A Contagious Smile Podcast

Christmas, Scars, And Standing Up For Ourselves

• Victora Cuore; A Contagious Smile, Who Kicked First, Domestic Violence Survivor, Advocate, Motivational Coach, Special Needs, Abuse Support, Life Skill Classes, Special Needs Social Groups

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0:00 | 42:49

Christmas Banter And Health Update

SPEAKER_02

It's like a howdy, y'all. What let's start over. Nope. We gotta start over.

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Holiday blurry.

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I had these freaking rollings in my mouth. Good evening, y'all. Welcome to another episode of a contagious smile podcast unstoppable.

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This shows how unfiltered we are.

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With Michael and Victoria, your lovely sexy red-headed vixen over here.

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Whatever.

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Y'all, it's Christmas.

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And Merry Christmas.

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I reckon we're about 73 degrees outside. It's crazy. Last year, y'all, it was snowing a little bit here. Yes. So, Merry Christmas, y'all.

SPEAKER_03

Y'all. I've had some people ask for updates on how I'm dealing with my back. I'm gonna let you kind of give a more generic.

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It's it's kind of kicking her ass a little bit.

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It's a little the doctors tried to scare the little rough out of me.

Surgical Setbacks And Trust In Doctors

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The amputation on arm was was rough in the very beginning, and this one seems to be lingering. We've had we've had a mediocre doctor work on her, in my opinion, and his failed experiment.

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Then the all hell broke loose.

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And that had to be corrected.

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And all hell broke loose on Tuesday.

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So if you're listening, Dr. Quack.

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Stop. No, we're not saying names. We're not saying names.

SPEAKER_02

Well, if he's listening.

SPEAKER_03

So on top of that wow. So on top of that, like as we've stated in a previous podcast, you know, they scared the jeebies out of us, saying, you know, what if you eat this morning? You might be going in for surgery. Blah blah blah. Emergency. Emergency. Right. So then on Tuesday, we go in, and it wasn't even for me. And all of a sudden, I have an amazing rapport with the chief of this department, if you will. And she happened to be there. And I brought her her Christmas present, which will come out in publication in January. That's all I'm gonna say. And she asked how I was doing. And she was like, anybody this had to happen to, I don't want it to be you.

SPEAKER_02

She is amazing.

Boundaries, Triggers, And Clinical Sensitivity

SPEAKER_03

She is aww. He's thinking, like, oh, like aw, amazing, right? So here she is with like a plethora of patients, and she stops everything she's doing. And then she's like, I know you better than anyone. And you're consistent and just methodical every single time. She's like, I've done numerous surgeries with you, and when we do, it's you, you, you don't take any versette or anything before going back. And a lot of time you don't want to take anything back there, and you don't want to take anything after, and you want to be there for the timeout, and you want to hear us talk about you know your allergies and things of that nature. And and you know, anybody who's had surgery with you once, yet alone 20 plus times, knows what you can and can't do. And she's like, There's certain things you just learn about people that over time when working with someone for so long, right? Like, you know, oh, they can't have this, they can't have that. So I ended up while at this appointment that wasn't for me on Tuesday, like being told, could we please admit you? And I'm like, No, it's Christmas. I'm not going to be admitted in the hospital over Christmas. And then it was, well, here's what we need to do. We're gonna emergently send you down for a CAT scan, uh, with and without contrast. And then we're gonna do more blood work and just blah blah blah blah. And it's like, this is really kicking my tail. This one, this one has has done a number to say the least.

SPEAKER_02

So can I go off in left field? You always do. Uh me? Yeah, you're the one that always goes off in left field. I have to bring you back from the endpoint. You know what? You're too damn smart for your own good.

SPEAKER_03

I've heard that. Some people wouldn't say that.

SPEAKER_02

So I was formerly not known as Prince, I was formerly in an abusive relationship that was verbal and emotional. Okay. It wasn't physical. But if you know that someone has been in a physical abusive relationship.

SPEAKER_03

Well, I know where you're going. There.

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Choose your words carefully.

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I'm very careful with what I say.

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Okay.

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My words be are so cautious.

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It was said to my wife, oh boy, who is a survivor, that means former victim, that it was implied that her current husband beats her. Which would be me.

SPEAKER_03

No, he didn't say, no, I'm not defending him.

SPEAKER_02

He didn't say that's the way I saw it.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, he didn't say beat. He just said, Were you abusive? Because I had a pattern of being in abusive relationships. And I was like, no, I was married to an abuser, but that doesn't make it a pattern. And I implied very carefully and directly that I did not appreciate that statement. And it was just the sheer fact, and I know we've talked about it before. I said, you know, this is absolutely not the case, and I don't appreciate you making such a statement. And he went on to say, Well, you know, you're just cautious about not wanting to be undressed in front of other people. Well, I'm sorry, but the device rep was there, and he's there in the room. And then my husband's coming back in the room, people are passing by, nurses are coming in, vitals are being taken, all this stuff is being done, and I'm very, what's the word? I can admit it, I'm kind of a prude when it comes to how I dress and I don't show myself. And yeah, a lot of that's my grandmother. And and he was like, Oh, does your husband not like for you to be undressed in front of me? And I was like, He's never once said that ever. It's me sitting there in a gown. I guess the vulnerability of it, you know, here I am with an infection that I believe should have been prevented a hundredfold. And it's excruciating and painful. And I'm healing from one device being taken out, this big pocket, you going into my spine, another incision. I have three new incisions, and they're not, you know, millimeters in size. And then you say to me this comment, after you just like ripped off my dressing, pulled out my stitch, and then you know, covered me in alcohol and said that was gonna hurt. You know, I mean, that's just I'm very cautious, and I know not everybody's like that. Like, I'm cautious with the words that I say because I know that they can be quite hurtful. But then the next visit for him to make a comment, like, you need a less abusive doctor, you know, was kind of and then to make like, you know, I I don't know. There was just a lot to that that that really didn't fit well with me.

SPEAKER_02

Right, it hurt me too.

Kindness, Gratitude, And Everyday Humanity

SPEAKER_03

And you know, this is the the thing is I'm this person that whenever I have surgery, I like make my team cookies and thank them for all that they do. And during this appointment, I had made cookies for everybody and brought them in there. And she does it all the time, and I always, and I mean, if I'm wrong, call me out on it. I always, it's not just a surgeon, everybody, everybody. I'm always like, How's your family? How are the kids? How's you how are you doing? Happy holidays, you know, you know, every single time. I always do.

SPEAKER_02

From the valet guy to the to the person sitting behind the desk checking you in. Yeah, she does this every time.

SPEAKER_03

And it's so funny because dad had mentioned to me that the first time he had gone with me, he was like, Do you know people everywhere? He's like, everywhere we go, everybody knows you and carries a conversation with you. And I'm like, I treat everybody the same. I treat everybody, you know, with respect. And they come out, hey, how are you? How you doing? How have you been? You know, I'm like, how's the family? Blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, and it's just he's like everywhere you go. And that's just it. You know, why can't we just be nice to each other for the crying out loud? Right? Just freaking calm the freak down.

SPEAKER_02

Just yeah, what I was getting at is is don't say the words that are that are gonna be a trigger to that individual, especially if you know they've been in a situation like that, and you're in a professional job title. You you should, you know, I wasn't gonna disclose that it was the the same media doctor, but our audience kind of figured that out when you put it out there.

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I'm you know.

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So uh for all the ladies listening, and I hope they read the article that my wife written wrote. Thank y'all. Y'all did an excellent job.

SPEAKER_00

We're not talking about you. We're just talking about that one mediocre doctor.

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Oh my god.

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So I hope he gets wind of this.

Job Loss By Text And Family Resilience

SPEAKER_03

So let's turn the oh I know. Yeah. Oh, that's not a question. So let's turn the table for a minute. And you know, this is the holiday time, and everybody's supposed to be happy and uh, you know, celebrating in their own ways. And we celebrated this holiday season in the hospital rooms and by ambulance trips and ER visits and things of that nature, and you know, most employers give holiday bonuses, and ALEXA says the same thing, and most people give bonuses, you know, employers and just recognition, and my husband's recognition was a text message that said you're fired. And it was dumbfounding to me because he was one of, if not the highest, don't tell me no, highest review making people for the company. No, it's wrong. It is wrong. If you want to call out Dr. Quackadoodle-doo, then I get to call out the garage door company that says they're all family-owned and operated.

SPEAKER_02

Don't don't lift me up.

SPEAKER_03

Um no, it but it's the truth. You you called every day for more jobs, they didn't have any for you. Dad's in the hospital with a possible brain bleed, and he's having cardiac events and things of that nature, and they tell you that you have to show up and you do, and then they send you two hours away into the mountains, and then they tell you they gave you the wrong address. I mean, come on now, seriously. And there has never been a question, and we had all the proof in the world, and for you to be with them for five years and then them text you that they let you go. I mean, talk about bend over and get bent. That is that is just I have all sorts of thoughts about such a family-owned and operated company that only cares about their lining of their pockets. I mean, seriously.

SPEAKER_02

And here's Leftfield again. To piggyback off that, I have enjoyed my time with my family. I didn't have enough time throughout the work week when I was working 40, 60 hours a week.

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Sometimes you're working 12 hours a day every single day.

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Yes. Sometimes that, you know, I only work four hours a day. Yeah, but you were always calling us right, and you made like four dollars because but now that it's official that I'm fired, retired.

SPEAKER_03

No, they fired you. Let's flat out call a spade a spade. They fired you.

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I am loving my time with my family. I I get to do, of course, whatever we want, and I get to spend time with the wife. Like today, the wife jumped in the truck with me. Of course, we went and bought our lottery tickets.

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With rolled coins, we bought lot how redneck are we? We bought lottery tickets with rolled change.

Slow Drives, Small Joys, And Humor

SPEAKER_02

And she said, Let's just drive. Right. So I drove. I took us down a road for a piece and went to a park.

SPEAKER_03

Did you just say you took us down the road for a piece? No, that is what you said. Now you know last time, no, you know, you said last time that I was incorrect about the audible that fell out of your face. And I said, Okay, when we're done, I'll play it back. And you said, Oh no, no, no, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. And then you said, Okay, next time, if I'm wrong, I'll admit it on the next podcast once this is over, and you play it back.

SPEAKER_02

You're right there, but this time you're wrong. No, I'll play this one back too. We went down yonder to the park, uh-huh, and we drove around the park, and then we just sat in the park and talked. Like a married couple.

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Oh, Lord. All right, I'm gonna put myself.

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I'm gonna what you didn't hear that.

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Now you're making fun of my deafness.

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Oh, here we go. Discrimination.

SPEAKER_03

I want to talk about this, and I'm putting myself out there. It is so challenging, and and I just want to live with me, talk to individuals who go through this because I understand tenfold. I understand what it's like to feel trapped within your own physical self and not feel comfortable wearing certain things and dressing a certain way. And what was such an eye-opening experience for me was I've had so many injuries and so much trauma done to my body that I'm always healing from a surgery. So I'm always dressed basically comfortably, unless I'm going to court to represent a family as an advocate or something, right? So I, or I'm doing a speaking engagement. So with that being said, on Tuesday, I decide, okay, let me just try this for the first time in a long time. And I put on, like, I can't button pants, I can't do some of those things. So I admit that I may have bought blue jean pants. I don't know what they're called. They're blue jeans, but they don't have buckles or whatever. And I put on like boots and a sweater, and when I walked out of the bedroom and started to head downstairs, my husband's mouth was one of those cartoons that go, right?

SPEAKER_02

And it did what?

Clothing, Identity, And Body Dysphoria

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And it was here we go with the sounds, and he just was so like shocked, and I'm like, it's just still me. And yes, I was very uncomfortable because it's not something I'm used to anymore. But when he and I dated 25 years ago, every day I was in a three-piece business suit, and that was my comfort zone. Like dressed as I am, like right now in like comfy clothes, I would be so uncomfortable back then. I I couldn't have like it would know how it's changed. So when we go to the doctor and we had our whole family in tow, everybody knows us. And so I get out and everybody's like, I didn't even recognize you. I didn't, and I'm like, What? It's how do you miss me? First of all, I have hair down in my butt, right? And it's red, so I'm pretty obviously easy to spot, and it's holidays, so I kind of fit right on in. I look like a walking Christmas ornament, like a walking Captain Hook Christmas ornament, right? One hand, green eyes, red hair. I look like a walking Captain Hook Christmas ornament or walking gingerbread, right? And everybody's like, I didn't recognize you, I didn't recognize you. And I'm already uncomfortable in this entourage of clothing. And then here I am now, like, and and to think, oh my god, you know, to me, I'm still me. It's just what I put on, and that's how some people feel so trapped, is because literally that's the only thing they have control of. I mean, we're told what to wear, how to wear it, how to do our hair, how to do our makeup, how to do everything. And the only thing we have control over when we leave it first is how we make our own appearance. Because a lot of time we're covering up their battle playground. We're covering up the bruises and the wounds and the broken this and the fracture that. And now we have the ability to wear what we want, and we just want to be comfortable. We don't want to be dictated that this is how we're supposed to dress anymore. And for like my goal next year, as in January, is to start dressing more like I used to, not the business suits, but like the cute sweaters and whatever. And I've actually like donated some of my clothes, which was shocking. But my husband is looking at me crazy. I'm just kind of curious what your two thoughts are here.

SPEAKER_02

I'm I'm I'm gonna interrupt you. You've left our audience in suspense here, okay? You've told them about being trapped, okay? You've told them about body dysphoria. Dysphoria. Okay. Foil. And you told them my expression. Okay, how I reacted to you wearing something different.

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But you failed to mention how it made you feel.

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That's a very typical victim/slash survivor reaction that we don't consider that coming out of that sh that shell for that. Yeah, I told you I was uncomfortable at first. And getting the reaction you got not only from your soulmate, but from other people.

SPEAKER_03

I was uncomfortable. You were uncomfortable with me? No, I was uncomfortable with myself dressed that way. And I kept like, you know, pulling at my sweater. You did, you know, or whatever the case is, you know. And then when people were like, I didn't even almost recognize you, and I'm like, Do I look that different? Like, it's still me. I'm still me. You know, it's kind of the metaphor that I I How did it make you feel?

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Uncomfortable the entire time.

SPEAKER_03

Absolutely. But the only way to get over that is to keep doing it. It's persistence.

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Uncomfortable or bad.

Being Seen Beyond Scars

SPEAKER_03

It starts out bad, but you have to change it to good. But like, I use a metaphor all the time when I'm talking to women in like groups and things that when I look in a mirror, I see a broken dove, I see a broken person, but then everybody else is like, Yeah, me too, me too. I see this cracked glass, I see this, whatever. And then I'm like, Have you ever driven and passed by a church and you saw the most beautiful stained glass window? And everybody's like, Yeah, and I'm like, stained glass is created by broken pieces. That's not a piece of glass that was just put there, it's put together by broken pieces, and that's a beautiful thing, and that's what we turn into. And that's what's so hard, is because you know, I I've been very far on my journey of healing, but I'm not, and nor will I ever be 1,000% healed, and I get that I get that, but a lot of us don't want the attention that can come from being of a certain way physically, like to be dressed a certain way grabs attention. A lot of us would rather just kind of just fade into the woodwork so that we don't get that attention, especially those of us that school. Like I do. I get stared at constantly for my scars. People look at my amputation all the time. People look at my face all the time because of my Frankenstein scars down both sides of my face. You know, the fa the fact that it's very clear that I have all this metal in my face. The fact that, you know, it's just I would rather somebody just know me for who I am on the inside, not just the fact that I have lots of scars on the outside.

SPEAKER_02

I wear a Kimber 1911 45 on my hip. I get stared at a lot too.

SPEAKER_03

You get stared at because you're wearing stuff like to-do list, your mom.

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And it's crossed off.

SPEAKER_03

That's because our daughter gave it to you.

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Yeah. I wear all these goofy shirts. My my kid gets me. She thinks it's hilarious.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, she thinks they're downright hilarious.

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You can't, like once it it says, you can't tell me what to do. You're not my daughter.

SPEAKER_03

But that is completely accurate. And can we just say for a minute, Dad, your dad, who I call dad, can this this kid of ours does no wrong when it comes to him? I mean, she ripped the nastiest fart, and you jumped her skillet, and dad was like, it's better up and in. Good job. Way to go. Well done. And then two minutes later, he farts.

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Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

And I'm like, oh my god. Killing you? Who has the stronger sense of smell? That would be me. Like, it is horrible. And all of y'all think it's hilarious. Like, I love his his whole demeanor, dad's. I mean, like, I walk downstairs and he was watching television. Yeah.

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And daughter Faith calls him pop pop.

Family Laughter And Holiday Moments

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And our daughter. And I walk by him and he goes, Don't walk in there. I just parted. And he's laughing. And I'm like, oh my God, I know where he or my I know where my husband came from. Like, there's not a doubt in my mind. It's it's just, wow. Y'all are so much alike. Like the laugh, the two of you had the exact same laugh. I don't care what you say. The two of you have the exact same laugh. And the two of you are reformed whores.

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Anyway.

SPEAKER_03

No, you both are. Christmas. Okay. Ho ho ho.

SPEAKER_02

Really? What? That was pretty good though. I give you that.

SPEAKER_03

That was great. Thanks.

SPEAKER_02

We did have a good uh Christmas dinner, y'all.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. My husband.

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Wife did a good job.

SPEAKER_03

No, my husband did it. And dad said, Oh my god, he didn't burn anything and the fire alarm didn't go off. Score and score. You know, that's hilarious. It was nice and tasty. It was. It was. It was quiet and quaint and all uh just us around the table and our beautiful little puppies. You know, are they always gonna be puppies to me?

SPEAKER_02

Which soon we might be getting another one, a third one. Yay! I don't know yet. It's not been decided. That would be awesome.

SPEAKER_03

Dad's gonna take her.

SPEAKER_02

We'll have to reach out to our buddy Will.

SPEAKER_03

Dad's gonna be the one to get her and hold her. I'll snuggle her all the time. She could sit in my lap while I'm working.

SPEAKER_02

I'd see if uh Will wants some uh what's the plug him? Give him some business.

SPEAKER_03

He makes the most beautiful knives. You know, I saved up and got you a custom made one a couple years ago. It was beautiful. Oh my god, it was beautiful. And what does my husband do? He's trying, or at the time he was trying to learn how to engrave. And instead of getting a three, four, five dollar, you know, knife from the handy mart or whatever, he decides to use one that I had custom made for him that I saved up for, that was beautiful. Oh my god, it was stunning. And he decides to try to learn to engrave on that, not going to the handy mart and getting one there for a few dollars. He uses the one that I give him and butches it.

Goals, Healing, And What Comes Next

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I'll ruin it. Ruit. It's root. I engrave something on there and it's all cockeyed and and looks horrible.

SPEAKER_01

So it looks like you're in-laws.

SPEAKER_00

Ex-wife's maybe?

SPEAKER_01

I was being well but you learned.

SPEAKER_00

Anyway.

SPEAKER_03

So what would you like different in 2026?

SPEAKER_02

Oh, I I'm loving this. I'm loving staying home with you, our daughter.

SPEAKER_03

But voluntarily doesn't make it easy.

SPEAKER_02

It doesn't, but we'll we'll we'll survive just like we always have.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, what is your goal for 2026?

SPEAKER_02

We need to folks send my wife some encouragement via email to start videoing the podcast.

SPEAKER_03

Hello! Do you not see how many emails I go through already? Are you these are encouraging? You know what? When I finish losing my weight, Victoria, you're doing a great job.

SPEAKER_02

Keep it up.

SPEAKER_03

Kind of like the emails that you get or the comments that you get about how every no people tell you all the time they love hearing you and I on here together. No, everybody tells you how much they love hearing us on here together.

SPEAKER_02

1-900 voice. Whatever.

SPEAKER_03

And it's never feel close. It's never enough. Like it's not gonna be enough to make you happy. So again, diversion left field. What would you like to accomplish in 2026?

SPEAKER_02

This, more of us.

SPEAKER_03

I would like to accomplish, and you know, this is the horrible part of it. I like to go, and I and I keep hearing my one doctor who when I made this comment a few years ago, he says, you know, what's your new year's resolution? And I said, I'd like to stay off the OR table. And he goes, You know, why don't you try to make a resolution for something you can obtain? And that was like a reality check in the face, right? I would like to be surgery free for a year. I don't know. I mean, I don't know what else they could do. If you took a skeleton, there's not a part of the body I can't say I haven't had surgery on. And none of it's been cosmetic. I think I'm due. I think I should be able to have some kind of procedure I would like to have done cosmetically. I'm just saying, you know, a little something something.

SPEAKER_02

Maybe this year we can take a small vacation up to the mountains. Maybe we get one of those Airbnbs. They're expensive. You work out something. Why is it always you giving me more work to do?

SPEAKER_03

No, you jabberlock.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, I can horse trade for it.

SPEAKER_03

You have the jabberlock.

SPEAKER_02

Jabberlock?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

What is jabberlock? Kind of same thing as bull. No one says jabberlock. Uh-huh. No, they don't. Yes, they do. Maybe the Yanks. I but Oh, now we're going there. Yeah, we went there. We went there. My wife gets yankee on me sometimes. And she'll talk like this. That is not how I talk.

SPEAKER_03

It is not how I do that.

SPEAKER_02

I just sound like I'm from New York.

Tattoos As Healing And Storytelling

SPEAKER_03

That doesn't sound like New York. Sure it does. No, it doesn't.

SPEAKER_02

I s I I just mimicked you.

SPEAKER_03

Say go upstairs.

SPEAKER_02

Go upstairs.

SPEAKER_03

That doesn't sound like New York.

SPEAKER_02

Certainly.

SPEAKER_03

No, it doesn't. Say have some coffee.

SPEAKER_02

House and coffee.

SPEAKER_03

Not house and coffee. Have some coffee.

SPEAKER_02

Have some coffee.

SPEAKER_03

Oh my lord. You guys, I don't know what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02

Forget about it.

SPEAKER_03

Forget about it. Uts. On that hearts.

SPEAKER_02

It's because you're redneck.

SPEAKER_03

I never thought you would take it.

SPEAKER_02

So I'm not even going to tell them about her Christmas present.

SPEAKER_03

What are you talking about? No, don't do that.

SPEAKER_02

No, I won't.

SPEAKER_03

I thought you were talking about how you walked to the wrong vehicle yesterday and started to get into the wrong vehicle.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I get made fun of a lot. I get lost. They say I get lost.

SPEAKER_03

You get lost in a Home Depot and you have a penis.

SPEAKER_02

Uh wait, what?

SPEAKER_03

You do. You'll get lost in a Home Depot and you have a penis.

SPEAKER_02

There's a lot of men that probably resemble.

SPEAKER_03

No. No. Faith will go in there with us and he'll be like, I'm looking for a night. She'll walk right up and get it.

SPEAKER_02

On purpose. No, you don't entertain you women.

SPEAKER_03

Really? That's why people call you daddy. Because they think you are my dad.

SPEAKER_02

Do we read instructions?

SPEAKER_03

Yes, I've seen you read instructions.

SPEAKER_02

Where?

SPEAKER_03

When you're putting things together, oh that thing.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Or when you're peeing outside. I was putting together a dresser. And she said, Oh, I didn't think you read those instructions. Well, they're probably in Spanish. I got busted, y'all.

SPEAKER_03

They're probably in Spanish.

SPEAKER_02

Anyhoot, Nanny.

SPEAKER_03

I still, we were talking about memories earlier, and Faith was hysterical. It was like, she must have been, I don't know, like 11 or 12, and walking around, and this cute little Hispanic kid walked by a couple years old. She had the straightest face, and she looked at my husband and goes, Is he yours? That's what you get for saying she's your squiggly. I mean, seriously, you call her your squiggly.

SPEAKER_02

Right, my leftovers.

SPEAKER_03

That's awful.

SPEAKER_02

What's awful?

SPEAKER_03

To tell her she's a leftover.

SPEAKER_02

But she's here. She made it. Good job. Yay. You made it.

SPEAKER_03

To call her a leftover.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. She was the stronger swimmer.

SPEAKER_03

You can't be serious.

SPEAKER_02

Oh.

SPEAKER_03

Favorite memory so far of 2026. 2025. 26? 2025.

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My wife is currently eating four gummies, y'all.

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Never have.

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No, she doesn't. She never has.

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I've never even smoked a joint.

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We damn sure smell it sometimes.

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Next door neighbors, but not of us.

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Next door neighbors who have it for medicinal purposes.

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Say that again? Purposes. Say it again. Purposes. Say specific.

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Yes. Rolling on. Get it? Rolling. No.

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Favorite memory of 2025.

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I already told you.

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Does it mean we repeat it? Sure. The day I got a phone call from my dad. Of 2025. Which was back in September. September.

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He says these words to me. He says these words about his wife. Son. I finally got rid of her. He says, Son, I finally got away from that woman.

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I think that those were the exact words. Son, I finally got away away from that woman.

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I didn't know how to take that. I was like, yay, good. Good job, Dad. But she's had some bad choices.

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Even the choice of my mother back then. But I'm kind of glad I was born.

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That was just your egg donor. But however, your dad didn't make the best.

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I kinda followed suit also in bad choices.

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Thank you.

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Until you, babe.

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Your dad did. Make sure kids can't hear this. Your dad did say one of the freaking most hilarious things ever. He said, How do you have any hair on your back? And I said, Dad, do you have hair on your back? And he goes, No. And he goes, He must have gotten it from his mother's side because of all the time she was on the carpet on her back. And he said, and it wasn't with me.

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So a little ways into the conversation, my my dad mentioned that his current wife at the time had passed away. So having said that, we went into Let's Go, come on. That's right, the mode of getting him up here permanently. And he is he's been up here for what, a couple months.

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And he has just really done so much better.

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We've seen a big turnaround in him and his disposition. My wife has done her absolute best in getting him doctor care, getting him off certain medications.

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Which I tried to get years ago, but he was not allowed.

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Little did we know until an episode with his current wife that he was in an abusive relationship.

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No, we saw it firsthand when she was here. More than once.

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That's what I said.

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More than once. You mean when she was throwing stuff and pitching a fit? Oh, yeah, it was at one of our weddings. Because we get remarried every year, for those of you who don't know that. And I had brought them up here so that they could be here for my husband's 50th birthday, as well as our renewal of our vows. And she decided to show herself in so many ways. And it was more than once in that trip, actually. It was right after the ceremony when she was throwing things, screaming, yelling, and going bananas. And then it was again after that.

Cookies, Gifts, And Little Luxuries

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So that was my best memory. Getting a phone call from my dad. Which started the process of getting him up here. And tonight he ate dinner with us for the first time ever.

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For Christmas.

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And he had Thanksgiving with us too. Yeah.

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And yours, my dear? Do you have a favorite memory of 2025?

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I have so many because I don't take anything for granted. It's hard for me to pinpoint just one. What did you mouth?

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The listeners heard that, but you didn't.

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Again, back on the whole hearing impaired issue.

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I'm not picking on you.

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Sure you are. Of course you are.

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I love you to pieces. Uh-huh. What pieces are left?

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You wait.

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I can't wait.

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Wait and see.

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Tonight?

Gratitude, Disappointment, And Final Words

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Why do you gotta be there's no mistletoe over our bed? What? I'm healing from surgery again. My spine hates me. The incisions hate me. I think I'm running out of canvas on on scars. I really do. I mean, I don't have much canvas left. Between what Idiot did and all the surgeons, I'm I'm kind of done. Seriously. And you know, I want to I want to ask our listeners. I have I never had tattoos before this. I had one on my hip and it was one. That was it. And then after all the abuse, I didn't want to look at what he put on me. I wanted to make my own journey, if you will, where I could go back and look at things that made me happy. So up until my husband and I reconnected and got back together, I had our journey. Like faith drew me a beautiful picture of a heart and the words, You're the most amazing mom ever. And she put her picture of herself in it that's actually tattooed on me. And so many other things that were the journey of what we've gone through. And I've had, you know, I was stabbed over a dozen times, and I've had quite a few of the stabbing scars turned into pieces of art that even when we tried to cover the scars, they still came through. And when you just got that dedication piece on your forearm, you know, you had asked Jeff, and Jeff told you getting tattooed on scars is 10 times more painful because of all the nerve endings and things. So if you covered up a scar or you enhanced a scar by adding it into your story, I would love for you to send us pictures and let us see the beautiful work that you chose to put on you. Because those are choices we we made to put something on us we want to see, that we want to look at, you know, that we're proud of. And like, you know, the ones that I did on my upper arms, I don't think the public has ever seen them on me. I know that the one on my right with the tree of life has been in magazine covers that my artist used and won with, but I didn't do it for anybody else. I did it for me. And when you have that, you know, I just didn't want to look at all that. No matter what angle I looked at, there was some reminder of what I went through. And I did it more for at first, I did it more for Faith. So she wouldn't be, what happened? What happened, mommy? What happened? And then, you know, she has always been, I want a tattoo, I want a tattoo. And I told her she had to wait until she was 18 and our daughter's ready for full sleeves. I mean, she is just and boy, she takes it like a pro. Like she first time she got a tattoo, she just sat there and asked him to continue when he was done. And then, you know, piercings, she got her Tragasis pierced. And I've asked other people and they were like, Oh my god, I cried, it hurt, it was so painful. She I watched her, she didn't even blink her eyes, like she didn't even close her eyes when they did it. It was just bink. She's like, That's it, it's done. That was it. You know, I mean, the kid has my pain tolerance to say the least.

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It's crazy.

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Yeah. Yeah. She keeps asking me to go get my nose pierced, and I'm like, oh no about all that.

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Yeah, my wife is asking me to get piercings.

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Only because she asked me to see if you would do it. And you said you would. There's nothing you wouldn't do for her. So I don't even hear there's nothing you wouldn't do for her either.

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Oh Lord.

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You are so wrapped around her finger, it's unheard of.

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Carrying out her trash.

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Yeah, right.

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She's gonna do that.

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Did you tell her good job on the dishes in the sink right now?

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No, did she do the dishes?

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No, I did.

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Oh.

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Well, I was making cookies.

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The cookies were good, it was very sweet.

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Well, I made them for pop.

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I'm sure you ate them.

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He did before. I mean, he was like, Can I have some? They didn't even come out of the oven yet. I was like, You want one? He's like, Maybe more than one. Okay.

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So we hope y'all had a very Merry Christmas. You got all the gifts that you wanted. I got more than I wanted.

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I got a I oh, let's talk about what you got.

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Went into uh Costco and saw the Bose earmuffs, the the headphones, half off.

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Yes, but I save all year, all year to do Christmas, like all year.

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And I grabbed them up.

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This was before you were fired, and we did have income coming in. And you I had been saving all year for my jobs, and then I was like, no, you don't need to. No, no, no, no, no. Come on, come on, come on, come on. No, no, no. And I had gotten him the other kind. And then the greedy little butt over here wants to keep them both. You look like you're ready to go to sleep.

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So the earbuds by bows are are. Truly amazing. They're they're just phenomenal. I I I can't get enough of them.

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Why can't you feel that way about me?

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I can't get enough of you, but I, you know, you're recovering from surgery. You're healing.

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Yeah.

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So we wish y'all a Merry Christmas. And hopefully my wife can get this out before I'm gonna get it out tonight. You're awesome.

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I'm gonna put this out tonight. Anything you want to say to the members of, you know, you don't have to have the same DNA to be family. But I just want to say to the individuals that cannot take 30 flipping seconds to send a simple text that says, Merry Christmas, kiss my ass, you know, whatever. You know what? Sit and spin on your tinsel. That's all I'm gonna say. Because whenever something happens and is needed, we're always the who's called. When they need something, want something, need something to get done, you know, but then not even a simple text message, you know, Merry Christmas, nothing. And that that's just not one-sided. That's on your side, you know, as well. I mean, how do you what do you want to say to anybody who couldn't even for a second even just say, and you know, it's not even that they don't want to check on, like, I don't care if they don't want to check on me. I could, you know, whatever. But not to even check on dad who just lost his wife, and you know, he's had these health issues, he's got all this going on. 30 seconds you can't even call and just or text, Merry Christmas, you know, bah humbug, nothing. What that that's pathetic. I mean, you go take a piss, right? When you take a piss, most of y'all are TikToking. You can't send a stupid text message that just says something so simple as Merry Christmas, you know. What do you want to say to the people that couldn't even do that?

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Merry Christmas.

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That's not what you want to say.

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Well, it's it's not me to be vindictive.

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That's not being vindictive. If I said anything bad, that's not being vindictive. Being vindictive says I hope that they like like exactly, but that's not what you're saying, you're just saying shame on you.

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So I'm gonna turn around.

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No, what you know, just shame on you. Because one day that could be you, or that will be you, and then who's gonna be there to help you, right? You know, stop being such a selfish prick.

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Are you talking about my former boss?

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Oh, don't even yep, we started on tight pants. Tight short what they call him? Tight shorts. That's right.

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Anyway. That I suggested to the wife.

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Yes, my own private ho ho ho.

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Good night, y'all, from a contagious smile.

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Victoria Cuore

Host
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Michael Solomon

Co-host