came in wrong. My color on my wedding invitation was kind of a chocolatey brown. Ooh yeah, so I have plenty left.

Speaker 2 17:05

And I still love getting stationery. I'm almost out of the stuff that I have and I'm kind of I need to order some new stuff, but what I want to order is smaller cards.

Speaker 1 17:16

Yeah, so you don't have to write as much. So you don't. Is smaller cards?

Speaker 2 17:18

Yeah, so you don't have to write as much, so you don't? The most recent batch of personalized stationery I got from my godmother had smaller cards in it and I thought, oh, this is genius. Yeah, this is genius, I don't need like a five by seven card.

Speaker 1 17:31

I'm already an over-talker, I don't need to be an over-writer Because I feel the need to fill up the whole space 100%. Yeah, do you remember papyrus? Before it became so commercial and before it was at Target and the grocery store, I bought a wax seal.

Speaker 2 17:47

Oh yeah. Like yeah, you button like light the candle and drip it down, Stamp it with your, like the Pope, Like the King of England, sealing that bad boy.

Speaker 1 17:59

And the shop I like in Oakbrook, the paper source. It's gone, it's gone.

Speaker 2 18:05

I really loved that store too. I did too.

Speaker 1 18:07

They had nice wrapping paper sheets too. It was unfortunate, I mean, there was nobody ever in there.

Speaker 2 18:14

Yeah. But, they were like oh, there was another Nora in here earlier. We're like I think we were the only ones. England has great paper stores and stationery and really funny greeting cards.

Speaker 1 18:26

Oh God, I love a good greeting card.

Speaker 2 18:28

They're hilarious. We have a shop in town that has some, some good funny cards, nice cards, yeah, mm-hmm.

Speaker 1 18:34

And the gas station or not the gas station, the car wash?

Speaker 2 18:38

They have funny cards, yeah, sometimes, or not. The gas station, the car wash, they have funny cards, yes, they do. The other because I used to send out, because I love designing my stuff online, like I love to use Canva, I design thank you notes for, like the musical that I do, I make thank you notes that make sense for the show.

Speaker 1 18:59

But I used to love to do birth announcements moving cards like change of address cards Did you make all those I did Before Canva, not before I would use Minted or I would use like a computer program.

Speaker 2 19:06

Like a hold your hand through it. So it wasn't like a total design my own, but I just loved finding like one that would work with the picture. But I don't know if people do birth announcements anymore. I didn't send out birth announcements, did you? Mm-hmm, well for my, well for Aiden. We were in London, oh yeah, and it was kind of before stuff. So, yeah, I sent out birth announcements, I think, for everybody except Rose, oops, oops. You know what? I didn't for Kevin either, because he was born in December and I think I just did a Christmas card birth announcement. But even like their christening invites. But now I mean, when's the last time you sent out a paper invitation? Oh my gosh, I can't. I don't know.

Speaker 1 19:49

I don't love Evite.

Speaker 2 19:51

It's easy, though, but I feel like if I was, if your child, like your third grader, got invited to a birthday party and you got an invitation in the mail, would you be thrown off or would you be delighted?

Speaker 1 20:01

I'd be delighted, you'd be delighted. Yes, yeah, we have friends who send a paper invitation. That's nice During the holidays for an event.

Speaker 2 20:08

Yeah, and I like to get that in the mail. It is fun to get mail, but I think I wonder if people would lose it if I sent it out, like if it would maybe get lost in the shuffle. I mean, I have a bulletin board where I stick things like that, so I don't lose it, but I don't think a lot of people do.

Speaker 1 20:25

Yeah, I mean, and I don't even get paperless post. Oh, that's right.

Speaker 2 20:30

I have to tell you if you've been invited.

Speaker 1 20:32

Yes, I know it's terrible.

Speaker 2 20:34

I don't know how to fix that, but how to fix that? But I think what's really keeping the stationery industry alive are Christmas cards.

Speaker 1 20:46

I feel like it's so easy now to just like click and tap and read and send Christmas cards. I think you're probably right, but you still hire a designer. I do, yes, and it's one of my favorite things to send and one of my favorite things to work on, do you?

Speaker 2 20:55

ever feel like, oh, maybe I'll try to do it myself.

Speaker 1 20:58

No, usually I have like a vision and I send it to her.

Speaker 2 21:01

Oh, okay, do you?

Speaker 1 21:02

sketch it out. No, no, we talk. Oh, sometimes I do Mm-hmm, or I tell her exactly what I want it to look like and then she does it, just because I like that, I like how personal it is and I know nobody else will have the exact card. That's Not that I really have a bowl full of duplicates. Anyways, people kind of choose what's best for them or what fits their family.

Speaker 2 21:21

Yeah, if you think like there's kind of like the major players of card companies, but rarely have I ever gotten a duplicate I know.

Speaker 1 21:29

Speaking of stationery, though, I was also thinking about like writing utensils and how much you and I both love a good pen or a pencil.

Speaker 2 21:37

I do.

Speaker 1 21:37

I don't love a mechanical pencil unless I'm making a list or writing on my planner, because the boxes are small and I feel like it's thinner.

Speaker 2 21:45

Oh, I love a mechanical. I almost solely use mechanical pencils.

Speaker 1 21:48

Because otherwise I would just love a sharp number two pencil.

Speaker 2 21:51

I mean, I think that's why I like mechanical pencils, because I feel like they're always sharp.

Speaker 1 21:55

Yeah, like the Ticorunda, the yellow pencils, oh okay, kind of a soft lead and a great eraser, nice and sharp, that's kind of my go-to.

Speaker 2 22:04

Do you know? There's a pencil that's $12,800? What $12,000? No, Only 10 were made. But then there's also you could get the perfect pencil for the low price of $750.

Speaker 1 22:19

Wait a second.

Speaker 2 22:19

By Faber. I know this company. It's like Faber Castle.

Speaker 1 22:24

Oh my gosh, they made the best markers when we were kids.

Speaker 2 22:27

Oh, remember yeah.

Speaker 1 22:29

It was almost like it opened and shut. It had a yellow cover, mm-hmm, and it had those fine point markers that all slid into the case and then snapped. I know exactly what you're talking about.

Speaker 2 22:42

Yeah, they have the perfect pencil. What makes a perfect pencil? Well, it's the wood, it's the lead, and then in the cap of it's a regular pencil, like you like, but then in the cap it's almost like an eyeliner pencil. It has a sharpener, oh, and the sharpener is real sharp and it's made of gold and oh, and the sharpener is real sharp and it's made of gold and I think there is some gold elements to it.

Speaker 1 23:01

But my pencils don't usually have a cap.

Speaker 2 23:04

This one because it's the perfect pencil. Oh yes, it's the perfect one Caps are tricky, though.

Speaker 1 23:08

Over 100 people a year die choking on pen caps. Stop it, which is why they put a hole in it to help reduce the amount of people who choke. Get out of town.

Speaker 2 23:21

That's why there's a hole in pen caps, because ding-dongs are swallowing their pen caps. Get a piece of gum.

Speaker 1 23:25

Yes, get that out of your mouth. Get a pacifier. Yeah, get a pencil Bite on that.

Speaker 2 23:31

Were you a pencil biter? No, ew, no, I sat next to a pencil biter.

Speaker 1 23:36

I'm not going to say his name because maybe he's still a child here, Would that be gross?

Speaker 2 23:42

if you were like oh, can I borrow a pencil?

Speaker 1 23:43

And you're like grody, like oh can I put my hand in your mouth? I hated sharing my pencils in school. I'm a fairly good sharer, but I never wanted to share my new pencils, or you need to have like a crappy one that you can share. Oh yeah, Because you know you're not getting it. Yeah, you need like a loaner pencil.

The History of Paper

Speaker 2 24:04

But I even love when I have printer paper and I open it up and it smells so good and I got so many compliments on my Trapper Keeper that I used for the musical. Oh yeah, people were like a Trapper Keeper. It's like I stole it from nora. You didn't.

Speaker 1 24:21

Well, I bought my own, but you had one, yeah, and I immediately ordered my own. Yeah, it's great, and then you can just the only problem with the trapper keeper is I find myself I throw a lot of stuff in there and then just shut it so I have to go through and weed it out but it worked well for the musicals because there was a lot of things for me like my script script fit in there, my stage plans. Oh yeah, my lists and things.

Speaker 2 24:41

whatever it was a home run.

Speaker 1 24:42

I don't travel too many places for people to notice it, but I do like it and I like that. I have a pencil case that has three holes in it. It just fits right in there, that is nice.

Speaker 2 24:52

I was curious about the word stationary because you know, we know it's called that and if I said, oh, I bought new stationary, you would know. But I was thinking about the word itself and how weird it is.

Speaker 1 25:04

And that has an E on an A.

Speaker 2 25:06

Right. Well, stationary with an A is still like stationary bike, which is the opposite of stationary. Yeah, and then stationary what we're talking about is with an E, that's what I mean. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it makes sense because the term stationary, which is from the Latin stationarius, means unmoved or permanent. And back in the day, like middle, like when paper was first being used not everybody had it there was a tradesperson who was the go-between for universities and bookmakers. So they were like the ideas people who were like I need the paper, and they would go to this tradesperson to get the paper and to write it down and then it would go to the bookmakers. So they were the stationary people. Ah, yes.

Speaker 2 25:56

The stationary Like they didn't move, like you come to me, and then they'll come to me and I will be, stationary, I will be here. And the name, the article I was reading. It was kind of like a copy shop, like a Kinko's.

Speaker 1 26:09

Yeah.

Speaker 2 26:11

So they're like. Here's what I wrote. I need you to write this on your paper, tradespeople, and do this whatever, but I was at.

Speaker 1 26:19

And where was that?

Speaker 2 26:21

This was in Europe. In Europe, okay, because paper, they think, was said to be invented in 121.

Speaker 1 26:27

I saw that but I couldn't. By Kailan. I couldn't like process when that was.

Speaker 2 26:34

It's weird to think the year 121. That's why I couldn't, and I was like meh yeah in China, and that he worked for the royal family in China because they were using bamboo or silk and this guy really perfected the recipe and made it work, but Europe didn't get paper until like 1,400 years later. Thank you, sir. Yay, right, yeah, but then I was reading about oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 27:01

Yes, you were doing a lot of reading Stone paper.

Speaker 2 27:03

I didn't read about stone paper, that it's Obviously most paper is made from wood and pulp, but that you have to cut down a lot of trees, you have to use a lot of water to make paper, but stone paper you use leftover stone like stone remnants from construction sites or quarries and stuff and they grind it down into a really fine powder and then they mix it with recycled BPA-free plastic and they don't use any water. Have you seen it?

Speaker 2 27:32

I watched a video, of course you did, and it's waterproof, it's tear, it's tear resistant and it breaks down in sunlight, so it's very eco-friendly. How like? And I was like oh, I wonder can you get it this? Yeah, you can get it this whole company. They do um corporate swag. All these famous companies have used this company for their swag on stone paper. Which kind of of I was like kept thinking of the Flintstones.

Speaker 1 27:59

Can you write on it with a normal pen?

Speaker 2 28:02

Yeah, the guy. He had a pen, he wrote on it and then he spilled a glass of water on it and he was like, look at nothing, this seems genius Stone paper, let's go Stone paper yeah it rocks. That can be their slogan, but I really want to keep my eye out. I want to get some and try it out.

Speaker 1 28:20

Can you get it on?

Speaker 2 28:20

Amazon.

Speaker 1 28:21

That I didn't check.

Speaker 1 28:22

We'll have to look into that I did. When I was looking at paper and pens and stationery and all the things came across an article about Crayola crayons. Oh, and I was thinking back to this and I remember, remember it, and I wondered if you did too. In 1994, crayola came out with scented crayons. Yes, do you remember that? I do, and they did end up pulling them because the problem was kids eating them. So when I was reading through this, I thought it would be fun to find some and we could, and then we could have played like what are these?

Speaker 2 28:58

No, Because they are off the market.

Speaker 1 29:01

Well, no, they must have come back. Well, I don't know if the crayon part did, but my kids have the scented ones. They're scented markers, scented markers and pencils and like twistables, but not the scented like.

Speaker 2 29:11

I always think it's funny, like kids, if they got scented markers, you could tell, because it would be all over their noses. Mr Sketch, oh yeah, kevin used to bite the tips off markers. Oh my God, what a mess. And so then his whole face. I mean, thankfully it's Crayola and washable, but it was like ugh no markers.

Speaker 1 29:31

It was like horrifying. No markers for you, kevin, out of a grenade oh gosh, yeah. No markers for you, kevin, out of a grenade oh gosh, yeah.

Highs and Lows

Speaker 2 29:37

But anyways, but it really did make me want to go out and like buy new stationery. It made me want to. I was like I'll just do note cards, pretty stationery, and now I feel like we're not moving ever again. So I could get my return address printed on the back.

Speaker 1 29:50

Oh, I like your return address on there. Yeah, should we jump into highs and lows while we wait for this new?

Speaker 2 29:55

quote to be pronounced my low you turned into a high, oh great.

Speaker 1 30:08

I was feeling a little bit like angsty and weird about some dealings I've had with certain people.

Speaker 2 30:09

Oh, like a social situation, yes, like a social situation, and I'm like I feel like they're being weird to me. Do they think that I'm this? That's such a good word, angst and you just gave me like a toolkit in a book.

Speaker 1 30:22

Yes, keep it and write all over it.

Speaker 2 30:24

No, I'm not going to write in your book but just no it'll be helpful. Oh my gosh, treat it like a worksheet. I'm so excited to read this book. It's called Let them by Mel Robbins, and I I can't believe you haven't heard of it. It says the fastest way to take control of your life is to stop trying to control other people and focus on what you can control yourself.

Speaker 1 30:45

Yes, you are so up to date with like news and current events and things going on. I'm surprised this one slipped through your radar.

Speaker 2 30:55

I'm so grateful.

Speaker 1 30:56

So enjoy it.

Speaker 2 30:57

Also because I was like I don't want to bring this up, but then I'm so glad I did to you, my good friend, to help me and you're gonna yeah then we can talk about it yes, oh, I'm super excited about this, so thank you so you're low and you're high, like yeah on one.

Speaker 1 31:11

My low was that I had the app team out to finally fix my ice machine. But the man said oh, it's the slowest producing ice machine on the market, oh, nora. So he said how many people are in your family? I said six. He said I'll never produce enough ice for six people. I said where were you when I was buying my refrigerator? Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 31:35

So is it quieter.

Speaker 1 31:36

Yeah, it's not talking. Yeah, that's true. They put a heater in it. Wait, what A heater in your ice machine, mm-hmm On top of the motor or something. It was like getting too cold and then it was freezing up.

Speaker 2 31:47

Oh, whatever.

Speaker 1 31:50

I don't think that's not my wheelhouse. No, but Neither. Me neither, and my high was our lunch oh we had a nice lunch catching up and you guys were so fun to visit with and so generous it was a blast.

Speaker 2 32:01

It was a nice way to spend a wednesday my real high, my original high, was that I'm exercising again, so that feels good after my long, I'm not telling our listeners.

Speaker 1 32:10

How long it's been, but it really has felt good so I'm back back in the saddle withoton and that'll do it for us and we'll see you next week. Yep, bye.