TFT Episode 4: Distracted Adventures

🎙 Episode 4: Short Attention Span Adventures

Some adventures start with a plan. These didn’t.

This week, Archie and Shelly follow the trail of distractions that led to much more than either of them intended. Archie meets someone with a curious connection to a folk legend and a habit of planting things that don’t quite belong. Shelly brings a desert tale of warnings ignored, trails misread, and a voice that was right all along.

Also in this episode:

• Porch philosophy with Seneca and a mysterious trail guide pamphlet
• The perils of wandering attention and why it’s sometimes the best detour
• A soft spot for forgotten intentions and half-finished maps

💬 Listener Vote:
Which tale turned distraction into destiny? Cast your vote at notquiterightgoods.com/pages/two-frogs-talking or on Instagram @notquiterightgoods.

🛍 This Week’s Tee:
From the Stick Figure collection: “I came, I saw, I forgot what I was doing.”
Your official uniform for spontaneous adventures and abandoned to-do lists.

Transcript

Archie 0:01

It looks like we might get a clean start.

Shelly 0:03

Hope we don't prove you wrong.

Archie 0:04

Uh, only one way to find out.

Shelly 0:06

Okay, here we go. Hi there. I'm Shelly.

Archie 0:12

And I'm Archie.

Shelly 0:13

And you found us on the porch for: Two, Two Frogs. Frogs. Talking, Talking.

Archie 0:20

One part telling tales,

Shelly 0:22

one part talking life. All parts.

Archie 0:24

All parts. A bit, a bit

Shelly 0:26

not,

Archie 0:27

not quite right, quite right.

Shelly 0:31

Banter and forgetfulness and distractions. Uh oh. Oops. I wasn't supposed to read that out loud, was I? No, no. Not unless we're making producer notes part of the show now. Oh, I knew not to read that. Oh, well, I mean, I guess that proves the point, though. Short attention spans can throw a wrench into things.

Archie 0:53

Sometimes making for good laugh or a good story.

Shelly 0:57

Honestly, this whole week's been like that for me. I opened the fridge this morning and found my keys on top of the yogurt.

Archie 1:05

Hmm. At least you put'em somewhere. You, you'd find them.

Shelly 1:07

And at least they weren't in the yogurt.

Archie 1:09

Oh. That, that would've put a new meaning and stir before eating.

Shelly 1:12

Oh, my fruit on the bottom would've tasted pretty metallic.

Archie 1:16

Yeah. Nice way to start in the morning.

Shelly 1:18

Mm.

Archie 1:18

Well check this one out. I ended last night in a bit of the same way. I tried to call someone with the TV remote, just sat there tapping volume up like I was going to answer.

Shelly 1:30

One time I made tea. Forgot about it. Came back three hours later and tried to reheat it with the bag still in it.

Archie 1:40

Oh, that's all right. That's not so bad. I definitely followed instructions for a cake one time.

Shelly 1:45

Mm-hmm.

Archie 1:46

And it turned out to be cornbread.

Shelly 1:47

What kind of cake was it supposed to be?

Archie 1:50

Red velvet. I frosted it anyway.

Shelly 1:53

You what?

Archie 1:54

Oh yeah. Yeah. I was going to a potluck. I couldn't show up empty handed.

Shelly 1:57

A cream cheese frosting, cornbread cake. I have to know. Did you try it too?

Archie 2:04

Now? What do you think? Course I did.

Shelly 2:06

Oh, that is chaos baking.

Archie 2:09

Well, it turned out to be delicious and it was the hit of the potluck.

Shelly 2:13

But you know, life is like that sometimes. You start out one way and you end up a completely another way, but maybe the better for it and hopefully intact.

Archie 2:25

And, and nothing extra unless it's snacks.

Shelly 2:28

You and your snacks.

Archie 2:30

Never go anywhere without them. Prepared, not

Shelly 2:34

paranoid.

Archie 2:36

You got it. And you know who else was known for being prepared? Who? Mr. Johnny Appleseed. Uh, but before I start, today's theme is"Distracted Adventures."

Shelly 2:48

Hmm. What kind of distractions are we talking about? Is it the kind where you walk in a room and forget why you walked in, and then you find a misplaced shoe in a potted plant, hopefully thanks to Ralph and not your own forgetfulness, which leads you to remember you need fertilizer? And before you know it, you are at the only earthworm farm in southern California getting worms for the compost bin.

Archie 3:10

And I bet you still don't know why you walked into that room in the first place.

Shelly 3:14

Not a clue. But the compost bin is being fully digested now.

Archie 3:18

Well, that's great news, Shelly. Poor digestion is no good even for compost bins.

Shelly 3:23

Hmm. You're right. And sorry for the"distraction" Arch.

Archie 3:31

See what you did there.

Shelly 3:32

Uhhuh, you were saying?

Archie 3:34

Right. Well, I, I got another tale from that, uh, same cross country summer in my twenties. Uh, you know, the trip where I ended up helping Pecos Bill, tame a tornado?

Shelly 3:43

Or as I like to remember it, the time you got hooked by a signpost.

Archie 3:47

Yeah, you could call it that too, I guess. But, uh, this happened a few weeks before that little tornado riding adventure. Mm-hmm. See, I was roaming the back roads in good old Betsy with that oddball roadside attractions, guidebook riding shotgun. Just me, Betsy, and a dog-eared guide to every world's largest ball of something between coasts, exploring one quirky stop after another.

Shelly 4:13

And your tools.

Archie 4:15

Yeah, of course. And my tools. Always my tools.

Shelly 4:18

Mm-hmm. That trip of your was the gift that kept on giving, huh?

Archie 4:22

You bet. So imagine this, I'm driving through the Midwest on a sweltering afternoon on the lookout for a quote unquote"mystery orchard" listed in my guidebook. Somewhere outside one of these one stoplight towns, I pull over at a roadside clearing where a crooked wooden sign promises world's smallest apple museum one mile, and there's this crooked arrow pointing toward the direction I wasn't headed. But I figured I might as well have a look. It wasn't on a map or in my direction, but some of the best finds aren't

Shelly 4:58

on a map or in our path. Following maw-maw's wisdom.

Archie 5:03

Well, it's never proved me wrong as far as I can tell. Well, before I get to the museum, I notice a fella in the field next door scattering handfuls of seeds every which way. Like he's feeding pigeons only, there aren't any birds, just him and those seeds. And he's a lanky guy. Overalls dusty from the road, a big messenger bag over one shoulder, and I swear, hand to God, a cooking pot on his head.

Shelly 5:31

Wait a second. A cooking pot as a hat.

Archie 5:34

Exactly. That's right, an upside down tin pot. Right on his head. Like he's ready to boil stew on his noggin. I immediately think Johnny Appleseed, real name John Chapman. Mm-hmm. The folk hero who wandered the frontier planting apple trees everywhere he went. Wore tin pot for a hat and everything.

Shelly 5:52

So here's where Mr. Appleseed comes in. Are you telling me you met Johnny Appleseed?

Archie 5:59

No, no, not, not the original. I mean, he's been gone since the 1840s, but darn if this fellow didn't look like his spitting image in modern form. Well, I, I hop on out of Betsy and I walk over, curiosity getting the best of me. I say,"Howdy. That's an interesting gardening get up you got there." He turns around real slow, like tipping the tin pot hat politely. And he says."They call me'Seed.'"

Shelly 6:25

So"Seed" is his name.

Archie 6:27

Just seed. Yep. Fitting too. Considering he's literally sowing seeds all over creation. I mean, the ground around us is peppered with little seeds he's flung, none of them in any neat rows or labeled or anything. Just a wild scatter shot garden in the making.

Shelly 6:43

And he's wearing a tin pot hat?

Archie 6:45

Yep. And I can't help but ask him about that hat. He gives me a gap tooth grin."Great, great, great Grand Pappy's idea."He says.

Shelly 6:55

And you're going to tell me that's Johnny Appleseed, he's referring to.

Archie 6:59

Sure am. It turns out he's a direct descendant of Johnny Appleseed. Whoa. Mm-hmm. Seed tells me he's honoring the family tradition, traveling the land and planting seeds wherever he roams. But unlike his famous ancestor, he's not just planting apple trees. Oh no. Oh, no. Seeds' got pouches full of all kinds of mystery seeds. Uh, he, he had apple, peach, pecan, wild flowers, cactus, you name it. If it's a seed, he'll find a spot and plunk it in the ground. No labels. No maps. He reckons Mother Nature should decide what grows where.

Shelly 7:40

Well, I guess that's one way to do things, but seems kind of scattershot to me and maybe a bit wasteful. But, I guess the birds don't mind a free buffet.

Archie 7:49

Uh, he certainly had a distracted way of going about things, and I would've thought the same. Usually planting seeds takes planting care and patience, but the birds didn't have time to get to'em.

Shelly 8:02

Really? Did they blow away?

Archie 8:04

Oh no, the opposite. See, while we were standing there, jawing, I noticed shoots already poking up here and there little green sprouts coming from some of the seeds he must have scattered earlier. One looked like a baby sunflower. Uh, another might've been corn or, or, or maybe a pumpkin vine. It's anyone's guess, but man's like a walking greenhouse gone wild.

Shelly 8:24

Okay. That, that is actually kind of awesome and also a little chaotic. Weren't the locals upset about random plants popping up?

Archie 8:32

Well, it's funny you should ask. As Seed and I are talking, a sharply dressed older woman comes marching out of the tiny Apple museum down the road. Mm-hmm. And she does not look happy. Mm. She makes a beeline for us wagging her finger."Hey. You there with the pot hat?" She hollers."Quit tossing your seeds all over my property line."

Shelly 8:53

Oh, no. Angry woman. Incoming.

Archie 8:56

Yeah. Yeah. I, I quickly gather that she must be the owner of that world's smallest apple museum and whatnot, and she's worried that Seed's uninvited gardening might choke out her prize apple trees, or, you know, at the very least, make a mess that confuses the tourists.

Shelly 9:12

Oh no, I had it in my mind that Seed was the owner of the museum. Oh no.

Archie 9:17

Seed, tries to explain. He says, uh, he's just doing what comes natural, spreading life around, but the owner isn't having it. She's concerned about mystery weeds and whatnot. Frankly, I can't blame her for being nervous. I mean, one of Seed's, fresh sprouts is twirling up around a fence post, like it might pull the thing down.

Shelly 9:36

Oh, no. Unlucky, you stuck in the middle.

Archie 9:39

You got it. So I step in with my hands up, all friendly, and I say,"Ma'am, I hear you. Random plants showing up can't be good for an apple orchard business. But" I say, I say,"What? What if this is not a nuisance? What if it's an attraction?

Shelly 9:58

Oh. Spinning the situation. Just like you.

Archie 10:02

Mm-hmm. Yeah. I gotta try to keep the peace. She just raises an eyebrow. She's not convinced.

Shelly 10:08

The hard type. Huh?

Archie 10:10

That's right. So I keep talking. Think about it, I say. I say, your museum celebrates Johnny Appleseed, right? Well, here we got his kin creating a one of a kind garden right next door, a mystery garden where no one knows what weird and wonderful plant will sprout next. It's like living folklore for your visitors. As I'm saying this, I'm already in motion. Mm-hmm. Because you know, me, I, I, I, I like to fix things up.

Shelly 10:37

I don't know if I'd believe a story if you didn't fix something in it.

Archie 10:41

Mm-hmm. That's right. So I, I, I grab a spare piece of plywood from the back of Betsy. Never travel without extra wood. I always say. Mm. And, uh, some of my trusty paint pens, and in a jiffy I've thrown together a sign"Mystery seed garden plants planted by Johnny Appleseed's, very own descendant." Mm-hmm. Real nice, like mm-hmm. Real nice like. Mm-hmm. I prop it up right where seed's been working. Now it doesn't look like a random mess. It looks official, like part of the exhibit.

Shelly 11:09

Well, that's quick thinking and fast work.

Archie 11:12

Mm-hmm. Uh, the, the owner adjust her bifocals and she reads a sign tapping her chin, and I can see the idea is warming on her. Just then a couple kids who were headed to the Apple Museum with their folks notice our sign and, and they wander her over asking their parents"what a mystery garden is." I flash the owner grin,"Ma'am,' I say, I say,"I reckon folks might pay to see something like this. Or at least it'll keep'em talking."

Shelly 11:40

Turning a problem into a tourist trap. That's so you, Archie.

Archie 11:44

Guilty as charged and hey, it worked. The owner breaks into a slow smile."Well, I suppose a few odd flowers along the edge won't hurt my apples." She said, oh,"Might even bring in some more curious souls." Oh, and what about Seed? Seed? Well, Seed's practically bouncing on his toes at this point'cause he's thrilled that his seeds get to stay. To sweeten the deal, I offer to help tidy up a bit. So using some spare rope and some stakes from Betsy, I section off Seed's planting area so it looks neat and intentional. A nice little plot right next to the museum path with that homemade sign front and center. Now visitors can walk by without trampling the seedlings and the owner can honestly claim a new attraction."See the mystery garden grow."

Shelly 12:33

Well, I hope the garden makes it into the revised road Atlas.

Archie 12:37

It's funny you should mention that Shell, huh? See, I, I sent a letter to the publishers of that roadside attractions guide. Mm-hmm. Right? And I told them that I told'em the story of Seed and I suggested that they add the"Mystery Seed Garden" to their next edition. Sure enough, when the new guidebook came out, there was a little blurb about an eccentric gardener's plot next to the world's smallest apple museum.

Shelly 13:02

Ooh, I wonder if it's in an updated atlas and don't go looking. I have an idea for a Christmas present.

Archie 13:08

Alright. Okay. I won't. I won't, but I've still got a little bit of the tale left. Okay. Now with the conflict settled the museum owner brings out a picture cold apple cider for the three of us, and we're sitting in the shade of a young apple tree clinking paper cups cider. Seed is beaming. He tells us stories he's heard about his great, great, great grand pappy, Johnny, and it's like history coming alive right in that yard. Tourist trickle over to peak at the garden and Seed proudly explains each little sprout. Even though he truly has no clue what most will turn into, which is part of the fun, he says.

Shelly 13:47

Like grabbing a handful of those mystery jelly beans. The fun is the surprise. Unless of course you get a gross one.

Archie 13:54

Yeah. Well, I'll tell you, I don't think he had a gross seed in the bunch. Just some overly enthusiastic growers that may need a little taming or they'll take over the fence.

Shelly 14:05

Oh, that has shades of the Miracle Oil and the Rampaging Community Gardens.

Archie 14:09

Well now that'd be something. Seed's seeds mixed with rev-oil.

Shelly 14:15

Yikes.

Archie 14:16

Mm. Yeah, let, let's hope those two don't run into each other on the road. Speaking of before I hit the road again, Seed reaches into his messenger bag and he presses a strange spotted seed into my palm. Oh."For you." He says"to remember our meeting." It's large. It may be a pumpkin seed or a giant bean. It's unlabeled, of course. I thank him kindly and I tuck it in my shirt pocket.

Shelly 14:43

So did you ever plant it?

Archie 14:44

You know, I did. I, I planted it in a pot when I got home just to see what happened.

Shelly 14:49

And what grew from Seed's seed?

Archie 14:51

Nothing.

Shelly 14:52

Oh.

Archie 14:53

Well, not for the longest time. I, I figured, well, maybe it was a dud, but I get this, huh. A year later I walk out one morning and I find that that pot was broken and a sapling as tall as me is in its place with pecans and apples growing from the same tree. Oh, Kid, you not, it, it was some kind of hybrid tree sprouting both tiny apples and pecans. I mean, how on earth? I have no idea. Seed's magic, I guess.

Shelly 15:21

Of course it would be some bizarre apple pecan tree. Geez, Arch. Your life is, is basically a string of, you won't believe this, but it's true stories.

Archie 15:33

Wouldn't you know it? So if y'all ever find yourselves a driving through the heartland and you spot a sign for"the mystery garden." Stop by, you might see an apple pecan tree or a 14 foot sunflower or heaven knows what else? All thanks to a quirky, distracted guy named Seed.

Shelly 15:52

Man, I got to admit Arch. I am really sorry I missed out on that trip. Who knew following a weird guidebook would lead to so many tall tales?

Archie 16:02

Sure did. That old guidebook led me to the darnedest places and people. And you know what? I wouldn't trade those adventures for anything. Sometimes the oddballs on the roadside make the best stories.

Shelly 16:14

Next time you take a crazy trip like that, I am coming along. No way am I missing out again. My mom will have to tie me down.

Archie 16:20

Deal cousin. Hmm, that's the deal. Just be ready.'cause with my luck, we'll probably stumble on a bigfoot running a lemonade stand or something. You never know on the roads.

Shelly 16:30

Now that would be something. Bigfoot with a lemonade stand. I thought they were notoriously reclusive.

Archie 16:38

Oh they are. Oh yeah. But you never know. There may be an entrepreneur in the bunch.

Shelly 16:42

And it would be like you to stumble across its path.

Archie 16:45

Yeah, well, you know, after the shock of it wore off, I think we'd end up swapping tales and it'd be kind of fascinating. Mm-hmm. Speaking of which, as far as tales go, uh. You ready to share yours?

Shelly 16:56

I am. But before I tell my own desert misadventure, I've got a classic one for you. A tale that's older than time, but still hits close to home. It's about Cassandra and, no, not the one who teaches hot yoga at the studio next to the Play N' Stay. I mean, the Cassandra.

Archie 17:16

Yeah, you brought her up last week. The woman who was fated to know the future, but not to be believed.

Shelly 17:21

Right. Now, this was back in the days when the Gods walked around like they owned the place. Cassandra was a princess of Troy: smart, sharp, and stunning. And the gods noticed, especially Apollo, who tried to woo her with his usual move: divine gifts in exchange for divine favors. If you catch my meaning.

Archie 17:47

I do.

Shelly 17:48

Now. She didn't like the notion of giving favors, but she did take the gift, the ability to see the future with perfect clarity. Every consequence, every downfall, every tragic turn, boom. Right in her mind, like a highlight reel.

Archie 18:06

She got the gift for free.

Shelly 18:08

Well, not for free, and I'm not sure you'd call it a gift after what Apollo did. See when she refused him romantically, because, you know, standards, Apollo, well, he got petty.

Archie 18:21

Hmm. A petty god is a dangerous thing.

Shelly 18:24

Tell me about it. But he didn't take back the gift. He twisted it. Now, Cassandra could still see the future, but no one would ever believe her.

Archie 18:35

Oh, so that's how that happened. The not being believed part.

Shelly 18:38

It is. Not a soul would hear what she had to say. Not her family, not her friends, not the Council of Troy.

Archie 18:46

Well, well, why'd she need to talk to the Council of Troy?

Shelly 18:49

Well, there was this giant wooden horse outside the city walls, and it was filled with Greek soldiers.

Archie 18:57

Oh, and, and they were at war with the Greeks, right?

Shelly 19:00

Yeah. A war that Cassandra had foretold. But of course, nobody believed. She also foretold that the war would be the end of Troy, and nobody believed that either. And now the Trojans thought this horse was a gift, a sign of peace from the Greeks.

Archie 19:16

Tell me, what would you do with a giant wooden horse?

Shelly 19:19

I have absolutely no idea. Put it on display. Maybe. I don't know. Anyway, Cassandra screamed till her voice was gone, that the Greeks were hiding in the wooden horse. She begged for the Trojans to burn it, throw it off a cliff, even just leave it where it is. She saw what they couldn't, and they were having none of it. The Trojans just rolled their eyes and blamed her for being dramatic.

Archie 19:46

Even after she had thrown out some predictions that had come true.

Shelly 19:49

Didn't matter, her words fell on deaf ears.

Archie 19:51

They brought that horse inside the gates, didn't they?

Shelly 19:54

They did, and they threw a party, one for the ages. And, once they had tired themselves out and passed out, the Greeks jumped out of the horse and burned the whole city to the ground.

Archie 20:08

Mm. And Cassandra had a front row seat to the disaster with no mute button and no way to help. That must have been frustrating as all get out.

Shelly 20:16

Well hold on to that. Because what happened to me in the Anza Borrego Desert wasn't ancient, but it had the same flavor. Some well meant warnings and a group of people who couldn't sit still long enough to take advice that might've saved their tents and maybe their leaders clavicle.

Archie 20:32

Are you a modern day Cassandra?

Shelly 20:34

You might say so, but without the gods, a war, and a gigantic horse.

Archie 20:41

Well, I'm intrigued.

Shelly 20:42

My story does involve a canyon collapse, some biodegradable incense, and a group of very well-meaning, if somewhat odd individuals who kept almost doing the right thing.

Archie 20:55

Almost doesn't usually get you where you wanna be.

Shelly 20:57

No, it doesn't. Now for the purposes of the story, it's high desert, late spring, Anza Borrego. Ralph and I were doing our annual four day solo camping trip when this woman pulls up in a jacked up forester and parks right beside me. And I'm a bit taken aback. I mean, there's a whole desert. Why park next to me? But, before I can get sour about it, she pops out wearing flowing linen and platform Tevas.

Archie 21:25

Oh, now that's a sight.

Shelly 21:27

She was that in spades. She introduces herself as Nova, no last name, and says she's heading a pop-up conservation collective called Whisper Watch.

Archie 21:41

Why do I feel like this ends with crystals and a lawsuit?

Shelly 21:46

You're not that far off. Nova invites me to a group session in a nearby wash. She says they've discovered an acoustic anomaly, a natural chamber that echoes the grief of the land. And I have to admit, well, she's got me curious.

Archie 22:02

Curiosity, the start of most good adventures.

Shelly 22:05

Mm-hmm. Life would be awfully boring without curiosity. And since we had nothing better to do, Ralph and I decided to check it out. And sure enough, the wash is beautiful. Mm, A little too beautiful, steep, rocky walls with erosion grooves. I recognize it for what it is immediately, a fragile zone flagged in ranger warnings. I tell Nova this. She nods,"Yes. That's why we're only holding morning sessions here." I suggest moving the group a little downhill where the rock is stable.

Archie 22:36

Gotta pay attention to those warning signs. They're there for a reason, but I'm betting they didn't.

Shelly 22:41

Well, actually, that's the thing. They agree. They even thank me. Nova says she'll lead the group out the next morning. She even gives me a flower infused bracelet as Thanks.

Archie 22:52

Wait, so so they listened.

Shelly 22:54

They did at first. But then they got distracted.

Archie 23:00

They got distracted? Mm-hmm. How'd they do that?

Shelly 23:02

Well, it was always something. Someone said they heard a new sand tone. Someone else just had to sketch the energy lines of a Joshua tree nearby, and a guy named Echo set up a solar powered gong, and they had to record its resonance.

Archie 23:18

In that spot exactly.

Shelly 23:20

Exactly. Something to do with the special energy given off by the wash formation.

Archie 23:26

It seems to me that setting off a gong in that area may be asking for trouble.

Shelly 23:30

For real. I mean, you really don't need any prophecy abilities for that. Just some common sense. Anyway, every time I reminded them, they said:"Just a little bit longer. We'll move soon." So I flag the perimeter, I make maps, I put up signs that say erosion risk caution. Nova says I'm"anchoring the transition with love," which is fine, I guess.

Archie 23:57

Uh, what transition is that?

Shelly 23:58

I honestly don't know, but she was so sincere about it.

Archie 24:03

I'm, I'm sure she meant it, whatever it was.

Shelly 24:06

Well. Morning came and instead of packing up, they started preparing for a desert listening ceremony. Ralph won't stop growling. I tell them we need to go now. Nova puts a calming hand on my shoulder and says,"You're right, Shelly. After this one last session."

Archie 24:27

Famous last words.

Shelly 24:29

Well, not last, thank goodness, but halfway through the ceremony, as Nova's standing at the center of the wash lighting sage, the rock above us cracks. Ralph starts barking. I yell for everyone to scatter.

Archie 24:45

Oh no, here it comes.

Shelly 24:47

Most of them do make a run for it. But not Nova. No. She stands right there and a chunk of sandstone about the size of a canoe drops right in front of where she's standing. Any closer, and she would have been squashed. As it was, she's thrown backward, bruised and dazed, but alive. The altar and listening speakers are destroyed by falling rocks. It's chaos. Someone screams"the earth is angry." Another starts singing, I think in E minor. I run to Nova. She's holding her arm at this weird angle and she's bleeding in a couple of spots. I patch her up, sling her arm, broken collarbone, and lead everyone down to a safer zone. The one I suggested.

Archie 25:33

Did they finally believe you then?

Shelly 25:35

Yeah, but they also said I"was a vessel for Gaia's preemptive wisdom," which I'll take, I guess. I felt more like a desert Cassandra.

Archie 25:49

Man, it, it sure would've been hard not to say I told you so.

Shelly 25:53

I hope I didn't gloat, but you're right. It was hard not to have the last word, but I decided it'd be better if I just made sure everyone was okay, packed up Ralph and headed home.

Archie 26:03

I guess sometimes it doesn't matter how many warnings you give, some folks need a fallen rock to hear what you said three days ago.

Shelly 26:11

For real.

Archie 26:13

Is that all of it?

Shelly 26:15

It is. Oh, so I guess we're moving on. Who told it best?

Archie 26:21

Yeah.

Shelly 26:22

Was it Archie's run in with the destructive relative of Johnny Appleseed and a mysterious growing garden,

Archie 26:28

Or Shelly's original tale with her cast as a modern Cassandra in the Southern California desert with a distracted bunch of conservationists.

Shelly 26:38

After the show, head over to Instagram at notquiterightgoods and vote. We're keeping score and the winner gets, well you get to decide.

Archie 26:45

Also on, on the podcast page, we've made a, a simple form that goes straight to Miley, our producer, where you can send in your suggestions for the winner's prize.

Shelly 26:56

And you can always drop us a line and let us know what you think of the show too. And maybe you have a tale, send them in, we'd love to hear them.

Archie 27:03

Mm-hmm. And we know you'll be considerate and not let words fly harshly. Criticism is one thing, but meanness is another thing altogether.

Shelly 27:14

You know, I was just thinking, do you ever think maybe distraction isn't always bad?

Archie 27:20

Uh, Shelly, we were talking about considerate comments.

Shelly 27:24

Right. That's important too. I don't wanna draw focus from that at all. It's just distraction is on my mind. I mean, sure, nearly got my group flattened by sandstone, but sometimes it leads somewhere interesting.

Archie 27:36

And, and sometimes it leads to a town full of lemon trees growing out of the sidewalk.

Shelly 27:41

Which is good for a Sasquatch with a lemonade stand, but maybe not so good for folks with bikes and strollers.

Archie 27:48

Well put, Shell. You know who else had way you putting words to thoughts?

Shelly 27:52

Well, I can name a few.

Archie 27:55

Well, lemme save you the trouble. I'm talking about Seneca, who famously said:"He who is everywhere is nowhere."

Shelly 28:04

Meaning if you're scattered every which way, then how can you be solidly someplace?

Archie 28:10

It's a good reminder to stay focused or at least to remember what you started. If you're scattered, distracted, or trying to chase every wild idea, you, you end up forgetting what you were actually doing in the first place.

Shelly 28:23

It's a good point you make'cuz. My quote for today isn't as thought provoking and its source is uncredited, but they're still wise words. Mine comes from a trail guide pamphlet that was halfway dissolved by the time I read it. It says:"There's no point in having a map if you never look at it."

Archie 28:43

Hmm. Yeah. Somewhere Seed is nodding in agreement. And also probably trying to plant rutabagas in a bird bath.

Shelly 28:51

Or planting seeds in a gas station median and calling it accidental agriculture.

Archie 28:58

We've all been there. Intentions are good. Follow through is well, don't get distracted.

Shelly 29:06

If you've ever forgotten what you're doing, mid task, mid-sentence or well mid anything, then you'll appreciate this week's shirt.

Archie 29:14

That's right. It's from our stick figure series and it says,"I came, I saw, I forgot what I was doing."

Shelly 29:21

Sums up this episode and most of my twenties.

Archie 29:24

Yeah, you can find that one and plenty more at not quite right goods.com. Designed for wanderers, the absent-minded and the easily distracted.

Shelly 29:34

Thanks for sitting with us a while.

Archie 29:36

Yeah, you're always welcome on the porch.

Shelly 29:39

Bye

Archie 29:40

bye.

Joe 29:43

This has been a not quite right goods production. Starring Joe Laureiro is Archie and Holland Renton as Shelly. Written, directed and edited by Holland Renton. Music sourced via Descript stock library.