Episode 64 🎪 Parenting, True Crime and Chaos: Weight Loss Meds, Wedding Dress Drama & Government Spending Gone Wild – Ozempic, AITA & Viral TikTok Scandals

Hosts: Stefanie Navarro & Meredith Hill
Run Time: ~60 min
Theme: Ozempic confessions, emotional parenting moments, federal waste breakdowns, a wedding dress AITA, and a viral TikTok love triangle… in Pakistan.

🎧 In This Episode:

Stefanie and Meredith get real about body image, weight struggles, and trying compounded Ozempic (with a side of food noise freedom and stomach pain). Then they dive into parenting bittersweetness, from college scheduling to mature teen decisions. But don’t worry—it’s not all feelings. They bring the fire with viral TikTok recaps, insane government spending exposés, and an unforgettable AITA wedding guest scandal. Oh—and apparently, Pakistan just adopted a New Yorker who refused to leave the country after being catfished. It’s a circus.

💬 Topics Covered:

💉 Ozempic, Food Noise & Real Talk
– Meredith opens up about her weight loss journey and trying a more affordable compounded version of Ozempic.
– Food noise, self-worth, body image, and breaking the cycle of emotional eating.

👖 Emotional Parenting Moments:
– Stefanie helps Dylan plan college-level senior year classes and Meredith shares Jackson’s unexpectedly mature football decision.
– The moms aren’t crying… you are.

📦 Wasted Government Spending – You Can’t Make This Up:
– $2.3M to teach clowns balloon animals.
– $36M hotline to teach people how to turn on headlights (only 40 people called in 2023).
– $1.4M to pop bubble wrap for stress relief?!
– Plus: kazoo orchestras, puddle water depth research, and uniform Gatorade colors at football games. Yes, really.

🌍 USPS Drama, TikTok Serums & Overseas Shopping Bans:
– Are we losing USPS altogether? And will your Temu package still arrive?
– Plus, product recaps and skincare finds you’ll want to check out (hydrating serums, caffeine eye cream, and face workouts).

🧠 AITA – Wedding Dress Guest:
– A woman wears her own never-worn wedding dress to her brother’s dramatic, themed wedding.
– The bride approved it beforehand… but did she secretly hate it?
– The hosts are deeply divided on this one.

🌐 Viral TikTok Love Story – Pakistan Edition:
– A New Yorker catfishes an 18-year-old online, flies to Pakistan, camps in his apartment complex, and becomes an accidental local celebrity.
– Media frenzy, McDonald’s feasts, and a guy named Bilal narrating it all like a telenovela.
– Trust us, you’ll be invested.

📚 Book Club – The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding
– Dual POV thriller with betrayal, staged death, and survival.
– Final Verdict: 9/10 – dark, smart, and emotionally gripping.

📖 Next Week’s Read:
Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay – Family found dead in Mexico, a viral true crime doc, and a college student with secrets that could unravel everything.

🧠 Quote of the Week:

“You're listening here for entertainment, not to learn anything—so go with me.” – Meredith 😂

📢 Announcements:

• We’ve got collabs in the works—DM us if you want to guest on the show!
• VIP Circus Crew is launching soon: get ready for exclusive content, video episodes & more

💥 Don’t Forget:

• Subscribe on Apple, Spotify & everywhere else
• Leave a review (it helps more than you know!)
• Follow @thisismycircuspodcast on TikTok & Instagram
• Share this episode with your hot mess bestie

🎪 Until next time, keep the serums cold, the socks paired, and the kids only mildly feral.

This is our circus—and these are definitely our monkeys. 🐒

Shop She's Birdie: https://www.s

Transcript

0:00

I'm Stephanie. I am Meredith. And welcome to This is My Circus. On a delay. On a delay. Sorry, that was on me. Life happens. It does. It does. It's all good. Yeah, I wasn't feeling my best. Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. I am feeling better. So, I mean, can we throw it out there? Okay. I mean, it's my thing. I guess we can throw it out there if we want to. If I want to. Again. It's like I said, it's our podcast. Who's going to yell at us? Right? So I have always struggled with my weight. I've always, always, always struggled. so I've tried several different things and I just don't have the willpower and I don't know. It's like a cycle. Like I get heavier and my depression gets worse and then heavier and dep, like, it's just, it's a mess. And I haven't known what to do, so I'm trying, Ozempic. Mm-hmm And y'all can come with me if you want to. No. Whatever I've gotta do, I'm gonna die somehow. So I've got I've gotta figure out something to help me. Well, what are the side effects with this medication? Is stomach pain? Mm-hmm And, I can see why it would help you lose weight. Because it's pain like it's literally just pain like there's for me I'm sure it's different for the people like there's nothing else. Oh, see there's not gas. It's not anything else is literally just pain Yeah, and almost like cramps. Mm hmm. So anyway, I've been trying to figure all that out. It's very common with one of these medications and I'm actually taking not the name brand. It's like the compounded med that my doctor is able to get for me. So it's a little more price friendly for me. So one of the side effects of stomach pain, Trying to figure that out and battle that. So I'm just going to deal with it, but I'm not hungry. And so one of the things with me too, though, is, and I never realized it was really a thing until I heard somebody else say it. And I was like, Oh, that makes so much sense. Food noise, like. In my head, even if I'm not hungry, I have a lot of thoughts about food. Oh, I want to go get a cookie. Like that kind of stuff. Or I'm going, taking Jackson through the drive thru. I'll get, you know, whatever. So it's just quiet at all that. Um, so we'll see how it goes. I'm excited about it. Um, I, like I said, we'll, we'll see. I need something. I am not doing it on my own. So I need something to kick me in the pants. So hopefully this will kick me. Well, you know, my weight has gone from super tiny to up to, at my heaviest with all my thyroid problems. I went from like 130 pounds up to, I think 179 was like my highest. Um, and, um, For my build, like, yeah, that was like my pregnancy, that was more than my pregnancy. So that was really hard. It was such a, especially for women, I think, and you know, men, of course, it affects them as well. But I think for us, it's, Such a societal thing. It's a stigma almost. And I go back and forth in my head on screw it. I'm, you know, I'm just gonna do whatever I want to do and just be happy. And then the other side of me is like, well, I'm not happy. Cause I look back at pictures of me and I look like, Tracy was saying, when we talked to her, I just looked like a messy slob. And, um, So I think you're beautiful. Well, I'm amazing and I love you the way you are, but I totally get it. Thank you I love you, too. I just want to feel better. Yeah, and that is that is more of what it is so and then plus just you know with birthdays our bodies just don't do what they used to and joint pain and you know, all those things. so hopefully if I lose some weight that'll help with that. So with that said, I'm doing my best. You can have a complete, like total breakdown, like I did and just not eat for a year. That might, that might be it. That might be what I need. I don't recommend. I don't think I could handle that mentally. Zero stars. Yeah. Do not recommend. Yeah. Well, I, I've never been to that point. So who knows, I might eat more at that point, but yeah, I'm just, I make really bad food choices. Um, I really love sweet stuff. Like I love, love sweet stuff. And, uh, there's like Sour Patch Kids over there. And so I, I just need, and like I said, this quiets that. it shuts it. Actually it's a better way to say it. I can, you know, live my life without always having that. And it's probably one of those things that unless you have been through it, you don't really understand what that means. Um, so that's where I am. I'm trying to be a better. Healthier person by putting medicines in my body, I told you this, we were texting a couple of days ago and I really do think that the food in our country is a big part of the problem. Because when I was away for the week, I ate more than I eat ever normally. and I was much less active and. Came back and I had lost. That's crazy. Well, and like we said, we have mutual friends that when they travel out of the country, and they're eating the, the croissants and the bread and the cheeses in Paris or wherever they are, then they feel better. Yeah. so like we said, solution is to travel more. Yeah. So, I mean, that's where we are. We're going to travel out of the country, out of the country, several locations in, we're going to have to, yeah, we're going to have to expand a little bit. Well, I've got my passport ready. I'm fine. Okay. But anyway, thanks for watching. Working with me to reschedule and like I can. It's our podcast. It's our podcast. We can do what we want to. Who's gonna yell at us, right? That's right. Y'all aren't, aren't you? No. You guys are patient with us. Mm-hmm They love us. They love us. I do get texts though when our app doesn't drop. They're like, what happened to the app? And I'm like, oh. So anyway, last week's episode with Tracy was so fun. Oh my gosh. I know we need to do like a little segment. Maybe once a month or every other month with her. she is amazing. Yep. And, there's several others that have reached out that want to collab. and then with some people that we'd already talked about that. We want to have on so let us know guys what you think about us including somebody and if you want to hop on with us Please it'd be so much fun. We love y'all. Yes, we do and we're yappers Okay, so you've been doing good though. You were out of town. Yeah, I'm good. Yeah, I was a little bit, in my feelings today cause I had to go to Dylan's school with him to do his senior schedule. Oh, so are you okay now? I think so. Did, you got everything situated? Yeah. Yeah. He's actually going to do mostly college classes next year. do it with dual enrollment. He has one class, that he'll have to do, which is an online class for high school. Graduation. Um, but the rest is all college and he's doing a college class right now. but I'm a little bit like, oh my gosh, I am so not ready for this. Yeah. It was like, woof, but his guidance counselor is awesome. Like I adore her. She's wonderful. And, you know, he is excited to. Not me in high school anymore. We're not going to talk about it though. No, we're not. We're not. We're not. well, that's good. Now, how's he feeling with lacrosse season coming up? He isn't doing lacrosse this year. Yeah, so how's he feeling with like his buddies starting to talk about it? Has he said anything or? No, he's already over it. Okay, good. Yeah, he has processed all of that. How are you? I'm sad. But I understand why. Yeah. So yeah, it is what it is. Yeah. You know, it's very mature of him. Jackson had a mature moment the other day. Well, yeah. I mean, I love him, but I hate him. Yeah. A hundred percent. so he's always played. Well, not always, but like for the past several years, I travel basketball after school basketball is over. Well, he'll be a junior next year. Which is a big year for recruiting for football. So our plan, quote, was for him to not play this travel basketball and to just focus on camps and working out and stuff and He was like, okay, that's not like he just kind of does basketball He likes it and to hang out with his friends, but he just kind of does it You know, not passionate about. No. Yeah. Um, so he was, he text me, it was like 11 o'clock at night and he was upstairs text me, Hey mama. Yeah, bud I think I might wanna do a a u. I was like, okay. And he had this big, he is not a, I don't know if Dylan's like this. He's not a big paragraph texter. Yeah, it's a WYA. Yeah. Like where you at? Like that kinda stuff. Mm-hmm And he was like, it just keeps me in really good shape. for football. The conditioning with it is something that I kind of have to do so I can play so it works better for me. You guys don't have to go to all the stuff. I'll be driving more by then. And I was like, it's a really mature decision and I don't know how I feel about it. Yeah. So of course I did the We'll talk about it later. Yeah. Pause. Yeah. Let's put a pin in that. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Well. Tough. Yeah. Oh. I know. I, I'm just, you know, I'm not ready for all this. I'm not either. I, I very proud, but just, it's. Sucks. I miss when they were in little ball heads and had no teeth in their heads And they couldn't speak because of the lisps with that yeah, so, anything else new going on? Nah. Just, you know, where it's been pretty the past couple of days outside and that sucks because it's probably going to get cold again and rainy again. And then I'm just going to be really upset. I really started to get spring fever bad. I do too. And we've talked about this before on the pod, do like seasonal, or situational depression. Yep. Soaking up the sun definitely is a huge help. Yeah. Yeah. So now I've been just kind of chilling. well, you know, I don't ever sleep, so I doom scroll. Yeah. And I have been dying at all of these, the Elon Musk doge committee, whatever, all the stuff that they're finding that has been a waste of money. Have you seen these? I've seen some of them. I follow. This guy and I'll link him in the show notes, but he does a daily like update on what they're finding and how much money was used annually on these random programs or whatever initiatives. So you want to hear some? I cannot wait. The crazy ones. Let me hear it. Okay. so wait and timeout who's spending this money. This is our government, our federal government. Yes. Okay. And you know, they're very upset. About this audit going on. Very. So it is what it is, but I'm very upset about Shane and Timu, but we can talk about that later. Yeah. Okay. So tell me about Elon. First they found that our national treasury has just been like, Signing off on every single thing that comes across their desk. They were told not to deny anything. So we have been funding, like, terrorist organizations. Oh my gosh. And like all sorts of things that have been going on and Oh my gosh. Yeah, so literally everything. They've never denied a request. And I'm like, dude, Why didn't us little peasants know because Right, just slide a blank check and have them sign it in the stack of stuff. Okay, so, let's see. The first one is National Wrap Stress Relief Study, and it was given 1. 4 million dollars a year to see if bubble wrap helps with stress. Oh, my. 1. 4 million a year. Speechless. Yeah. Okay. Well, hold on to that. Speechless. Okay. The Bureau of Mailbox Feng received 900, 000 a year per year. We don't know when these started like, right. I don't know how many years has this been going on. Feng Shui? Yeah. No, no, no. Okay. So, you know, my hate for clowns. Yeah. this next one, The Federal Balloon Animal Training Academy to train clowns to twist balloons into animals. Take a wild guess. Wild guess. 500, million a year. 2. 3 million dollars to teach clowns. Why is that something that was even presented to our federal government as we need your money for this? Yes. Oh, it gets better. Okay. Department of sock pairing received 1. 8 million dollars annually. I bet my socks never find pairs. So what are they doing? Oh my gosh. Yes. oh my, this doesn't even sound real. Oh, it gets better. It keeps getting, well, it keeps getting worse. The Federal High Five Coordination Bureau received 1. 2 million dollars a year ensuring we give correct high fives. Have you ever been critiqued on a high five? Because I've never been critiqued on a high five. Only, oh no, that was a dumb joke. I've never been taught a high five by any Who high fives anymore? It's a death. Yep. the Office of Puddle Depth Measurement received 3 million dollars a year to see how much rainwater was wasted in potholes. So instead of using that three million dollars to fix the potholes, they used three million dollars. I really and truly feel like. Did you ever play Mad Libs? Yes. I feel like that's kind of what this is. The Federal Kazoo Orchestra grant was granted two million dollars a year. Kazoos. Like, zoop, zoop, zoop. Yeah. Zoop, zoop, zoop, zoop. This is ludicrous. Alright, um, the National Bureau of Advanced Stapler Engineering was, I guess, initially created to, create a stapler that doesn't jam. And they were giving 1. Um, the car headlight hotline is 36 million dollars a year, so if you don't know how to turn on your headlights, you can call into this hotline. In 2023, they had 40 people call the hotline for the year, and they've kept it going. I don't know when it started, but that was the 2023 they had the stat for how many phone calls they received. Speechless. Yes. You don't know how to turn on your headlights? Mm. Yeah. Okay.$37 million went to Gaza to supply them with condoms. Shut up. Yes. 37 million. Okay. And so in, in honor of the Super Bowl, yeah. We have, some football related cuts. Okay. The National Huddles Standardization Board was granted$12 million a year to ensure that teams have a perfect circle for their huddle. Have you ever seen a perfect circle? Never. And I've never seen it be a big deal. Thank you. Yeah. Well, where did that 2 million go? Who? They're not teaching the NFL. Wow. Um, the Bureau of Halftime Show Security. Why is our government paying for security for the halftime? they were getting a 20 million budget annually. 20 million. Why is our federal government paying that? Uh, I have nothing to say. I didn't write down this one, the how much they were given annually. It was in the millions. The Department of Gatorade Color Uniformity to Ensure that the Gatorade matched the team colors. Wow. So those were cut. So they're gonna have to figure out how to huddle on their own. And hopefully hair socks. What in the world? That sounds like a bunch of random words put together that, uh, uh, headlight phone numbers. Okay. Okay. Let's talk, let's talk about the headlight thing. If you don't know how to work your headlights, we shouldn't be driving if you don't have good points. What are most people do now when they can't figure out how to do something? Google exactly. Or YouTube video. Yes. But now we're going to call a hotline for them to tell you to twist a little knob. How many people work at this place? It doesn't say, it doesn't say anything. Like there's no, and there's no other info. No, it's just like we cut these federal programs that are a waste of money. And then federal government is mad about it. Like, don't understand. Yeah. Make it make sense. I did see somebody on TikTok and this was put it so perfectly, was like last year or a couple of years ago, they wanted to send out all these federal agents about, taxes, like audits. And they're sending federal agents with guns to people's homes to audit their taxes and stuff. And there was no uproar. There was no like, This is not okay. Right. But now that we're auditing all these the Gatorade color. Yeah, freaking Committees or whatever they are like initiatives. We're upset about it, right? And one of these things was like in 1998 it started and we've just been auto paying this every year And they just had our card number on file. It's like Netflix. Yeah, that is insane. So we'll see how this all goes. Well, I mentioned Shane and Timu because the USPS had put a block on anything coming from China packages, not letters only packages. Right. and I guess potentially other countries. I don't know. That's the one that directly affects me, but then I'm pretty sure they already lifted that. I think, I don't know, but Doesn't DHL usually deliver it? Yes, but it's gotta get to them first. So, I honestly don't know where it comes from. I'm sure they'll figure out a different, like, way. I did hear rumors and I don't know, there was this in the talks of doing away with USPS altogether. Oh, really? Yeah. So, I don't know. Yeah. we might not have that as an option anymore. Yeah. Soon anyway. Yeah. It's crazy times, dude. Did you know that, I did not know this, and like this blows my mind that we're still using this currency, that it costs three cents to create one penny. I didn't know we were using, wait, no. It costs three cents to make one penny. So Elon Musk is saying, like, why are we still making pennies? This is stupid. Yeah. It costs more than it's worth. Than it's worth. yeah, let's knock that out. Like the silver dollar, the half pence, let's just be gone. And let's just move on. Nickels. Oh, it's a half a pence. Half a penny, right? I don't know. I don't know what that is. Half pence? Two and a half pence. Two and a half pence! I don't know. I was like, that sounds like it's from like a Dickens. I think that's probably what it was. You're listening here for entertainment not to learn anything so go with me. Oh my god, that is crazy. Well, hopefully we don't not get our packages from our lovely shopping. So I'm hosting a shower for my nephew and niece. That are getting married. Oh yeah, we did talk about that. Yes. Yeah. so I was ordering some decorations and I'm like, Ooh, Ooh, hopefully it'll get here. If not, Amazon to the rescue. Yes. Have you, ordered any TikTok shop stuff lately? No, I did get my, my serum. Yeah. And I am liking it a lot better than the French pharmacy stuff. Nice. Okay. You got the one that we talked about with the little in the ampoules. Yes. Okay. and it was a two package thing. There's another, there's another like, I don't know some other kind of serum with it too. So you put like the high the one that you uh on first. Hydralol. Yeah. Hydralol. Yeah, that's it. Yeah. Hydroclonic, uh, hydro something, whatever. Hydrolonic. Sure. Hydroclonic. I don't know. Drop that chronic. Okay. Snoop. Yeah. Okay. So you put that on. Yes. and then, you put the other one on top of it to seal it all in. Yeah. So, I like the way that ampule one feels. I don't like moisturizers that are make me hot. Okay. And a lot of them when they're thicker, I feel like I'm suffocating. Yeah. You know, I'm the weird one, so I like things that are light serums. gel moisturizers, that kind of thing. Yeah. I did order, we talked about that caffeine eye cream, but it hasn't come yet. So, next week we should be able to talk about that. Nice. We'll see. Nice. I tried some of those gold eye patches. I liked them. Yeah. I probably should do them every day. Yeah. Well, you see like, mine's just so puffy. I know. I know. So then I'm like looking up on Tik TOK while I'm doing scrolling. How to get rid of bags. Yeah, and it gave me all of these like facial muscles techniques like like to try to yeah You're supposed to work out your face, and I didn't know that I didn't you're like so disappointed like nobody told me I don't know working out everything else and now I gotta work out my face I'm not. Maybe this is why I have a weight problem. I'm not. This lady's like, I do this in the car. And then she's like, you tuck your upper lip under your teeth and then you lift up like the corners of your mouth. It's like your cheek muscles gonna like lift them I'm just squinting my eyes. I Don't follow directions. Well good I'm glad that you like it. Yeah, We had touched quickly on football. I mentioned the Super Bowl. Yeah, do you hear that Tom Brady has dropped a bomb? No saying that he has proof that the Chiefs are Owner's wife paid off the refs. Shut up. Millions. Yes. He said he has proof. Yeah, I haven't seen anything come through with what the proof is, but he said that he has proof. This is from a legit Tom Brady, not an AI Tom Brady. No, like this is like Tom Brady. I mean, I want to think it's rigged because there's no way these two teams would be back there again. Listen, did you watch any of it? Oh, yeah games. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was clearly Yeah, but you know you not even yeah you I in my in my heart. I want to thank people aren't people definitely are like that I can't stand Mahoney. I know i'm sorry if y'all are and listen, I like Andy Reid. Mm hmm. Because you know, I love my eagles. Right. And so if the eagles weren't in it, I'd be like, okay, cool, Andy. You go get it. Go get it. Yeah. If they're cheating, I don't like it. No, I don't. And you know Tom Brady's one to talk. Remember Deflategate? He's deflecting, but I'm laughter But if it's true, yeah, they better not be doing that against my Eagles, right? I don't want anybody to win. I'm not I just want to see this halftime show Of course, and then what comes out of after the halftime show. Yeah, because there's gonna be drama no matter what happens. I Obviously want the Eagles to win. So yeah. Yeah They'd be on fire. I mean, I, I like Saquon, so I'd be okay if they win. I definitely want them to win more than the Chiefs. Who cares? It's the same game as last year. Get up, move on. I don't, and I love, you know, I love football, but this is just so, like, you, yeah, everybody else in the world wanted the Lions and the Bills. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Something different. So anyway. Well, I would have been okay with like the bills and the eagles. Yeah. Same. I don't even know who's in AFC and I don't understand all that. I mean, I understand. I just don't know it. okay. So moving on. Yes. Hopefully that's not true. but it is screw y'all. Yeah. So did you hear that there were some declassified documents? Yes. I didn't read them. I haven't read them. but RFK. MLK and JFK's classified documents from their assassinations were shut, locked up. Apparently they're, I don't know if they're released yet or they're going to be released. I think that they're, they're, they're in process. Yeah. but I did watch a tick talk that somebody kind of broke down the MLK one and it wasn't pretty. Yeah. It wasn't what everybody thought. Okay. He did great things. Yeah. Not taking that away from him, but he was apparently involved in a lot of other things. Yeah. that is not passed down. I get that. Most people in that position just like those football refs and I'm not one to read documents. So I'll wait till somebody summarizes it all and makes a tick tock or talks about it. And I'm hoping not all of it's redacted too. Like if it's all just black Sharpie, whatever, but I'm very interested to see what comes of those. Same. Yeah. I think there's going to be an uproar, I don't think it's going to be pretty. Have you heard about the lady in Pakistan, the lady from New York? Oh my God. It's all over my for you page. Okay. And this woman. Was catfishing this 18 year old. She's 33. I found this guy who is in Pakistan who speaks English, who is giving the story time every day about what's going on and telling in such detail and like. He is so funny. He is like, oh, this is our new sister in law to the country. Like, he's awesome. So I'll link all of that. So everybody can go if you want to watch it. But this one was a 33 year old woman from New York. Mm hmm. Talking online to this 18 year old boy from Pakistan with a filter to make her look like an AI filter to make her look like she was a blonde white woman. So they get married like on this online thing, right? I didn't know you could get married online. It's some kind of thing for like not I don't think it's necessarily legal here maybe but like it maybe it's a spiritual union I don't know what it is okay but somehow some kind of union happened right and he said oh come come come to me my swede's blog lady so she comes and he gives her the address she gets there and according to I think his name is below I think it's the dude that's telling the story is Bilal, but, the boy's name is Ahmed. So Bilal is telling the story. Ahmed is. Okay. Okay. So, so, um, Ahmed says, come join me in my home country. And so she spends her money. And gets a plane ticket and flies over. Meanwhile, she's got children here with other baby daddies. Okay. So according to Bilal, who is, our Pakistani friend who is giving us all the tea, he says, Ahmed lives in and this is his words. He referenced it as the hood, like in like apartments that like not the best area. Okay. So she rolls up to his apartment complex. And knocks on the door and he's like, Oh, well, okay. Well, maybe I can like, whatever. Like he was just like, kind of like, whatever. So mom comes out and was like, Oh, hell no. Mom slams the door in her face. Like, no, out of here. And, below says that. I guess with all the stuff that happened in their past and stuff, um, for their country, they view lighter skin as like the supreme whatever of beauty. and so mom was like, get out of here. Hell no. So meanwhile, she refuses to leave the apartment. Right. The apartment complex, she camps out. Like, she's like, I am not leaving. I'm not leaving without my man. Oh my God. And all these people are like, who the heck is this lady? Like, you know, it's a tight knit community. Oh, everybody knows each other. And so. After a couple of days of this woman refusing to leave this parking lot, like she's like camped out. Like, no, I'm not leaving. I want my husband. I'm not leaving this country. The news finds out and starts reporting like they're like setting up camp with her. Oh my God. Like a circus, like a circus. So, The lady is not leaving. The media started coming out to report on this. She initially wouldn't speak to the media, but then once she did start speaking, she started making demands to the government of land and money and then telling them that like they needed to be cleaned up. Like this, this country needs to be cleaned up and they needed to give her a land and money. And she would get this cleaned up. Like she was like, let's make my God. So this humanitarian who's like very well respected that was there got involved and his name is cheapa Okay, so cheapa is trying to help her and trying to translate and he's camping out with her trying to make sure Whatever. Mm hmm, and she kept mispronouncing his name as chupa Which has a very derogatory. Oh It's it means I believe I tried looking it up, but I couldn't find like a direct whatever. Okay. Um, but I believe it means suck it So Poor chia is poor chia now. Chia is now a meme. Oh, chia. Just trying to do the good. Oh my gosh. So as the circus continues, according to Bilal, our lovely little friend, Uhhuh um. All of these unsavory, like single men are now lining up to like, oh, well I can get a green card. Yeah. I'll marry you. right. Oh my gosh. Right. Even a blind man, well said. Well, I, she can take me over to America. I can get my eyesight fixed no This is crazy. This is a circus. So at this point, the humanitarian is able to get a hold of her son, who is saying that she's got some like mental illness going. No, you don't say. Yeah. So Chippa tries to take her to a psych ward over there. And later it was reported that she escaped and was found at the local McDonald's. So Chippa goes and finds her and he was like, Oh, just like give her whatever, so, she's like, I want two, like, double whatever burgers, I want two large fries, I mean ordered like one of everything, or two of everything off the menu, and this poor dude's like, what are you doing, She's eating both for personality. Yeah, they're like, who is she eating for? so after eating the McDonald's, they go back to the apartment complex. Where another young man is trying to be kind and like offering her food and there's video of her now like on the news there flirting with this guy. You are married! She's like, I really like the food here and like just above and beyond, right? So now another meme has started that, you know, she just likes those young boys. so as Um, yesterday, she was still there. Media is still following her. She now has a posse of people that is like her little gang. Oh my God. That just chills with her. And this includes a police officer that has been assigned to her, a female police officer who now this woman calls her best friend, like their besties. Yes. my good, just to make sure she doesn't hurt herself or others. I'm sure. Yeah. Yeah. So, and now like this hood complex, right? Is super protective of her They they've played her. Yeah, so she's still there She's still like wreaking havoc and making demands and and doing her thing But now she's got like a whole posse and like this is like the talk of the noose. Oh my goodness What do you think her people that are here think about her? They're like y'all can keep her i'm like like Mind blown. Mind blown. But before, during all of this, I guess somebody had initially dropped her back off at the airport and stayed in the airport for five days, just like hiding in the airport. cause she had nowhere to go. Um, I just like, this is just so bananas to me. But yeah, let's make Pakistan great again. Have you seen those? It's like, A thread, you'll find like a post somewhere and it's like, usually between races and it's like, okay, like black people would say y'all can have Kanye. Uh huh. Yeah. And we'll take Eminem. Yeah. And then the white people, I'm speaking for the white, race that we do not want To give you Eminem, but we'll give you Taylor Swift or something like that. Uh huh it sounds like they can keep her and that we know we don't want anything in return But this dude is like so genuinely like He, yeah, he is reporting. Is he, does he live there? Is he a friend? Okay. Yeah. But he speaks very, very, very good English. And he's like, I was on Tik Tok and just watching. He's like, you can look, I don't even really do Tik Toks, but there's so much misinformation going on and the stories aren't being told right. That I had to get on here. And he's like, I speak English. They'll understand me. Balal. Not all heroes wear capes. Yes. Yes. Balal is, is our new bestie. Nice. Who spills the tea. I'm going to have to find him. I'll link it oh my gosh, he's wonderful. Did you happen to see that Diddy had got taken to the ER? Yes. For knee pain or something? Yes, whatever. I know. Um, let him have his pain. Let him sit in it. Right. So I, you know, we had talked before about a documentary that was coming around and I I thought there were two. I can never find a second one. Did you ever watch one? there's one on Hulu that I haven't watched yet. supposed to watch it before this episode but i didn't yeah i think there was one or i thought there was one on prime and i looked and couldn't find it i might watch it when i'm scrolling through but yeah still so much stuff i i know and i hate to say this like i'm burned out on diddy yeah yeah i did see that they're supposed to be releasing the list of who accomplices or victims now accomplices. Okay. and then another bodyguard just did interview not too long ago. Okay. he did testify, in court already. Okay. About his stuff. Well, the Grammys were this week. You saw Beyonce one country music album of the year. No comment. Just putting it out there for the people. I saw that Jay Z bought Beyonce a gift this week. Yeah. Yeah. Did you see? That Kanye, speaking of Kanye, was not invited and he showed up with his naked. Oh my gosh. Naked wife. Who had basically just like a pantyhose skirt on. Yes. You could see nips and cracks and everything. Yes. Her hoo. All of the things. All the things. She looked so uncomfortable and then she was asked to leave. Well, they or they were asked to leave. They weren't invited. Right. Like, we, they crashed the party. We're not even glad you came. So can you leave now? And I wanna know what he said to her. I kept scrolling, trying to find it, but. They were trying to tag the people that read lips all the time like what did he say what and I've never found Yeah, any info there, but yeah, that was crazy Not a good look. No that was pretty much all I had I think to talk about. Okay, um, you want to do Am I the A Hole? Yeah! Okay. Okay. Shut up. Yeah. I'm already invested in it. Well, I know you like our wedding ones, so. Yeah, they're entertaining. Yes. Okay. Okay. Okay. So, this is by some dear, oldie lady. Yeah. Wearing a wedding dress to her brother's wedding. My brother and his wife planned a winter wonderland wedding. Everyone's supposed to be dressed in either silver, white, or light blue to fit the theme. All the outfits were supposed to be dramatic. Even my brother's wife said she didn't mind if they didn't even stand out. We were All supposed to look like rock stars. There was even to be a prize for the best dressed guest at the end, a fun game, and I wanted to play along. I saw a lot of his other friends were buying expensive gowns and they were looking gorgeous. I haven't been working so much as of late, so there was no way for me to keep up with it. I had dinner with them a few months before the wedding and my brother suggested that I wear my own wedding gown, white and silver, since I never ended up getting married. She agreed as well because other people were going to be in white anyway. The wedding came and I wore my wedding gown. I got complimented on it all night. I pulled no focus from the bride. It was quite clearly their night and I won the best dressed award. The wife was super nice the entire night. But then I didn't hear from my brother for about a week when I went over to find out what had happened. Apparently, his wife was extremely upset at me wearing the wedding gown and that I had ruined her big day. And the only person who should be in a wedding dress at a wedding is the bride. I agree, but I had former confirmation from both of them. So I didn't think it would be an issue. She called me a lot of names and my brother even said the way she's been talking about me, he's starting to regret marrying her. He's very protective of his siblings. I can kind of see where she's coming from and I feel like my dress has driven this wedge between them already. The guilt is basically eating me alive. She says, I'm an a hole and I should have known better despite her obvious reluctant confirmation and my brother says I'm completely fine and nothing wrong. I'm torn. Am I the a hole? No. She should have said something at the time that they were discussing it prior to the wedding. I kind of think she is. I think that that bride probably was like, surely she's not really asking me to wear a wedding dress. Well, she didn't ask. The brother brought it up. The brother suggested it and they were talking, they, and the wife was like, yeah, do it. So, Yeah, and I know she did, but she was probably, I don't know. Well, you can't get mad about it after, like. You can't, but she really should have known better, like. But it sounds like, I mean, other people were, I'm sure, wearing white and whatever. Right, I mean, I'm kind of on the fence because. I think that. Anything can be a wedding dress anymore, like it doesn't have to be the traditional whatever. and she said she didn't take away for the bride and groom, but still, like, I'm just even wearing something like this. Yeah, I think she's a little bit of an a hole. She could have found something. She could have had, okay, or this. She could have modified that dress so it didn't look quite so bride y. We don't know what it looks like. It looked very bride y in my mind. She's in a big ball gown. Yeah, and big, like an 80s wedding gown. You're right. We don't. And money was an issue. I get it. But also she could have bought a 13 dress on Sheen and true. I think a whole, I don't, I, I disagree. I, they had the whole conversation prior to the wedding. Yeah. And she was fine at the wedding. She didn't, you know, like, I, I, I disagree. I think that The wife or afterwards was like, oh, snap. Oh, snap She looked better than me. I Just I'm I'm kind of torn too on like you're inviting people to wear. Yeah this stuff. The wife, I think it like had regrets. I think the wife thought like, she wouldn't be bothered by the things. Yeah. And then was bothered by the things. Yeah. She shouldn't have left it open to people wearing white. That was to me. I was like, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. Like I, I get it. I get that you want your pictures to look nice and everybody to kind of map, but if you're asking people to wear white, that's opening up a whole can. I do think, though, I do think she's an a hole. I think she could have found something else somehow and not worn her wedding dress. Okay, well, I disagree. And if anybody's an a hole, it's the brother for bringing it up. Yeah. Now, I don't think that that should drive a wedge between them, though. Like, if, That seems very trivial. Yeah for them to be having that much issues over that well the brother probably had the same reaction. I did like dude. You said it was fun, right? And she's like, you know, she's like you're supposed to support me. You're my husband, right? So I'm sure that's a little bit of it. I'm sure it might not even like Make her like so mad, but it's probably that the brother is sticking it for the sister and like digging his heels in. There's a lack of support there. Yeah, probably. So I think that's, I don't know. I don't know these people, but that's what I think. We have these scenarios in our head about all these things. Created. Uh huh, we do, we do. Whole movie in my head right now. Well, I think Maybe not an a hole, but I do think it was very, to use a word my mom would use, crass. Okay. How do you feel though about them requesting people to wear something specific? Like I like the image of the everybody wearing same color and pictures, but I feel like that's a little yeah I love a good thing. Yeah, I do too. But I mean you're already You're already asking people. Yeah. Take your date, come to this wedding, bring me a gift. Dang it. And, um, dress up. Bring me cash. Okay. Right. Right. And by the way, when you dress up, wear puce that you don't look good in. I don't know. Yeah. It's kind of demanding. It's kind of broad zillish. It's a request. It's not a requirement. It wasn't like they didn't pass dress code. They're not getting in. Um, do we know that? We'll just say request. Everyone was supposed to be dressed. Okay. Well, I don't know if I came in like hot pink, I would be more pissed at that. Cause I would stand out. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, we have a lot of feelings about, about dresses and weddings. Apparently. I love a good wedding though. Do you want to come to my nephew's with me? I will come on. It'd be fun. Brian says he's going to eat popcorn. I watched the show. There's drama. I like drama. I know you do. I might need somebody scrappy in my corner. So I got your back. Yeah, you might, you might be bunking with me and Brian. I mean, not in that way, but you know what I mean? Yeah. Um, okay. So we're torn on that one. I don't know if you've ever been torn before on an A hole. Not this torn. We got our first. Okay. Agree to disagree. Yes. This is how it works, people. It does. Sure does. Okay. So our book. Okay. So if y'all are not our book people, this is your time to leave. We love you. Bye. Bye. So now for our, our, our true listeners, for those of you that are intelligent, thanks for staying. this week we did read The Drowning Woman by Robin Harding. Yep. and. I thought the book was done really well. I thought so too. Did you like it? I did like this book. Okay. Um, I had to do a little mental refresh because I read it almost immediately after. So, so I had to, um, to, to think about it. It's just been so long. Same. So we had two different point of views in this book. Yeah. and it switched halfway through. It wasn't like chapter by chapter. It was half of the book was Lee and half of the book was Hazel, which I, Kind of. I like, I liked it. There was no confusion. It was right. I didn't like when they stopped Lee's part cause I was like, what the crap? Like, what are we doing now? And then they wrapped it up at the end. Yeah. I loved that there wasn't too many characters to get lost in and she, because of the dual, um, point of view, like you really got to know these characters. You did. Yeah. You were like in it with them. You were very much in it and in so much that I was so depressed at the beginning of this book because they're talking about the, the one, was it Lee who had lost her job and was living in, or, well, because of the story opened, a restaurant during COVID or right before COVID. Yeah. She, Then had to close the restaurant with COVID and was taking loans to try to keep her staff employed and, and, and took loans from unsavory people. and when she had to close her restaurant for good, she wasn't able to pay those loans back and those people were threatening her life. Yeah. So she runs, she disappeared. She runs across country. Yeah. and. That's where we meet Lee. Yes. Lee is now homeless, lives in her car, and is having all sorts of problems with that. And she's like, working at a little diner. so she was like, like Steph said, she was the chef. She was the owner. She was the. All of the things. And now she's like grilling burgers and onion rings. She's not even cooking. She's just, she's a way l Yeah. I had a whole nother story in my head again, but yeah, so she's, she's not even like, she's, she's way overqualified for what she's doing. Right. but she's just doing what she has to do again, living in her car. And yeah, a string of bad luck with. Like you'll finally get enough money for something and then, well, so somebody tries, somebody breaks into her car while she's sleeping and steals her purse, which has everything in it, her phone ID, everything. and so then she's like, I need somewhere safe. She goes to a fancy neighborhood, and just figured, well, the cops come, I'll just drive away. She gets woken up by a woman screaming or crying, you know, yelling or whatever, and then a splash and she wanted to make sure this person was okay because she's still a kind person. And the world hadn't beat her down that much yet. but she finds Hazel in the ocean drowning. Yep. Yep. Or what she perceives as drowning. Right. So then that's where we meet Hazel. Hazel after she gets outta the ocean, tells Lee that she is in a contractual marriage. Cray Z. So she signed over, basically her life Yes. To be a slave to her husband. Yep. because her mom has dementia and is in a, a facility, facility facility that the, now husband is paying for. Yes. he slapped that on her right before the wedding, and said that if you don't sign this, I'm not marrying you. Yep. And your mom will be on the street. Yep. so. It like escalated. Like when they first met, it was like. And they're looking for a man with money. Of course. She got it. Be careful what you ask for. Absolutely. And then, like you said, all of a sudden before the wedding, it turned into, I think, did they call it master slave? Uh huh. Well, it was, total power of exchange. Yeah. That's what it was. Where she made no decision. Yes. She made no decisions. He told her what she was eating, what she was wearing, when to brush her teeth. Made her get Plastic surgery. Yep. Yeah. All the things. Um, that was crazy to me. Yeah. I am not built for that. Mm-hmm. Me neither. I would not be a good me neither one to do that too. some of the thought processes though, when they were trying to. Well, we can spoilers. like when they were trying to, she was trying to tell Lee what to do so she could disappear, and she was like, okay, go to my house. The money's in the drawer. You know, do all this stuff. Like the step by step by step by step was crazy to me. Mm-hmm Yeah. I, felt so bad. Because again, this is another you don't know what's going on behind closed doors. Yeah. I initially thought, well, maybe she's lying, you know, maybe she's not. She just wants her husband dead. Right. Right. I didn't know where it was going at first. Right. But Lee kind of judged her a little bit. Yeah. And that kind of made me, I mean, I think we all probably whatever. Yeah. We all judge, but I felt so bad for Hazel in that moment because you could tell that Lee was judging her. Like, you've got this beautiful life, like shut up. Right. What do you have to stop whining? Who cares if he tells you what to do? Yeah. and that, that was definitely the vibe. Yeah. and then it progressed and we ended up becoming friends. or so we thought, and I wanted them to join forces, but that was what they wanted us to think. Yeah. Yeah. and then, Lee starts dating this guy who in the second half of the book we find out is Hazel's lover. Yeah. Lover. Lover. Who they're setting up Hazel up to basically take the fall for a murder. She's a patsy. This was a very complicated book. Mm-hmm But it was told so Well, you don't get confused. I liked, I really, really liked the two points of view, telling the same story just from both of their perspectives. Mm-hmm And I mean, that's obviously how you learn all of the pieces, but that was done so well to me. Mm-hmm And they came across so different. Mm-hmm Like I listened to the book. You did too. Same. Yeah. even just like they. They came across so freaking different that you knew who was who, what was what. I loved the way it was done. Me too. Yeah. I thought it was so good. what'd you think about the smarmy, boyfriend lover? Oh, yeah. I'm picturing like the slime ball. Like, like thinks he's hot. Like, yeah, like ponytail, you know, yeah, yeah. And then he was a trainer at the gym that she went to. and he was also a client of her husband who is a criminal defense attorney, and he's a bad guy. Yeah. So come to find out the husband had put him to work in the gym to kill the wife. There was so, there was double agents, there was triple agents, there was just so much going on. So many double crossings. Yeah, yeah, I could listen to this again. I'm not because there's other books to read, but I could listen to it again to yeah Now that you have the end picture, Iman. Mm hmm. So, I thought it was great. Me too. If you all have not read it, I highly recommend reading it. Absolutely. and what would you give it? Oh, like a nine. Fame. Yeah, I thought it was so good. I would read more about her. Me too. Yeah, and this is the first book I think I read by her. Fame. And it was Great. It was very good. It was very good. Yeah. Read it. If you, if you didn't, well, if you're here, you know what happens, but it's much better when, Robin tell all of it though. No, no, but it, and it's much better when she, she explains it. Obviously it's why she gets paid the big bucks. Oh, our next book is every last fear by Alex Finley. Nice. And here is a blurb for next week. After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news. Nearly his entire family, his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister, have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and state police Department seem far less certain and they won't tell Matt why. The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn't the first time Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt's older brother Danny, currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte, was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he's never told anyone. The night Charlotte was killed, Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime. When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he's faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media and memories he'd hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny's case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison. Putting his own life in peril and forcing him to confront his every last fear. Told through multiple points of views and alternating between past and present, Alex Finley's Every Last Fear is not only a page turning thriller, it's also a poignant story about a family managing heartbreak and tragedy and living through a fame they never wanted. Now I'm excited about this book. I think the storyline sounds really good, but just when they said different points of view and different timelines, I'm going to have to take my medicine before I finish this one. I actually finished it. Okay. So, yeah, I think you'll enjoy it probably. It just sounds like a little, yeah, it's up our alley. Okay, cool. Yeah. I'm excited. So that's e week. We're already on e. Moving right through the alphabet. Oh, well, I'm looking to the kazoo because it has millions of dollars every year. Right. Not anymore. cool. Well, I think that's it today. I think so. Please like, subscribe, do all the things. We love you. Leave us a review. Please. We love you. Bye. Bye.