Back & Stirred Up! Kicking Off Season 2 with Ed Gaither

Season 2 is officially here guys! 

I'm kicking off things with Ed Gaither, and we are talking all about the world of music, live events, retiring in Vegas, and what really goes on behind the scenes. Ed shares how he got in the business, some of his experiences working with artists and putting on events, and plenty of stories along the way. 

Of course it wouldn't be Socially Stirred without some laughs, real life convos, and getting a little stirred up!

Follow Ed on Instagram @gaithered343 

Follow me @cherylbethel_   and @socially_stirred 

Socially Stirred is available on all major podcast platforms  

Thanks for listening to Socially Stirred! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the show, leave a 5 star review, and share it with a friend! New Episodes drop every week! Connect with Cheryl on Instagram @socially_stirred and TikTok @itsmecheeky2 and join the conversation! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:15

Hey Bestie. So fully scared as that for season two. I am so excited to kick off this season with a really fun guest and a conversation you guys are not gonna want to miss today. I have local promoter Ed Gaither joining me, and we're diving into what he does, how he got started, the music and entertainment scene, and all the behind-the-scenes stuff that comes with really fun jobs. Um, so we have lots of things to talk about. We have lots of things to learn today. So grab your coffee, turn up the volume, get comfy, and let's get stirred. Ed, welcome to socially stirred.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Well, thank you very much. My name's Ed Gaither.

SPEAKER_03 0:56

Hello. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:59

This is all new to me.

SPEAKER_03 1:00

Oh, it's all right. We're all we're all new here. This is only season two, so it's very, very easy. So um tell us a little bit about yourself. You're a local to Taft, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:11

That's correct. I was born and raised in Taft.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

Awesome. So was I. Were you born at Taft Hospital?

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Yes, I was.

SPEAKER_03 1:16

So was I.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:18

Yay. All right. So um, yeah, just give us a little, give us a little bio of you.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Well, um, like I said, I was born and raised in Taft. I moved to Bakersfield in '86 because my job was up in Tacheapi.

SPEAKER_03 1:32

Oh, okay. What'd you what'd you do?

SPEAKER_00 1:34

I was a firefighter.

SPEAKER_02 1:35

Oh, I did not know this. Oh, okay. See, I get to learn all sorts of stuff today. I like it. I like it.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Yeah, I spent um my career with 34 years as being a firefighter. Started at 18.

SPEAKER_03 1:45

Nice. Did you did you always want to do that? Was that something like you were like passionate about, or was it just like, oh, this sounds fun?

SPEAKER_00 1:53

I was raised around it. My dad was a firefighter.

SPEAKER_03 1:56

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:56

And so as far back as I can remember, I was uh always hanging out at the firehouse and how fun. Helping them out and helping the guys, going on calls and everything else. So I wanted to be a a framer, uh frame houses. Oh, okay. And I did that for three years, and I said, well, not as fun. There's gotta be a better job.

SPEAKER_03 2:15

Yeah, definitely, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

So I started testing and uh became a firefighter.

SPEAKER_03 2:21

Fun. And you really enjoyed that. Where did you primarily work? Like around this area or did you go all over?

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Well, I started off um at Taft City. Oh, okay. Um, call fireman. Then I worked seasonal for Krohn County for three years.

SPEAKER_03 2:36

Fun.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

And then I got on with the state of California.

SPEAKER_03 2:39

Oh, so you got to go everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Yes. Yeah, we went on campaign fires up and down the the state of California.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

And um spent 30 years there.

SPEAKER_03 2:49

Nice. And did you retire from there? Yes. Yeah, nice. And what uh oh, go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Well, I retired in 2010.

SPEAKER_03 2:56

Oh, okay. So yeah, so you've been retired for a little bit. Yes. Yeah, enjoying life.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Yes, always. Yes. I gotta stay busy.

SPEAKER_03 3:02

Definitely. Yes, so staying busy. So what do you do now?

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Well, um, right now, I I live in Las Vegas.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Oh, I love Las Vegas. I used to have a dog named Vegas.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

It's the happiest place on earth.

SPEAKER_02 3:15

It is the happiest place on earth for adults. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

And um, I've been living there since uh 2010.

SPEAKER_02 3:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

And what made you move there?

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Um, the real estate market crashed.

SPEAKER_03 3:28

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

And so um shopped for about a year and uh went to a bank auction and got a uh condo.

SPEAKER_03 3:35

Oh, nice, okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

Right downtown, right about five blocks from Fremont Street.

SPEAKER_03 3:40

Oh, so you're like in the mix.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

Yes, I'm in the city of Las Vegas.

SPEAKER_03 3:45

Yes, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

And um, I also have a place here in Taft. Nice little condo. So I just go back and forth.

SPEAKER_03 3:53

It's not, and you know, now that they fixed the road, it's not that bad of a drive. No, they cut out that terrible part, and so now it's really, really good. So good.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

Yeah, as soon as you hit the West Side Parkway, it's four four lanes all the way to Vegas.

SPEAKER_03 4:06

So nice. It's so nice, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 4:09

So, um, like I said, I I have the best of both worlds. I'm real busy here.

SPEAKER_03 4:15

And you retire in Vegas?

SPEAKER_00 4:16

I can go to Vegas and just do nothing.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

Nice. So speaking of being busy here, what do you do here now?

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Well, I um I do work for general production also.

SPEAKER_03 4:26

Oh, okay. I over I know, I know that place well.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

I oversee their nighttime um security.

SPEAKER_03 4:32

Oh, okay. Oh, so you freelance as security?

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Well, I work for GPS.

SPEAKER_03 4:36

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

I I was a part of a business that we took care of all entertainment needs when there's a concert or any type of um event, we would um give them the security, um, stage hands, um ushers, concessionaires. We would give them all those people that need help.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

How'd you get into that?

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Well, uh, the guys who I partnered with, I worked for the um Kern County Fair for um from 94 till 2011 and uh worked at the Bud stage.

SPEAKER_03 5:08

Oh, okay. So, oh, so you got to do so. You had another fun job. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

Well, it's one thing about being a firefighter, you do get some time off to do some other stuff.

SPEAKER_03 5:17

Yeah, okay. That's cool. So do you love doing that? Like, is that something how'd you fall into that?

SPEAKER_00 5:24

Well, I I started out at the Kern County Fair as an auditor where I audited uh nobody likes those people. I know all the food booths.

SPEAKER_03 5:34

Oh, okay, nobody likes those people.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

So we had to audit um all the books and everything for what they sold every day, and another job opened up backstage uh at the Budweiser Pavilion. And I said, okay, that sounds more fun.

SPEAKER_03 5:49

Uh yeah, people like those people. You have lots of friends now, I'm sure. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:54

And so um uh transported talent back and forth, um, set up catering in their dressing room and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 6:02

Oh, see, that's I would love that sounds fun. I like that. So who's the most famous person you've met? In Bakersfield or just doing this job, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Doing the Well, I used to be a seat filler too down in LA.

SPEAKER_03 6:17

Okay. I need to hang out with you. How fun. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Seat filled down in LA for about 11 years.

SPEAKER_03 6:26

So what is that? Ness like you just sit in seats?

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Yes. When when there's an award show, and when somebody gets up to get their award during the commercial break, they'll load up the seats with other people so it looks busy on TV.

SPEAKER_03 6:42

Oh, okay. That sounds really fun.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Yep. And um got to escort a couple times. They'll give you some uh an entertainer or an actor or actress, and you're their body double for the whole evening. Oh, fun. Okay. It's it's it was fun.

SPEAKER_03 7:01

Yeah. How so do you still do that or no?

SPEAKER_00 7:04

I'm too old now. They want young people on TV. Oh, dang it. I know. I know. But um, yeah, I got to uh meet some interesting people. Um I escorted uh Vanderholyfield in Vegas right after he got his ear bit by Tyson.

SPEAKER_03 7:22

Oh, I remember watching that. I was l I was a kid. Um is he giant? Are they just huge people?

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Well, no, not really. He's not that not that big of a person. He's stocky, but did not real tall. Just not real tall. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:35

Okay. How was that? Was he mad?

SPEAKER_00 7:37

No, no. Uh in fact, uh I was a little disappointed to to get him as a escort because I wanted, you know, Garth Brooks or something like that. But since that happened, everyone came up to him and talked to him. So I got to see a lot of other people. And so that was uh that was fun.

SPEAKER_03 7:54

How fun. Wow, you I did not know you had all these different uh jobs.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Oh, yeah, we got to walk the red carpet and all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_03 8:04

How neat, yeah. Are people nice down there? Like, are is there nice people? I mean, I'm sure there's nice people and mean people. Are most people nice though?

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Yeah, as far as I'm concerned, because they're dependent on you to show them where the green room is or hair and makeup where their seat is. And yeah. You didn't have to go out and pull them out of their seat, you know, to tell them to go backstage and get ready for their their part of the event.

SPEAKER_03 8:28

How fun. That's very, very interesting. Do you do you did you enjoy that? Do you get to take friends with you and stuff? Yeah. How fun.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

I um I got to uh go to Vegas before I lived in Vegas. There's some award shows there.

SPEAKER_03 8:43

Oh, yeah, they do quite a few, like the uh iHeart Radio, I know they do that. Yeah, how fun.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

And um first started getting into it at for the Academy of Country Music.

SPEAKER_02 8:53

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

So we got to escort down there, and so it just snowballed into um just doing different stuff on my days off.

SPEAKER_03 9:02

Yeah, I bet. What's the craziest, like um what's the craziest request you've ever had? Did you do you take requests from them or do you just tell them what to do?

SPEAKER_00 9:15

No, you just kind of sit back and um don't be in their way and and um if there's something that they need, they'll ask you, or their handler will ask me.

SPEAKER_03 9:27

Do a lot of them have bodyguards?

SPEAKER_00 9:29

I wouldn't say bodyguards, they have their people, their people, yeah, people around them. And um quick interesting story in Vegas, um, I was escorting uh ZZ Top. Uh and so they had a little during the the practice or rehearsal, they had a curtain catch on fire. And so they said, Hey, can we get everybody out here? And so I told Z Z Top that you know we have to go outside and we'll they'll put you in this tent and ran into an old classmate of mine. He was doing sound for Access Hollywood.

SPEAKER_03 10:02

Oh, I remember that show. I love that show.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

And and so uh he goes, Well, what are you doing here? I said, Well, I'm escorting ZZ Top. Well, you think we can interview him? I said, Well, I can ask him.

SPEAKER_03 10:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

And so that was interesting seeing another Taft person.

SPEAKER_03 10:16

Yeah, because you wouldn't you wouldn't expect that, definitely. How neat. So, how does this how do all these different jobs and all these different things you've got to do, how do you use that in Taft? Like, what do you how are you bringing this to our little town?

SPEAKER_00 10:30

Well, I'm I'm not sure if I'm bringing anything, but uh it was just something to keep me busy and and uh just kind of like I said fell into it. And so um um but when I was doing concerts in at at um at the Bedweiser Pavilion at Kern County Fair, um I learned a lot. And so I bring that education here when I do uh do events. Um Eldorado, I think of two fifth 2015 we put on Old Rado Oil Stock music. That was so fun. Yeah, we put we put that on three days, um 15 entertainers and yeah, that was that was there was a lot.

SPEAKER_03 11:11

There was a lot going on. That was a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

Yes, yeah, and um it was a an experience because I never did that before and and it went smoothly.

SPEAKER_03 11:20

Yeah, it was awesome. What I what I remember experiencing it was really awesome. I don't know about working it, that probably was a little crazy, but um it was a five-year job. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:31

Most of my most of my events that I plan, I take five years.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

To plan them out.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

Yeah, well, I there's a lot.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Yes. More you plan the less hassles you get the day of.

SPEAKER_02 11:43

I agree. I love that. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

But um, so uh that's just one of my hobbies.

SPEAKER_03 11:52

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 11:53

And uh, so we used to do different stuff just to just to keep busy.

SPEAKER_03 11:57

Are you so speaking of Oil Dorado, are you involved every Oil Dorado now, or what how does that work?

SPEAKER_00 12:03

No, no, I've never been a part of Oil Dorado. I used to put on events during Oil Dorado.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

Oh, okay. So separately, but in tan. Okay, okay, I gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

And um one of my first events was uh we put on a car show, you know, down there at the old Safeway parking lot. And that turned out that's what got me started on maybe doing events and then um um spent five years on working on the um the gala up on 25 Hill.

SPEAKER_03 12:33

Uh oh, so I went to that, but I was running for Oil Dorado Queen then. That I didn't know that you had that you that was your event at the time, and then I learned now, um, because Stephanie Molina had told me that, but that was awesome. Yes, that that was a five year uh uh yeah, because you guys had a fair like okay, tell us all about what you had up there.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

Okay, well, um we kept on selling out, so we had to expand the tent, and so we had a 12,000 square foot tent up.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

I remember it being just a long yeah and windows so people can see how you that's what I that's what I remember, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:08

And um uh we had a fair swill up there. Yep. We did, but we didn't. It worked the it worked on the the night before when we had a little private party up there and worked perfect next day, it wouldn't stop.

SPEAKER_03 13:23

Are you kidding? Oh, so nobody could get on it, no one can get on it.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

So I just told the guys just keep it going. I go, I go, there's 600 people that know it doesn't work, but there's 9,000 people thinking we're having a blast.

SPEAKER_03 13:35

Yeah. And I don't think I ever knew that.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Nope.

SPEAKER_03 13:39

Well, awesome. Well, so you've had some pretty good events so far in our town.

SPEAKER_00 13:44

Well, I try, I try to do something different.

SPEAKER_03 13:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

And uh like I said, I worked on that for five years with uh Debbie Reed and Charmaine Brooks.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

Oh, I remember Charmaine, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

They were in the their head of the chamber at the time. Nice, and um, and they were great to work with. I I said, we just gotta keep it secret for four years. How hard was that? It wasn't hard for me.

SPEAKER_02 14:08

Yeah, it's hard for girls though.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

And uh and trying to sell sponsorships to people that you can't explain what's going on.

SPEAKER_03 14:15

Yeah, that's probably that was probably tricky. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

So a lot of people um got sponsorships and and uh I raised um 30,000 for uh for the chamber. I think we grossed 90 some odd thousand.

SPEAKER_03 14:30

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Yeah, but it took a lot to put it on, put on.

SPEAKER_03 14:33

I can I can imagine. I remember we got to write up in a limo up the road. Yeah, it was that was a really cool event, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 14:41

Yeah, they definitely they always auctioned off uh their galas um a dinner for six up on 25 Hill. And so that was always the the most popular um item to bid on.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

And so I asked Charmaine and uh Debbie if they want to uh have a gala up on 25 Hill. And it fell into I mean, everything went smooth on getting the old.

SPEAKER_03 15:05

But did that mean it was meant to be?

SPEAKER_00 15:06

Yeah. Air Energy came on board, said, Yeah, you can use our property. They did the leveling of the uh site, and and they were great to work with. And they never said no to us.

SPEAKER_03 15:19

Hey, I like those kind of people. I like it, I like it. How fun. So um what have you been working on recently?

SPEAKER_00 15:27

Well, we're going to have a um concert at the Fox on October 9th. It's uh Twisted Gypsy, it's a um cover band for Fleetwood Mac.

SPEAKER_03 15:37

Oh, that's gonna be awesome.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Um our we sold out all the VIPs. So that was uh about 105 people.

SPEAKER_03 15:46

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

And um, so now we just have general mission that's uh that's available. And so if you're lucky enough to get a VIP pass, um we're having a uh McLob Ultra um party for the VIPers. Nice and um dinner from um Fagati's, even better.

SPEAKER_03 16:06

Love Frigates so good. There's creamy Italian dressing is so good. You have creamy garlic, yes, so good.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

And then um that lasts until seven, then we open the doors for everyone else. Plus, there's some um different entertainment for the VIP party.

SPEAKER_03 16:22

Oh, nice! Well, that'll be really cool. I'm so excited about that. Yeah, Taft needs needs some fun stuff, and everybody loves Fleetwood Mac, so I can't wait to hear of them. They're probably gonna be really, really good.

SPEAKER_00 16:34

Well, I'm I'm hoping. I mean, we can only be as successful as um the people coming to it.

SPEAKER_02 16:39

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

And um in fact, how we got this group is they're playing the night before over in Bakersfield.

SPEAKER_03 16:46

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

At the um Music Hall of Fame.

SPEAKER_03 16:50

Nice that's downtown, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:52

Yeah, and um, so we had to get permission from the owner of the Music Hall of Fame because you can't book another group within a certain mileage in certain days. Oh and so since we piggybacked on his for the next day, he gave us permission we can do that.

SPEAKER_03 17:08

Oh, okay. I didn't realize there was a that was a thing.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

Oh because you know we don't do anything to upset his ticket sales.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

Right. Oh, I didn't even think about it like that. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

And so um uh our general admission, I believe it's 40 bucks. Oh, that's not to get in.

SPEAKER_03 17:26

And for a concert nowadays, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

And over there in Bakersfield is 70 for general.

SPEAKER_03 17:31

Oh, okay, perfect. So see, succumb to Taft and you can see them a little bit cheaper. Yeah, you get a little bit of a discount. That's right. And you get to have fun. Taft Taft is fun.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

Yeah. So um, and plus we divided the the big fox theater. We divided it so um we can adjust the size of the audience to whatever event we're having.

SPEAKER_03 17:52

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Because if you just have it open, people will just scatter everywhere and you don't have that nice tight.

SPEAKER_03 17:58

Yes, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

So um we've worked on that throughout the year to to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_03 18:05

Well, yeah, speaking of the Taft Fox Theater, you have done a lot for that place.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Yeah, uh, me and uh Sherry Black and some other volunteers, John Dowden, he helped with the electrical.

SPEAKER_03 18:18

I used to see you guys there every single day when I worked next door, and I was like, what are they doing? Um, it looks fabulous.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Well, thank you very much.

SPEAKER_03 18:26

You guys did an amazing job. It it's really nice to see it come back alive because it's such a neat building. It's such a and they're it's a it's a historical monument, right? Or they want it to be.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

It probably could be.

SPEAKER_03 18:41

It could be, okay, because I remember like when I worked next door, I am not kidding you. At least five times a week, people would stop, get out of their car, stand in the middle of the street, take pictures of it, walk around it. I've seen people paint it. It's a really cool place. Yes, it it's so pretty.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

That neon is is its own artwork.

SPEAKER_03 19:02

Oh, it's cool.

SPEAKER_00 19:02

If you really look at it real close.

SPEAKER_03 19:04

Yes, and you've did a lot of painting. You guys really, yeah, really have um spruced that place up.

SPEAKER_00 19:10

Yeah, everything used to be neon lights inside the lobby. So I did not know that. And then that worked, so we put all new lighting in there and and so we can change the colors, you know, to whatever movie's showing.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

I love that.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

And so so far, Taft has been um supporting it.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

They've had a great couple weeks with uh Spider-Man.

SPEAKER_03 19:33

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

And uh so they're still averaging probably 40 or 50 people a night.

SPEAKER_03 19:38

Good. I re well when I work next door every evening, I would always see a ton of people, and I'm like, that it just made me happy because I'm like, okay, that means we won't lose it. And your hard work won't go to waste. And it's just beautiful. If if you guys get a chance to drive by, stop by, it really really at night, go at night. It's beautiful. It's really, really, really, really nice. So um, thank you to you.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

Well, thank you very much and all your friends for you know, I mean, we have great I have great memories as a kid because we used to stand in line. When line used to go clear around the block.

SPEAKER_03 20:10

I remember when they didn't even have the new theaters yet, it was just the big one. Yeah, it's it's a really cool place.

SPEAKER_00 20:17

So it's a um it's a great uh staple in our community.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

And um the rec um leases it from the the owner, yeah. And so um and to see how that works out.

SPEAKER_03 20:31

Yeah, so I mean, so far it seems to be doing good. Steph does great, you know, she's always there and she employs all the kids around town, and it's just a it's it's a very good thing for our community, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

Yeah, they get first round movies. Yes, and if they can't get a first round movie, it's it's not that they couldn't get it, but sometimes they don't want to have a movie that's there for three weeks. Right. No, I'm and so when you're down to two theaters, uh it kind of restricts you on what you can get.

SPEAKER_03 20:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:59

So I still enjoy it. Uh I do too. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 21:03

I like me and my girlfriends go all the time, especially when they're playing a scary movie. And Steph is really good. Um, a couple times I've seen movies that have been coming out, and I'm like, oh, are you gonna get that? And she's like, Oh, I hadn't thought about it, and she'll watch it and she'll be like, Oh my god, yes, we're getting it. So it's it's nice to have that small town thing to where you can be like, ooh, you should try this, and they do it. Right. So it's just we have a very unique and fun and great community here, actually.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Yes, it's uh it's um you know, when the movie's popular, you know, usually the tickets will sell out online. Yep. And uh and so when people get there right before the movie starts, and sorry.

SPEAKER_03 21:40

I know, and it's crazy, and people like it's taft, and it's like, yeah, it is taft. People want to do stuff. So absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 21:47

So that's been that's been working out.

SPEAKER_03 21:49

Yeah, so you've been busy.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

Yes, yeah. We we put a in one of the small theaters we um put a stage in.

SPEAKER_03 21:56

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 21:57

Um that's where where we had comedy show in. There before.

SPEAKER_03 22:00

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:01

And um then whoever we have there as guest speakers and and whatever type of events people want to rent that out for, they can rent it out.

SPEAKER_03 22:10

That's good to know. Okay, that's nice. Yeah. How fun.

SPEAKER_00 22:14

So we we built it up from not just movies, but they can have other to utilize it for other things.

SPEAKER_03 22:20

Yeah, because I noticed they had, I think, preschool kindergarten or preschool graduation there. One of the preschools I had had a graduation there, yeah. So that's good, which I'm glad. Use it.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 22:30

Use it or lose it.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Yeah, we had um the tap tie band play there, and we had the tap tie um choir this last spring for their concerts in there.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

Oh, good, good, good, good.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

It helps us out, you know, because everyone buys concessions and and um, you know, we usually uh give it to them and let them use it.

SPEAKER_03 22:53

Yeah. How fun. And they also had a haunted house.

SPEAKER_00 22:56

Yes, you you participated in that.

SPEAKER_03 22:59

That was so much fun. I loved it. That was I was skeptical when I heard you guys were doing that. And I was like, how are they gonna do a haunted house in the movie theater? It was awesome. Oh, it was so good. Yeah, Renee, Renee did a great job of it. She did so good. I was so happy to be able to do that. It was a lot of fun. A lot of people went too. Yes. I think it was fairly popular.

SPEAKER_00 23:20

They had um, you know, I think we had it for two years, and so uh we had great participation.

SPEAKER_03 23:28

Yeah, it was fun. That was that was a good, that was a good time, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 23:31

A lot of work. Yes, especially for, you know, you know, you had to be down there just about every night. Yes, yeah, set up and tear down and take it all down, and yeah. It's always fun to decorate.

SPEAKER_03 23:43

It was yeah, yeah, it always it is fun to decorate, and you're like, yeah, this looks great. And then when you go to take it down, you're like, oh my god, why did I do that? I didn't mean to use all the tape or all the glue. Then it sinks in. Yes, definitely, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

But um, that's it the next um event I'm working on. Then we have another announcement.

SPEAKER_03 24:02

Oh, okay. I I have that button somewhere. I'll have to find that.

SPEAKER_00 24:08

We're gonna have another concert on November 21st. It's um the group's called Bridge. They come out of um Las Vegas and they're uh dooming cellos.

SPEAKER_02 24:19

Oh, okay. I don't think I've ever heard that.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

They play Led Zeppelin, A C D C Metallica, Soft Rock, Adele, everything.

SPEAKER_03 24:30

Okay, I'm down for that. And you said November 21st? Yes. Okay. Is that the weekend before, right before Thanksgiving break? Oh, that's perfect, right?

SPEAKER_00 24:38

And so um, we haven't announced it or anything. Okay. So I'll post something later on today or tomorrow on Facebook on Save the Date.

SPEAKER_03 24:47

Absolutely. So we'll and so tell me all about it.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Well, you guys doing the same scenario. We'll have the Mikkel Bolterp um VIP party.

SPEAKER_03 24:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

And we'll have the dinner before.

SPEAKER_03 24:57

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

And um, these guys did come to Taft before um for the oil stock music festival.

SPEAKER_03 25:03

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:05

I first met them. Um they're just playing on Fremont Street, and they keep on moving up. So now all they do is corporate stuff.

SPEAKER_03 25:14

Oh, that's awesome. They fly around and we're see, you could start out on the streets and you can make it. That's right. Nice. Well, how fun. So um, and you're gonna be you're in charge of this event, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 25:28

Yes, yes. So um that's all we have for this year going on at the Fox.

SPEAKER_03 25:35

Well, that's still that's good. That's two big things. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

Back to back. It's gonna be interesting to see if people will go to back to back. If they do go to back-to-back events, and then we'll start keep on booking.

SPEAKER_03 25:46

Yeah, absolutely. And now is this an all-ages event or is this a 21 and over event? Like how are these how are these set up?

SPEAKER_00 25:53

No, it's all all ages.

SPEAKER_03 25:54

All ages. Oh, perfect. Okay, that's good.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

So um, you know, if you're in the orchestra, come and watch Bridge.

SPEAKER_03 26:01

Yeah, no, that sounds fun. I'll have to check it out. I don't get to make the Fleetwood Match, I don't get to meet uh, sorry. I don't get to make what are they called? What were they?

SPEAKER_00 26:10

Oh um Twisted Um Gypsy.

SPEAKER_03 26:12

Twisted Gypsy. I won't get to make that. We have football. So Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:16

That's how I know we picked an out-of-town game.

SPEAKER_03 26:18

I know. Well, yes, good for the because not everybody goes out of town, but um my son's a senior, so I gotta, I gotta be there. But I can't wait to hear all about it. I can't wait to see pictures, post some videos. But yeah, that that'll be fun. But uh hopefully I'll be able to make the cello one because that sounds fun. I'm very interested in that.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

Yeah, it's very interesting. And they'll bring in um one other person that plays violin to participate. And okay. So, like I said, when they start playing, you know, the the Led Zeppelin and Metallica.

SPEAKER_03 26:48

How fun. So now you said there's VIP tables. Is it all sitting or is there standing room too? Or how is this how is it set up?

SPEAKER_00 26:57

Yeah, each person um um a lot of people bought tables. Okay. So each table holds eight people.

SPEAKER_03 27:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 27:05

We held um one table back for individuals.

SPEAKER_03 27:08

Oh, nice, okay.

SPEAKER_00 27:10

And um, so yeah, they have they'll be at the table the whole night. They don't eat in one location and come in to the theater.

SPEAKER_03 27:18

Oh, okay, so cool. It's like so it's a dinner and a show. I like it.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

Nice, okay so they can just sit there the the whole night and enjoy it.

SPEAKER_03 27:27

Nice. Well, that's good. I'm excited. I'm excited to have things to look forward to. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

Besides every five years.

SPEAKER_03 27:35

Yes, I know. Which I mean, I love. I love me some Oil Dorado, and so does everybody. But it yeah, this is good. This will be a nice little addition to Taft.

SPEAKER_00 27:44

Yeah, I just saw that um they're gonna have a New Year's Eve um party at the at the um El Dorado event center.

SPEAKER_03 27:53

Oh I think El Dorado's putting it on. Okay, I think I did see something on Facebook. So that'll be fun, yeah. Cause I don't think there's been like a huge party like that put on.

SPEAKER_00 28:03

No, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 28:04

Usually just go out and just do yeah, we stay, we usually stay home, but if there's a party, yeah. I mean I'd like to have a little bit of fun, absolutely. So that'll be fun. Yeah. Are you involved in that? No, no, no, completely separate.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Are you gonna put are you gonna I don't know? I I usually go to Vegas for New Year's.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

Vegas is hard to beat, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

Since I I live in a high rise, so we have our own party up on the roads.

SPEAKER_02 28:28

Oh, okay, yeah. I would probably do that too.

SPEAKER_00 28:30

And we're perfect location for the fireworks and everything, but uh I might stay back and go. Check it out.

SPEAKER_03 28:38

Yeah, yeah, how fun. Um speaking of Vegas, do you love it? Do you like live? Do you like do you like being able to be there when you want and have a little bit of a break?

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Like I said, it's the best of both worlds. Yeah. I don't mind the drive. Yeah, because I usually drive maybe in the middle of the night, you know, put on the someone's podcast. Hopefully mine. And just sit there and uh listen to it, and I'll be in Vegas and you know, in about four hours, four and a half hours.

SPEAKER_03 29:08

So are you fully retired when you're in Vegas? Do you just hang out and do stuff or do you like do anything there or no?

SPEAKER_00 29:15

Um, well, when I first moved there, I was a driver for MGM.

SPEAKER_03 29:19

Oh, fun. How fun. So you get to I love I love that you pick fun jobs. I love you need to be a hairstylist next. I can sweep the hair. Yeah, you guess.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

But um, I worked for them for about a year and a half. Nice. And um, because when I first moved there, I go, man, I love to drive one of those rolled Rolls Royce's or Bentley's.

SPEAKER_01 29:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:41

And so I got on for MGM and and every so often, you know, if you have a pickup and it's it's all the people that gamble to qualify for airport pickup.

SPEAKER_03 29:54

For the free ride and the rolls. I wonder how much they oh, I don't even want to know. I'm sure that there's not.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

Um so every once in a while I get to drive one. It wasn't an everyday car. So but um yeah, it's if at NGM there's a place called the Mansions.

SPEAKER_03 30:12

I've heard of that.

SPEAKER_00 30:13

And uh if you didn't know where to look, you wouldn't you won't see it.

SPEAKER_03 30:17

Yeah, because it just looks like an office building, actually. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:20

And um, I think the smallest one's 3,200 square feet. Oh and the biggest one's like 125.

SPEAKER_03 30:26

Oh, just a little, just a little place to stay.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

So that's where the high rollers go or celebrities that are playing for EMGM.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

Have you been in one of them?

SPEAKER_00 30:36

Never been inside one. No, I just sit outside and wait for the person that needs to be driven around. Nice. Um I saw um Drew Brees, quarterback. I hauled him before and Cher.

SPEAKER_03 30:51

I saw her before because she Does she look as fabulous in person as she does the best looking grandmother in the world.

SPEAKER_00 30:57

Uh what is her secret?

SPEAKER_03 30:59

She looks fabulous. What is she did she talk to you? No. No. Do did do any of them really talk?

SPEAKER_00 31:04

No, not really. I don't approach them that way. Yeah. If they're gonna talk, they'll they'll talk, they'll open up. Yeah. And so you see, you know, different people, different, you know, types of money running around.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

Uh-huh. I bet.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

And there's certain people that will come every month and you get to know them, and they like to go to In N Out Burgers, so that's where you take them, and so it's it it it was fun.

SPEAKER_03 31:29

I bet. That sounds like a fun, that would be fun. I like that. Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

It's different. Yeah, you'd have good nights on tips, and then other nights, you know, not as good, but yeah, but it just I took it as something to do.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

Yeah, I wasn't there for the health insurance or anything like that, you know. And I was just there just to have fun. So um, the guy that trained me, he lived there since he was in college, and now he's probably about 55. And so he's been there a long time. So it's all about connections in Vegas. And so, in fact, I talked to him last night, and this is this is uh probably a soft number. He probably goes to about 300 shows a year.

SPEAKER_02 32:14

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

And uh some of them he pays for. He has a lot of connections that we get to go to uh the shows for nothing. Nice.

SPEAKER_03 32:22

And when you say shows like concerts or just any type of show, it can be any type of show.

SPEAKER_00 32:27

Okay. It can be a cover band in a 50-person theater, or it can be um Paul McCartney or Wings or I mean um Queen or So just anything, anything and everything.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

How fun.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

He'll call me up and say, Hey, I got tickets for this. So um that's nice. Yeah. That's a that's a perk. Yes. Because I was by the time I got to Vegas, I'm too old to get connections. You know, you gotta be there for a long time. Yeah. And when I worked for MGM, it kind of kind of puts you a little bit on the inside on on meeting people that had the the inside that can get you get you uh the free stuff. But yeah, but I don't have that connection.

SPEAKER_03 33:10

Yeah, how fun. But just to, you know, hang out and be around and like you said, drive a rolls. Hi.

SPEAKER_00 33:16

Yeah. Yeah, it was different. Yeah, it was different. And uh, and so uh I experienced that and and uh and it was fun. Nice. But everything turns into a job.

SPEAKER_03 33:28

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 33:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:30

You know, when you're a little man on total pool, you're working graveyard. Which I didn't mind, you know, because I know that was uh that was part of the gig.

SPEAKER_03 33:38

Uh I w you know, the midnight shift is probably where a lot of stuff goes down.

SPEAKER_00 33:42

Yes, I can tell you some. They used to pick up the women of the night right where we park our limos. You know, they always escort them out there to their vans. No. Because uh uh they have uh the police department have plants inside the the casinos so they can monitor. So they can if they get um solicited, yeah, they haul them off.

SPEAKER_03 34:09

So because it's technically illegal. It is illegal in Las Vegas, right?

SPEAKER_00 34:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 34:15

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:16

There's um the only place I know where it's legal is uh by Reno.

SPEAKER_03 34:21

Okay, that's what I was thinking.

SPEAKER_00 34:22

It's not in Las Vegas, then I don't know what counties are, or I know it's not legal in Clark County.

SPEAKER_03 34:28

Okay, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:30

So uh so it's a different, different atmosphere.

SPEAKER_03 34:33

Definitely, definitely how fun. Um, what else?

SPEAKER_00 34:39

Well, what else is on your list? What else do we need to talk about? We also um uh myself and Sherry Black and Don Black, we um got the community Christmas tree.

SPEAKER_03 34:51

Oh, yes, let's talk about that. Yeah, because that's how long have you how long has that been?

SPEAKER_00 34:56

Well, we did it the year after COVID.

SPEAKER_03 34:58

Okay, so five years now. So this will be the fifth year.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 35:01

Nice, okay. Yes, tell us about that because that's awesome. Wow. That is a really fun thing.

SPEAKER_00 35:05

I I uh uh talked to Dave Knohr. We're at the river, and I said, What do you think about a community Christmas tree? If we're gonna launch it, it might as well be right after our two years of staying in your house. Yep, because you want to look forward to something. And he goes, That'd be a great idea. So we uh we raised 20,000 and um and I didn't I didn't go after large donate donations, I went after um people wanting to give the ten dollars to twenty dollars because I wanted to the people who are gonna be there and enjoy it and actually participate in it, yes. Yes, not that we don't like big donors, but sometimes community needs to yeah, the ten dollars and twenty dollars makes a difference, yes it does. So we solicited for over a year and um then ordered the tree out of Texas because everything's bigger in Texas, everything's bigger, and so it was a commercial grade. Oh, it's beautiful, it's it's an amazing tree, absolutely, and the city's on schedule to put us a permanent uh stand down there.

SPEAKER_03 36:12

Oh, good.

SPEAKER_00 36:13

So they're supposed to work on that sometime in October.

SPEAKER_03 36:17

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 36:17

I'm hoping, yeah. If not, we'll go to plan B. But um, but so far the people's been um um coming out and enjoying it.

SPEAKER_03 36:29

And it's really, really nice. How long does it take you guys to set up?

SPEAKER_00 36:32

Oh, we can do it in a in a day.

SPEAKER_03 36:34

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:36

Yes, you know, I I get all my friends out there.

SPEAKER_03 36:39

Yep, gotta get those abuse and abuse. Yep, friends, that's what they're that's what your friends are for.

SPEAKER_00 36:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 36:44

Hey, I need help.

SPEAKER_00 36:45

Yep, I'll give you pizza.

SPEAKER_03 36:47

Do they start asking now? What do you need?

SPEAKER_00 36:51

And so um, yeah, if it wasn't for uh the people that helped me, you know, I'd be lost.

SPEAKER_03 36:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

But uh, but that was that was a fun project. I handed it over to the West Side Recreation Department. And so uh la last year was the first year we did put a fence around it.

SPEAKER_03 37:10

I noticed that. And it seemed every it seemed to go well.

SPEAKER_00 37:13

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh you know, I said, well, other towns don't fence their tree in, and so let's try it. Try it. If they abuse it, then we'll just buy it whatever it needs to be fixed. Yeah. And so um that was a fun um project to work on.

SPEAKER_03 37:30

Yeah, it is fun. Because you guys have like hot chocolate stand down there. Um, I noticed there was like painting down there, caroling. Yeah, a lot of things.

SPEAKER_00 37:41

Yeah, we had the high school um choir down there and uh a couple um two-piece bands down there, and and uh kids can write letters to Santa.

SPEAKER_03 37:52

Yeah, oh yeah, Santa was there a couple times.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

Color um ornaments and and so uh nice it's good memories for the kids.

SPEAKER_03 38:00

Absolutely. No, and it's and it's nice to honestly to drive by and see a nice big Christmas tree because I don't know, I love it's just it's just nice. Yes, it's a nice setting, it just makes everything pretty and you know it brings the community together, and that's you know, that's what you want.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

Yes, something uh that they can look forward to.

SPEAKER_03 38:20

Yes. And how long do you guys have that up for?

SPEAKER_00 38:23

Usually uh we do we set it up probably three or four days before the Christmas parade.

SPEAKER_03 38:30

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 38:31

Then we tear it down right after Christmas.

SPEAKER_03 38:33

Nice, yeah. So it's up for a good amount of time. So ha enough time for people to come by, take their pictures, hang out, and do all the things.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

And since it's not um behind the fence anymore, they can come anytime they want.

SPEAKER_03 38:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:46

Lights turn on every night. Nice. And uh so they can have their Kodak moment.

unknown 38:52

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 38:52

Kodak is a camera that used to be very popular in the 70s and 80s.

SPEAKER_02 38:58

Uh it was yeah, that's been popular. Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 39:03

But it was um again, it you know, you try to do stuff for the community that it's everyone would be in, would uh be involved in.

SPEAKER_03 39:15

Yeah, and it'll last.

SPEAKER_00 39:17

Yes. Yes. As long as I'm strong enough to and have friends to set it up. To voice that thing up.

SPEAKER_02 39:24

Yeah, definitely. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

Um, let's see, what else is uh me and uh Sherry Black, my road dog, she uh she helps me out on all these things.

SPEAKER_03 39:36

She's so funny. I love her, she's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 39:39

And uh so we did a class reunion. Oh we spent five years on planning this class reunion.

SPEAKER_03 39:44

So you really do plan everything for five years. Okay, so what's a five-year plan class reunion like?

SPEAKER_00 39:50

Well, we did it for uh four classes. Oh, okay. That makes okay. And um which was pretty easy because each class has a responsibility of of um getting their own cater or contacting their own people and everything else. And so we could have um four different caters there, or we can have two classes, one of the same cater, so it was something different. So how we set this up, we had uh uh beer and wine tasting on Friday, and then we went over to the high school game, and then after the high school game, we had um a band playing. Nice, and of course, this is during Oil Dorado.

SPEAKER_03 40:34

Oh, I I was just gonna say, when was this during Oil Dorado? Yeah, it's just easier because everybody's here already and everybody's hyped and everybody's having fun. There's lots of things to do, so yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_00 40:46

Everyone wants to do something, yes, and um then the next day um we rented bleachers so for the parade. Oh, and so um um everyone can go down there and sit on the bleachers, we all together, yeah. And then we had lunch for them afterwards. Then that night we had uh the dinner and the dance. And um a good friend of mine that used to work for Advanced Beverage, which is Budweiser, he was always my connection to get the Clydesdales to come here.

SPEAKER_03 41:19

They're so beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 41:21

So we had the Clydesdales, we had two Clydesdales out of class reunion.

SPEAKER_02 41:24

Oh, I love that. Did everybody get their picture with them?

SPEAKER_00 41:26

Yep, you can you can um just go up and pet them and um be more purchasable instead of them, the whole team that's set up.

SPEAKER_03 41:34

Yes. Oh, how pretty.

SPEAKER_00 41:36

And then the next day they're at the in a parade for Eldorado, and that day after that they're in Texas for the World Series.

SPEAKER_03 41:43

Oh, so those horses are real busy too. Dang, okay, they have a schedule.

SPEAKER_00 41:47

So they went from a class reunion to a parade to the world series.

SPEAKER_03 41:51

Hey, not a bad life.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

No, not a bad life, and so uh that was fun, and we donated 8,000 to the service clubs. We had five five service clubs that we divvied of the money that we made and uh gave it to them and uh kind of pay it forward.

SPEAKER_03 42:09

Yeah, well I like that. Well, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 42:13

That was fun, and um but other than that, uh well we did work on the the American Legion.

SPEAKER_03 42:20

Yes, that place is so nice, it it's gorgeous in there.

SPEAKER_00 42:25

Yeah, we spent um roughly three years on remodeling it. Yeah, we did the wiring, then COVID um came in, and so that was kind of nice because uh it was close.

SPEAKER_03 42:37

Yeah, nobody was out, so you didn't have to worry about it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:39

I didn't have to worry about cleaning it up every every Thursday night.

SPEAKER_03 42:42

And well, you can definitely tell so you can definitely tell time was taken, and it is a very nice place, and it's really cool to go in there and be comfortable, and everybody seems to enjoy it, and it's really you guys did a really another really great job.

SPEAKER_00 42:57

Thank you very much. But uh yeah, um when I was talking to uh Gary Summers, he he used to be the um um head of the legion, and I guess they're getting ready to close down. Oh and so um I did something I never do. I g I wrote him a check because um I I'd rather just go in and help an organization and build up their um their marketing strategy and and everything else so they can survive after I after I'm finished with them. Yeah. And so I asked him, uh, do you want to remodel and remarket this this thing and and get more people that's um um in the community involved.

SPEAKER_03 43:42

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 43:43

And he said, Yeah. So uh we raised a little under eighty thousand and um and uh just started remodeling. Got air conditioning, you gotta have air conditioning.

SPEAKER_03 43:55

You have to you have to in this place, yes. Well it's be it's Good for you. I didn't I did not know that about that. So nice.

SPEAKER_00 44:04

Yeah. So it's um I was there last Friday. They're opened every Friday.

SPEAKER_03 44:08

Oh, okay. Every Friday.

SPEAKER_00 44:09

You can rent it out for private parties.

SPEAKER_03 44:11

I've been to yeah, I've been to a couple. It's it's nice.

SPEAKER_00 44:13

What's nice is you can have a party in there if you only have twenty or thirty.

SPEAKER_03 44:17

And it seems like it's packed. Yeah. Yeah. It's real it's really, really nice. It's a nice hidden little gem. For sure. Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

So um it's still working out for them.

SPEAKER_03 44:29

Yeah. No, they seem they seem busy all the time every Friday that I've noticed. Yeah. They c they're open for cruise nights. They advertise on Facebook. I see, you know, they have potlooks and they, you know, they do try to do a lot in the community as well. So it's I'm glad that we still have that.

SPEAKER_00 44:44

Yes. And they also they uh they'll have karaoke night or they'll have a a guy playing guitar or something to bring people in.

SPEAKER_03 44:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:55

Because there's not much choices here in Deft. No, unfortunately. There used to be.

SPEAKER_03 44:59

There used to be, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:00

Used to be a lot of choices. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:03

Now, you know, but but we do have some gems and that they have held on, and it's we're very fortunate to have what we have for sure.

SPEAKER_00 45:11

It's a different atmosphere. Yeah. It's um, you know, where you can uh have a com conversation and listen to music and yep, so not be bombarded with things.

SPEAKER_03 45:24

Yeah. Definitely, definitely. So well, I have enjoyed talking with you. I I've learned so much that I did not know. And I didn't know you were the jack of all trades. I love it. I'm telling you, you need to be a hairstylist next. That is next on your, you know, it's just a natural progression.

SPEAKER_00 45:44

But uh yeah, I I've tried to do different stuff.

SPEAKER_03 45:48

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 45:49

And like I said, when I had a working as a firefighter, you know, it gives you a lot of days off. And so you just look at uh different uh options you have. Yeah, you know, like when they have the Olympic Olympics coming up, they always have volunteers. Yeah. You can sign up for that.

SPEAKER_03 46:07

So what are you doing for the Olympics?

SPEAKER_00 46:09

Well, when they're back in, I think back in 80, when they had that's I'll just wait for them and come back again. Well, I I didn't know it was going to be uh almost 50 years.

SPEAKER_03 46:21

Yeah. So do you plan on going?

SPEAKER_00 46:24

I would like to.

SPEAKER_03 46:25

I want to go too. But I think everything that I want to see is the popular stuff, and I think it's already sold out or it's impossible to get into, but I'm gonna try.

SPEAKER_00 46:33

I think there's always someone selling a ticket.

SPEAKER_03 46:36

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_00 46:37

And if uh plus nowadays, if you see it on Facebook that uh you can get into the drawing for the tickets, you don't know if it's real or not.

SPEAKER_03 46:47

I know, that's the only thing. It's like mm-hmm you don't want to get scammed.

SPEAKER_00 46:51

Yeah. And so and so um but since it's only 90 miles away.

SPEAKER_03 46:56

I know, just drive down there and see what happens.

SPEAKER_00 46:59

Yeah. I mean, hey. Well, one quick story. Uh me and my friends, uh, we went down to the Super Bowl down in Pasadena. Oh just uh on a whim. Party on the could you park on the golf course?

SPEAKER_03 47:13

I mean, tailgating, hi.

SPEAKER_00 47:14

So we just had a TV and and uh set out there on the golf course, and it was a blowout game. And so me and my uh buddy Gary Rennie, we uh said, well, let's walk around. There are so many people leaving, we walked right in. So we got to see the second half of the game. Awesome!

SPEAKER_03 47:32

How fun see? Hmm. Okay, so I'm driving down through the Olympics, no ticket and no plan, and I'm gonna find my way in.

unknown 47:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:39

You have better credentials than I do. I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_03 47:45

How fun. But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:47

Yeah, but that's what I've been busy with the last 30 years.

SPEAKER_03 47:52

Um, yeah, I would I would say definitely, definitely busy for sure. Absolutely. So what's next for you?

SPEAKER_00 47:59

Well, we're gonna see how these concerts turn out and um see what the future of the Fox is gonna be.

SPEAKER_03 48:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:07

Um because you know, there's a lady down south that owns it, and she can say, I want to sell it.

SPEAKER_03 48:14

Yeah. And so you gotta kinda wait and see, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_00 48:18

Yeah, you hate to book too far in advance.

SPEAKER_03 48:21

Just in case, yeah, because you don't wanna have to refund and you don't want to have to cancel, you know, nobody wants to do that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:28

And so we'll see where um where that's headed. And um that's about it. Well, I mean time for a break. Oh, sure. What's a break for you?

SPEAKER_02 48:40

Going back to Vegas for a week, and then you're like, okay, well, I gotta get back to Taft.

SPEAKER_03 48:44

No, I love it. I love that you're still so involved in our community. Um, you are definitely an asset. Um I didn't I did not know how much of an asset you were until this. So um, you know, we appre hopefully people appreciate you. Um, I think they do, and I definitely do because our town needs people like you.

SPEAKER_00 49:05

Well, uh you just try to, you know, make it better than than what you had. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Always try to improve it. Yeah. And everyone likes to go to a party.

SPEAKER_02 49:15

Uh yes. Absolutely. We all do.

SPEAKER_00 49:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 49:20

So, well, good.

SPEAKER_00 49:21

And there's a lot to do in this ta in Taft. I mean, if you really think about it, you can be busy almost every night.

SPEAKER_03 49:27

Oh, there's something to do, yes. Whether it's a sporting event, the community garden, which that has been popping off. It's so cute down there. They have done a good do are you involved in that?

SPEAKER_00 49:37

Yeah, I just I'm almost finished with my project down there. It's gonna be a ladybug and butterfly sanctuary.

SPEAKER_03 49:45

Oh, that'll be cool. So tell okay, tell us about that because I don't know much about the community garden. Is it open to the public? Is it open? How does this work? So, how will we get to go see the butterflies?

SPEAKER_00 49:58

Um what we'll what they'll do is um Wendy um um oh geez, I knew it. Wendy Berry. Berry and Tessa Clark, they're kind of like the head of it. Okay, did a fantastic job.

SPEAKER_03 50:10

The pictures I've seen, I every time they have an event, we have a game out of town. Um, but the pictures I've seen and I've driven by, it's gorgeous.

SPEAKER_00 50:18

It is. They they turn that thing around 180 degrees.

SPEAKER_03 50:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 50:23

And um, and so I said, Well, I don't I don't want to plan anything because I'll just kill it. Oh, yeah. And so I said, I like to have a uh ladybug and a butterfly sanctuary. Yeah. And so I'm 90% of finished with building that. And so I just planted the plants that butterflies and um ladybugs like. And so I'm I'm trying to get it where they can survive going through the winter time and and we can um maybe get the population up and then let loose so many of them and build a population up.

SPEAKER_03 51:02

So well, that's neat. Well, I'm definitely interested in that. It's like I said, I've seen the pictures. I haven't been in person, but I just the transformation from what it was till now is just is just really good. So, okay, uh another amazing thing in our town that you're in involved with.

SPEAKER_00 51:19

Yeah, and you can um rent a box if you want to have it.

SPEAKER_03 51:22

Oh, you can okay. Have your own garden and uh Nancy Davis, she's there and she does a she does a great yeah, she does a lot of she raises the bar. She does, yes. She's been um involved in a few things that I've seen, and I'm like, okay, yeah we we see you people out here making our town better. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 51:40

Yeah, she always raises the bar on how everything looks. Yeah. So and uh yeah, you need to go by and take a look at it.

SPEAKER_03 51:48

Absolutely. Now, the produce that comes out of there, are you guys gonna have a farmer's market? Like what do you or is it just for personal consumption?

SPEAKER_00 51:55

Like what's well each person's um grows their own.

SPEAKER_03 52:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 52:01

So if they don't want it, you know, then they pick it and they just try to find a place to go to give it away to. That's cool. So a lot a lot of different types of um vegetables down there and uh and flowers and everything. So like I said, it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_03 52:17

Yeah, I can't wait. I'm gonna have to make it a point to go down there soon because um, like I said, pictures don't, I'm sure, don't do it justice. So Anna need to see this butterfly and ladybug sanctuary. I love that. I love butterflies, they're so pretty.

SPEAKER_00 52:30

So I'm trying to figure out how to how to get the uh the worms and flying them in there and everything else so they can turn into the butterflies.

SPEAKER_03 52:38

Oh yeah. So how fun.

SPEAKER_00 52:40

I gotta get ed educated.

SPEAKER_03 52:42

Yep. Gotta start going around and seeing what you can find.

SPEAKER_00 52:45

I gotta go Google it.

SPEAKER_03 52:46

Hey, I Google a lot of things. Google and chat. Okay, don't come at me, but I use chat a lot. It helps me every day. Every day. Do you guys have a TikTok? Do you have a TikTok?

SPEAKER_00 52:58

No.

SPEAKER_03 52:59

Ed, get a TikTok.

SPEAKER_00 53:02

I barely have Facebook.

SPEAKER_03 53:04

Okay. I'm telling you. TikTok is where it's at. It yeah, especially when you get the garden going and the butterfly. Yes. Get one of these kids to help you out. Yeah. That's what I have to do. And Google it. Yes. But yeah, no, that'll be fun. I'm excited. I'm excited for everything that you have coming up in our town. That's amazing and great. And everybody needs to come check this out. Um, I will link. Do you have a do you have Instagram?

unknown 53:32

No.

SPEAKER_03 53:32

No? So you just Facebook? Okay. So I'll um I'll get some I'll get some info for you from you and I'll post it all on my socials as well. So if anybody has any questions um and who to contact and things like that. Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you coming on here. This is my first episode of season two.

SPEAKER_00 53:49

Yay! Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:51

Coming in with a bang. We got all this information. We got concerts, we got butterfly gardens. We have it all, you guys. So just remember you heard it here first.

SPEAKER_00 54:00

Don't forget the day of the dead.

SPEAKER_03 54:02

Um, yeah, okay. I don't think we talked about that. Did we talk about that?

SPEAKER_00 54:05

No. Um the Taft Chamber of Commerce is gonna put on the Day of the Dead celebration.

SPEAKER_03 54:11

Yes, and that's November 1st. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 54:14

And um, I'll be building the monument for that where they can come up and put the where is it gonna be at? Uh right now, you might want to talk to Stephanie, but um, they're looking at uh the Eldorado Event Center parking lot across the street from Joe's.

SPEAKER_03 54:32

Oh, so something outside. Okay, perfect.

SPEAKER_00 54:34

Yeah, so people can visit it anytime they want.

SPEAKER_03 54:37

Okay, that'll be neat. Okay, so I'll get some more info on that. Yeah, you need to get Stephanie. Yeah, and I'll post that on all my socials. And if you guys, like I said, have some questions, I'll try to answer it and I'll shuffle them to the people who have the most information, definitely. So, but yeah, so um thank you again. Oh, you're welcome.

SPEAKER_00 54:56

Thank you for the invitation.

SPEAKER_03 54:57

Yes, uh, this has been great. Like I said, I learned a lot, a lot, a lot about you, a lot about things that you do around town. And you know, again, um, you're very appreciated.

SPEAKER_00 55:06

Oh, I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_03 55:08

You've done an amazing job, like I said, with the theater, it's gorgeous. Um, you've really revived that. And so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 55:15

Well, if it's a if it's a project I believe in, you know, I'll give it 110% and yeah, get everyone involved in it.

SPEAKER_03 55:24

Well, it's working. You have lots of friends and you people really enjoy that. So um, once again, um, thank you so much. Thank you. You're welcome. We'll see you guys later. All right, you guys. That's a wrap on today's episode. A huge thank you to Ed for coming on and hanging out today. Make sure you guys follow him on Facebook and Instagram, and also you can follow me, Cheryl Bethel, and the podcast Socially Stirred on Instagram as well. And don't forget, Socially Stirred is streaming on all major podcast platforms now. Yay. So make sure you guys follow, subscribe, and share. And again, thank you guys so much for listening. And until next time, you can see that.