Holiday Road Trip, Family, And Food

The rain started before sunrise and so did the stories. We drove 13 hours to Wichita for a week packed with caregiving, cooking, and a smoky casino that taught our teens more about odds than any math class. What we brought home wasn’t just leftovers, it was a sharper sense of what makes holidays work: clear boundaries, shared effort, and small rituals that outlive a single season.

We get honest about hosting in a small space, why “help” that adds three babysat kids isn’t help at all, and how to say no without blowing up the family thread. In the kitchen, we found a groove cleaning as we cooked, tag-teaming the dressing, and leveling up a Costco smoked turkey with butter, seasoning, and the perfect reheat timing. Two mac and cheeses entered; the lobster mac edged out the classic for one of us, while pumpkin cheesecake started a civil war. Between bites, we talked through the pull between big gatherings and intimate moments and why rotating hosts keeps the joy intact.

Nostalgia shows up too. We swap JC Penney catalog memories for the modern magic of keeping Santa believable, the value of a family-only breakfast, and the case for locking up phones so conversations can breathe. The theme underneath it all is connection: sharing recipes with the story and the tweak, not just a link, and passing down the know-how that makes food taste like home. We wrap with gratitude, finals week strategies, a budding DJ playlist, and the reminder that holidays are a practice, notice more, thank more, help more—so peace can find its way to the table.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who hosts, and leave a quick review telling us your most underrated holiday tradition. Your notes shape what we cook up next.

Don't forget to Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe.

Thank you for listening!

Chapters

• 0:00 Warm Welcome And Holiday Catch-Up
• 1:34 The Long Rainy Drive To Kansas
• 3:20 Caregiving At Home And Family Time
• 4:05 Grandma’s Casino Trip And First-Time Lessons
• 5:38 Thanksgiving Menu Wins And Misses
• 8:32 School Finals, DJ Dreams, And Winter Break
• 10:07 Story Of The Week: Believe It, Sister
• 13:16 Boundaries, Babysitting, And Holiday Drama
• 19:26 This Or That: Holiday Traditions
• 24:02 Big Gatherings Versus Small Moments
• 27:06 How The Holidays Changed As We Grew Up
• 34:06 Traditions We Hope Our Kids Keep
• 37:46 Sharing Recipes And Keeping Connection
• 42:24 Side-Eye Moments And Kitchen Teamwork
• 45:49 Safety Scare And A Prayer At Dollar General
• 48:24 What We’re Looking Forward To
• 51:20 Gratitude, Perspective, And Closing

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:03

The refreshingly normal podcasts.

SPEAKER_03: 0:24

Hello, happy holidays. This is the Refreshingly Normal Podcast. I am one of your great hosts, not the greatest.

SPEAKER_06: 0:35

Because the greatest is right here. Amen.

SPEAKER_03: 0:38

Say that, sister. I am Kefla.

SPEAKER_06: 0:40

The star has arrived. I am Lucretia.

SPEAKER_03: 0:43

All right. And this is the Refreshingly Normal Podcast.

SPEAKER_06: 0:46

Or it's known by my Uncle Harry, that girl.

SPEAKER_03: 0:48

That girl, that's right. I saw that girl running. All right. So uh thank you for joining everyone. Uh, thank you for returning. I appreciate uh those of you that uh told your friends and family members over the holiday, over the Thanksgiving table or Friendsgiving, whichever you celebrated, uh, about this great podcast. You know what I'm saying? I hope you were able to drive with us. It's probably not so safe to drive with us because you're gonna be laughing.

SPEAKER_06: 1:19

Laughing your behinds on that.

SPEAKER_03: 1:21

That's right. And I know, like me, people say when I laugh, I close my eyes and I don't show my teeth. I barely show my teeth anyway. So, anyway, uh, but how was your Thanksgiving?

SPEAKER_06: 1:34

Um, it was great. We uh made the drive all the way to Lil O, Kansas, Wichita. And um the drive, we were supposed to share the drive, but on our way there, the weather was a lot of rain. And so somebody manned the wheel the whole time.

SPEAKER_03: 1:55

I wasn't putting them on it.

SPEAKER_06: 1:57

He didn't want to put us on it. Um, and we probably would have gotten there slower because I can tell you if I were driving, I would have not been driving as fast as he was driving in the rain.

SPEAKER_03: 2:07

And we definitely would not have let them drive like they drive in the rain. In the rain.

SPEAKER_06: 2:12

So, anywho, um the trip was about between 13 and 14 hour drive. We did do the regular stops for gas and all the things. Um so the I I was not the driver, so I'll say the drive was great.

SPEAKER_03: 2:29

Yeah. I can't say this.

SPEAKER_06: 2:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 2:32

I know I'm getting older because the normal drive would be, you know, you stop when you get to like a quarter take or so. My bladder was about to blow before I got to half a take. And I was like, dang. Yeah, but it could be the vitamins that I'm taking to, you know.

SPEAKER_06: 2:50

So well, I had to go, but I was waiting until he had to go. So I was just holding it until, so then when he said he had to go, I go, ooh, thank goodness.

SPEAKER_03: 2:58

So yeah, that's a sign I'm getting old. Yeah. I'm gonna start driving with those the pins on. Oh goodness. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 3:05

So, anywho, the drive was great. Um, we left in the wee hours of the morning on Monday, like 3 a.m.

SPEAKER_00: 3:11

Three o'clock, yep.

SPEAKER_06: 3:12

And then got there afternoon about four.

SPEAKER_00: 3:16

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_06: 3:17

Um, and so um that was good. Um enjoy my mom and dad. Um, my mom is a caretaker for my dad and my uncle Harry. So um, so he Uncle Harry lives with them. And so they were all there. And um we really just spent a lot of time just with them. Um, my mama likes to always have a day where she and I can go out and do shopping and different things. So we did get to get our time to go do that. Um, so to for her to go buy some jeans and get some makeup. So we went makeup shopping, jeans shopping. Um, she and I did that. And then the biggest part for her was taking her grandchildren to her recreational activity. They casino. The casino. So she was so excited to take them there. She gave them their money to to play with. And me personally, I do not like the casino because I want to spend my money on something tangible, not play it in something that maybe I'll win, maybe I'll lose, and most often lose. So um, yeah. But they wanted to go. But the boys, yeah. Yeah, so that was a good time. Um, the boys said they don't ever need to go uh to gamble at the casino another day in their life because they didn't win. Also, it's because it's so small.

SPEAKER_03: 4:47

Yeah, that wasn't a good first time again.

SPEAKER_06: 4:49

No, it's not. It was a small casino. Filled with smoke.

SPEAKER_03: 4:55

So it's not a good example.

SPEAKER_06: 4:56

Everybody in there looks sad, down and out, like they were losing using their last two dollars.

SPEAKER_03: 5:02

Like you go to Vegas, you'll see people at the casino, you know, dressed to the nines, about to go out, you know. They already had a couple drinks, and you know, it's it's a good, kind of nice atmosphere. We got it. There it was like it was basically like you see some people going into Walmart, and then all of a sudden, on aisle five, they got a slot machine. Yeah, that's exactly what it looked like.

SPEAKER_06: 5:25

It was, it was like that is true. That's a great anal. That's exactly description, that's exactly what it was. It was the Walmart version of a casino. Yeah, yeah. Anywho, so we got to do that, and then of course we had Thanksgiving dinner, um, which was very delicious. Um, it turned out very, I mean, really good. Um, my mom, we will say, and I'm not talking about my mama, but when I come or when we come, because she is the caretaker 24-7, it's like as soon as we step in that door, she like tag y'all on. And we don't mind because we know that she does a lot to take care of them every single day. Um, she does have some help from her sister, but she is does a lot of the work. And so um, yeah, so we we're happy to be able to come and help her out some. You just have to adjust yourself.

SPEAKER_03: 6:27

You gotta know that going in. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 6:30

Uh-huh. So you just have to just yourself to know that. So, anywho, we had a great time with them and got to see my niece Piff, and she was came over to visit, and so got to love on her.

SPEAKER_03: 6:41

And um who has yet to listen to an episode?

SPEAKER_06: 6:45

I know, she's gonna be able to do it.

SPEAKER_03: 6:45

So by the time she gets to this one, she better have like really caught up.

SPEAKER_06: 6:50

Yeah, she watches the snippets that we posted um on social media, but that's not it. She's missing out on great entertainment. That's right. Anyway, so that was great. Our drive home was better than going because there was the weather was perfect, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 7:06

Perfect weather.

SPEAKER_06: 7:06

So we had perfect weather coming back, and so we made it.

SPEAKER_03: 7:10

And no, it wasn't any major traffic. Like it wasn't major traffic, you know.

SPEAKER_06: 7:14

We know anyway, no, but but when we were going on the opposite side, it was a big traffic jam. But I did pray before we went. I was like, Lord, smooth travels back, no traffic jams, no accidents.

SPEAKER_01: 7:31

We could just real cool.

SPEAKER_06: 7:32

And it was, it was just that for us. So he opened up the highway for us. Um, and so got back later uh Friday evening around 10:30. And so Saturday and Sunday just to collect our minds and get ready to start back for work.

SPEAKER_03: 7:50

I was pushing it to make sure she got home before midnight so that she could do her run.

SPEAKER_06: 7:56

Because I couldn't do it before I left Wichita.

SPEAKER_03: 7:58

Cinderella of running. That's what it was. Cinderella Peloton.

SPEAKER_06: 8:03

Why?

SPEAKER_03: 8:03

Because you know, Cinderella had to get back before midnight.

SPEAKER_06: 8:07

Midnight, yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_03: 8:08

So I was like, let me hear her get her back.

SPEAKER_06: 8:09

Yeah, because that would have like ruined my streak.

SPEAKER_03: 8:11

It would have ruined her streak. So I was like making sure like I was trying not to stop, and then when I had to stop, I stopped. Hey, come on, guys, let's go, let's go to school.

SPEAKER_06: 8:18

Yeah, you know, I did make it back to not to ruin my streak because I couldn't run before I would left because they don't have a treadmill, so it was dark outside. I I'm not doing the dark running. And um, so anyways, made it in time, my streak.

SPEAKER_03: 8:33

Especially not in Wichita, that's where the what's his name? B2K.

SPEAKER_06: 8:37

He in jail. Uh, but I'm saying was he uh BTX or B2K B2K. He lived down the street from me, y'all. He was he was a serial killer, so he lived in the next uh pro that is like five miles from us live. That's what I'm saying. Five miles from me, B2K lived.

SPEAKER_03: 8:55

Never knew so he is probably some descendant around there that's crazy. That is true or smidge less crazy, but still that's crazy.

SPEAKER_06: 9:05

Anywho, so it was a great Thanksgiving time. Um, and now we're back and ready to do three more weeks for another break.

SPEAKER_03: 9:15

That's right.

SPEAKER_06: 9:15

Whoop, whoop.

SPEAKER_03: 9:16

Plus it's really it's three weeks, but it's two weeks because that last week is testing.

SPEAKER_06: 9:22

Yeah, and it's half days. Yeah. So anywho.

SPEAKER_03: 9:26

Well, for me, my week was was good. Like, you know, it was filled with the drive. I did want them to drive on the way down there, but that rain was and the roads were, you know, nasty. Um, and so I just weren't gonna put it too.

SPEAKER_06: 9:40

One person wasn't gonna be able to drive because he didn't even sleep that night. So he wasn't driving nowhere.

SPEAKER_03: 9:44

That's what I was thinking, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_06: 9:45

He wasn't driving me.

SPEAKER_03: 9:46

And the other one don't listen. He he groaned. He already grown that he me. And so I was like, and and I know if somebody do I'm a professional driver. I have a CDL endorsement on my license. And she treated me like I'm a first-time driver. So I can imagine what she would have been doing pressing the imaginary passenger brakes on her side. So I was like, I'm not trying to hear that. We just need to get on there.

SPEAKER_00: 10:14

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03: 10:15

Yeah, so but we got there and um, you know, I I uh I missed the the old days when I used to go to Kansas, I used to go hunting all the time with Paw Paw. Uh, but you know, times have changed, and his friend got rid of his property. And uh his friend had some property that we used to always go bass fishing, and and you can just in his yard, like really in his backyard, you can see catch huge 15-pound catfish, like for real. Like five, six-pound bass. And um and deer and Canadian geese fly over, mallards land in his little pond lake. I mean, um pond.

SPEAKER_06: 10:54

We used to do doves too. We used to I used to go dove hunting with him there too.

SPEAKER_03: 10:58

And deer be right. I mean, so it was we just five minutes from the house and we would go there, but he got rid of the property. So uh Yeah, they moved away. Yeah, that kind of messed it up. And so now no more hunting. Um Creek just showed me that my brother's name, somebody got a deer. It's good because it was three people out there. Four, four men. So that means well, dad probably didn't hunt, it looked like he had church clothes on. So it was three guns and one deer. So that was good that I wasn't there because it would have been more deer and still less men. Yeah. You know what I mean? So because they they rarely get one. So I'm I'm glad they finally were able to get something.

SPEAKER_06: 11:37

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03: 11:38

You know, so it's best that I'm not there all the time.

SPEAKER_06: 11:40

Yeah, that that is probably true. Exactly. It is. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 11:44

I don't leave we always bring the meats home. We like Arby. We have meats. And uh, but uh this week was was uh was good to see family, but I didn't rest, you know, because we was busy. And so um I got one more week of classes left. And this is where I got all the papers uh and the um test. One test is supposed to be I think we have a two or four hour time limit.

SPEAKER_06: 12:15

Woo, that's a it's a hundred questions.

SPEAKER_03: 12:19

Is it the one teacher that's yeah, it's a hundred questions. Yes. And then uh I have another uh my other class is just like regular uh couple questions and then uh paper. So two papers, two finals within this next week. So I'm gonna try to get one paper done by Wednesday and one paper done and the other one by Saturday, and then take the finals maybe Saturday or Sunday. I'll be fine. And then I'm off until January.

SPEAKER_00: 12:49

Woo!

SPEAKER_03: 12:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 12:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 12:50

And I said what I'm gonna do in my time is practice my DJ skills.

SPEAKER_06: 12:56

All right, we'll take it.

SPEAKER_03: 12:57

Yeah. So that way when Christmas comes, I hopefully have a playlist.

SPEAKER_06: 13:01

Oh, to have here.

SPEAKER_03: 13:03

Yeah, and we'll video it.

SPEAKER_06: 13:04

And we won't have to hopefully we won't have to say, kill the DJ. Yeah, people say that. Who says that? Kill the DJ. People say that. I thought I saw like on a movie or something.

SPEAKER_03: 13:18

Nah. All right. Well, no, hopefully y'all won't have to say that, but uh, I'm re I'm ready for that. Um, I'm excited about it. But uh I think that's it. All right, yeah, okay. So let's jump right into it.

SPEAKER_06: 13:34

Um oh today Oh, one I have one question, then we can move on. It's about our Thanksgiving. What was of the food we had, what was your favorite item that we had?

SPEAKER_03: 13:50

Oh man, like really, it was too much. Like the mat was great.

SPEAKER_06: 13:56

We made two Macs.

SPEAKER_03: 13:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 13:58

Uh one lobster and one regular.

SPEAKER_03: 14:00

Yeah. Um the Costco turkey was better than I thought. Costco has a smoked turkey. Guys, get you one.

SPEAKER_06: 14:08

I'm so glad we bought two, so now we have our Christmas here, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 14:12

Yeah. But I took it's already smoked, and then what I did was I uh poured melted butter over it and um seasoning on the top just so we can have our own little extra flavor. And oh my god, it was so juicy. And then we cooked it, I think it was like they say 12 minutes per pound. So it's like a 12-pound turkey, something like that. It was so, so tender and good, guys. Um, but it was between the Costco turkey, the lobster mac. Of course, my greens were good. The dressing. The greens are very good.

SPEAKER_06: 14:48

Oh Lord, he's saying everything. He's that's it was everything.

SPEAKER_03: 14:51

I can't just choose. Okay, if I have to choose one.

SPEAKER_00: 14:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 14:58

It's gonna be the dressing. Okay. The dressing and cranberry. So it's just it's just something about the dressing because it's savory, it's a little sweet, you know. I got my veggies in there, got my protein from the egg mix in there.

SPEAKER_06: 15:12

I didn't.

SPEAKER_03: 15:13

Got my fruit from the cranberry.

SPEAKER_06: 15:14

Yep.

SPEAKER_03: 15:16

Fool me. I got everything. Got my grains.

SPEAKER_06: 15:18

I think my favorite was the lobster mac.

SPEAKER_03: 15:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 15:21

Because that's something that we don't normally have. It was seasoned really well, and it was extra cheesy.

SPEAKER_03: 15:27

Well, the mac and cheese both don't worry.

SPEAKER_06: 15:29

Yeah, they're so cheesy. And then I feel like when you get lobster mac out, they try to make it too fancy.

SPEAKER_03: 15:35

And so to me, it was like it was subtle because people would not have known, and then they would have been like, wait, there's something different about this.

SPEAKER_06: 15:45

Yeah. I'd like to, like you said, next time we'll add double, double the meat, yeah. Anywho, but yeah, that was my favorite. All right, moving on.

unknown: 15:52

All right.

SPEAKER_03: 15:52

Well, oh, yeah, can you say that?

SPEAKER_06: 15:53

I said lobster mac. Mm-hmm. I love I loved everything, it was delicious. It was. But lobster mac. Oh, and that pumpkin cheesecake from um And I didn't like that. Oh, I loved it.

SPEAKER_03: 16:04

I like the pie, the cobbler pie, the berry pie with the ice cream.

SPEAKER_06: 16:08

Because you love a you love a berry cobbler.

SPEAKER_03: 16:10

I love a cobbler.

SPEAKER_06: 16:11

Yeah. Anywho, I love that pumpkin pie.

SPEAKER_03: 16:13

I did not like the pumpkin.

SPEAKER_06: 16:14

But I don't think you like pumpkin like I like pumpkin.

SPEAKER_03: 16:16

I don't.

SPEAKER_06: 16:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 16:18

The only thing I like about pumpkin is when we carved them. That was that one time.

SPEAKER_01: 16:26

Well, man, she wouldn't like it.

SPEAKER_03: 16:28

That's it. And my friend Pumpkin from college.

SPEAKER_00: 16:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_03: 16:33

She was cool.

SPEAKER_00: 16:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_03: 16:34

You met her little short when she was real cool. She was one trying to take her whole group that one time.

SPEAKER_04: 16:39

Where y'all going? Come on, you need to go with us, member. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 16:43

Yeah, that's Pumpkin now. Yeah. Um, all right. So let's get to it. Um let's start with story of the week. And then we go to questions.

SPEAKER_06: 16:56

Okay. So the story of the week is Believe His sister.

SPEAKER_03: 17:00

Oh. All right. This is sponsored by Colete Johnson. Johnson. Originally from Wichita. So she's a Wichitidian too.

SPEAKER_00: 17:13

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03: 17:14

And now she lives in the Metro Dallas. So believe it, sister.

SPEAKER_06: 17:21

All right. Here is the Believe It Sister story. A woman shared on Reddit that she was hosting Thanksgiving for the first time in her new home. Her sister had promised to help with cooking and setup. But just days before the event, she told her she'd be babysitting a friend's three young children from early morning until late at night. The host said her house was small, her dog didn't do well around kids, and she couldn't see how her sister could help while also watching three children. When she asked her to adjust the plan or come later, her sister became upset and threatened not to come, saying she thinks the host, her sister, doesn't want the kids there. Now the host is worried that the disagreement might cause family drama before the holiday even starts.

SPEAKER_03: 18:18

Okay, so summarize that.

SPEAKER_06: 18:20

So in summary, sister already said, Yes, I'm coming the day before Thanksgiving to help you prepare, prep, get the house ready for Thanksgiving. Couple days before she's supposed to come help, she tells her sister, Well, I'm coming, but I promised my friend I will watch her three kids. Um, so I'll have to bring them with me. Her sister said, Well, that's not gonna work because I don't have room in my house for three kids to be running around. My dog doesn't do well with young kids, and so let's just adjust it where we can start the prep later once your friend comes to pick up her children. And her sister got upset and said, You just don't want the kids there. And if this is how you're gonna act, then I might not even just come to Thanksgiving at all.

SPEAKER_03: 19:09

They did that, didn't they?

SPEAKER_06: 19:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 19:12

I don't believe it. Believe it, sister.

SPEAKER_06: 19:16

Believe it, sister.

SPEAKER_03: 19:17

But um, okay I have my idea. It's a few things, yeah. Okay, does the sister, the other sister, not the babysitter, but the the host, does she have kids? Obviously not. Does she like kids? Um does she have room?

SPEAKER_06: 19:44

No, she said she don't have room for those children.

SPEAKER_03: 19:46

But um really, I mean, does she have room? Because if you don't have room for the children, then you don't have room for the people that's coming over. Right.

SPEAKER_06: 19:53

Maybe she means not the space for kids to run around and play.

SPEAKER_03: 19:57

Right, okay. But see, but that's different. I mean, even then, like, okay. Okay. We we are uh what they what they what do they call a two-child household. Okay, right?

SPEAKER_01: 20:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 20:16

Now bringing our kids over to somebody's crib, we're not expecting them to be doing what?

SPEAKER_06: 20:25

Run it around.

SPEAKER_03: 20:26

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 20:27

But we know there are other children.

SPEAKER_03: 20:31

Who have you know, two plus or one kid. We just know for people who kids will be running around. All over them. Downtown, uptown, Jane Brown. You know, but so you know, it's just so many other little variables there.

SPEAKER_06: 20:49

Um, I you know what I think.

SPEAKER_03: 20:57

What you think?

SPEAKER_06: 20:59

I believe the sister didn't really want to come over and help.

SPEAKER_03: 21:02

So she took that.

SPEAKER_06: 21:03

All of a sudden, I got oh, I got three kids.

SPEAKER_03: 21:06

Hey, we know people like that too.

SPEAKER_06: 21:07

Okay, how how that? All of a sudden, you watching somebody's kids, she already knows how her sister probably feels about kids because it sounds like she's a single lady with a dog in a house. She probably already knows.

SPEAKER_04: 21:20

She says she had a dog?

SPEAKER_06: 21:21

Yeah, she says her dog is not kid friendly.

SPEAKER_04: 21:24

Oh, I didn't hear that point.

SPEAKER_06: 21:25

Uh-huh. So the lady has her the host, it's herself and her dog. You already know that. If you are coming over and your plan is to help get things ready, how can you do that with kids there? And who would want to torture kids to sit on the sofa, watch TV while we are doing all of these things? Because for one, they are kids.

SPEAKER_03: 21:53

Well, now they tablet kids, so they're not.

SPEAKER_06: 21:55

Well, I would not leave my corner to the stitchy thing. But after so long, after so long, kids want something. I mean, and it's like the whole like this the plan was for them to work the majority of the day.

SPEAKER_03: 22:11

Okay, who who I don't think the sisters uh who requested the sisters' services first?

SPEAKER_06: 22:19

I mean, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 22:20

Friend or sister.

SPEAKER_06: 22:22

Oh, well, I'm assuming the friend, because she didn't tell her sister about it until two days before she was supposed to come over to help. She's like, oh yeah, by the way, now she's telling her telling her sister that she's watching these kids.

SPEAKER_03: 22:36

So she told her two days before. But and this for Thanksgiving. So that's the sister's fault. Thanksgiving comes every year. Right. So usually ahead of time. Oh, yeah, because the other sister could have been like, She about that bull. She always waits to the last minute, and then it's always something.

SPEAKER_06: 22:59

Who did it? Todd.

SPEAKER_03: 23:00

It's a scheme that Todd set up to come tour with the bulls.

SPEAKER_06: 23:07

She knew what she was doing.

SPEAKER_00: 23:09

She knew.

SPEAKER_06: 23:09

So this, and so now she's acting all dramatic. I'm just not coming. If the kids can't come, and da da da da. So now she done twisted it. So now it's not about her. Now the hope is wrong.

SPEAKER_03: 23:23

Now the sister is and being empathetic enough to know, hey, these kids, I have these kids. Yeah. They need Thanksgiving too.

SPEAKER_06: 23:31

And see, this is what the sister should do because she's playing mind games. That's fine. Bring the kids. Mm-hmm. Bring them on. Come on.

SPEAKER_03: 23:38

You know what? We'll make it work.

SPEAKER_06: 23:39

We'll make it work. I will call her bluff.

SPEAKER_03: 23:42

I'll give them something to do.

SPEAKER_06: 23:43

I will call her bluff.

SPEAKER_03: 23:45

Yep.

SPEAKER_06: 23:45

I'll call her bluff. And then let's see. I guarantee.

SPEAKER_03: 23:49

But I don't even have the kids.

SPEAKER_06: 23:50

That's what I'm saying. I guarantee you, then the story will change. It's going to be something altogether something different because she's already trying to play, run, run game on her sister. I'll call her bluff.

SPEAKER_03: 24:02

Yeah, I definitely do. That's no problem.

SPEAKER_06: 24:04

Bring the kids over. Because I'll just have somebody else watch the kids while we get Thanksgiving. I will get her. But she didn't want to do that in the first place.

SPEAKER_03: 24:12

She didn't. So I understand though when it's, you know, last minute. I I'm not a last minute kind of person. But I am a person that will help you for, you know, in the last minute because I'm a helpful person. But resp like respect my time or don't get upset if I'm unable to help due to the fact that I may have something else to do.

SPEAKER_06: 24:34

Because no is a complete sentence.

SPEAKER_03: 24:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 24:38

And it is okay for you to say no.

SPEAKER_03: 24:40

It really is. It really is.

SPEAKER_06: 24:42

Right? I I just wouldn't do that.

SPEAKER_03: 24:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 24:45

So I mean, um I wonder what happened in the end. And then guess what? If you get that upset because I won't let those little children come over, um, and you not coming to Thanksgiving because of that.

SPEAKER_03: 25:01

That's cool.

SPEAKER_06: 25:02

Bye, Felicia.

SPEAKER_03: 25:03

I wonder if those little kids were bad.

SPEAKER_06: 25:06

I don't know. It could have been. They probably could have been bad kids. Yeah. And so even thinking about that. And maybe she got offended because it's her friend's kids, and I don't know, but if we're trying to get the house in order and cook and do things to get prepped for Thanksgiving. Yeah, what's the age? We don't have time. She said young kids. So when I think of young kids, I'm thinking they gotta be elementary or younger.

SPEAKER_01: 25:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 25:33

You know, they have to be somewhere in between that age, not double digits, single digits.

SPEAKER_03: 25:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 25:40

Yeah. So I'm sure her sister was like, I can't believe she did this. Believe it, sister.

SPEAKER_03: 25:47

But you know what?

SPEAKER_06: 25:49

What?

SPEAKER_03: 25:50

None of them had a man in their life.

SPEAKER_06: 25:53

That's true. She didn't say anything about her husband helping.

SPEAKER_03: 25:56

And she didn't say, Well, I can leave the boys with Charles.

SPEAKER_06: 25:59

She didn't say that either. While I come over and help.

SPEAKER_03: 26:02

Well, well, Randolph, he'll he'll he'll take care of the kids while we all get in together.

SPEAKER_06: 26:07

Oh, that's true. Nobody said that.

SPEAKER_03: 26:09

Nobody.

SPEAKER_06: 26:10

So yeah, they don't have they don't. But maybe they obviously don't have kids of their own. So they don't. Because the sister didn't, and obviously she didn't, because she didn't say she's bringing over her kids and her friends' kids. It's just her friend's kids. So neither of them have kids. No kids or men. And that would make perfect sense why her sister would be like, Where do these kids come from?

SPEAKER_05: 26:33

We don't have children.

SPEAKER_03: 26:34

No, we don't. Or men. What do men have to do with it? That's why they bitter. Oh my goodness. Yeah. That's why they bitter.

SPEAKER_06: 26:48

Maybe they don't want a man.

SPEAKER_03: 26:49

You ain't bitter. At all. Chow, child. And your kids ain't even everybody loves your kids.

SPEAKER_06: 27:00

Yeah. Bring them on, bring them on. Yeah. Our kids were were pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_03: 27:06

Because of the man. All it just start with the man.

SPEAKER_06: 27:11

So awesome dad leads to awesome kids.

SPEAKER_03: 27:14

That's right. Can't have no woe. Without the man. Then you got the woman.

unknown: 27:21

Huh?

SPEAKER_03: 27:21

Don't you? All together. God have mercy.

SPEAKER_06: 27:24

Oh my God.

SPEAKER_03: 27:25

Hey, but that's that's a tough one. But she was looking, she might, you might be right. She was looking for a scapegoat. I think she was asked to go. She got the little, had three little scapegoats.

SPEAKER_06: 27:33

Uh-huh. She probably, her friend says, Oh, I can, I've got to work and I and I don't have anybody to watch the kids. She was like, I'll do it. Yeah. Now I'd have to go over and help get ready for Thanksgiving.

SPEAKER_03: 27:44

Or she probably said, Look, girl, go ahead and do that thing. I'll take care of the kids for you.

SPEAKER_01: 27:49

Look, you know what?

SPEAKER_03: 27:50

You need to enjoy yourself. You ain't been nowhere. This whole break, this whole uh Thanksgiving November. Go go somewhere. I got them.

SPEAKER_06: 27:58

So she was helping her friend and helping herself at the same time.

SPEAKER_03: 28:02

That's right.

SPEAKER_06: 28:02

That was all her mastermind. Manipulation.

SPEAKER_03: 28:07

Now the friend got a man, because that's probably what she was.

SPEAKER_06: 28:10

Yeah. And now she don't have a got issues now with her sister.

SPEAKER_03: 28:14

Yep. And no Thanksgiving dinner.

SPEAKER_06: 28:16

Nope. No Thanksgiving dinner.

SPEAKER_03: 28:17

Mm-mm-mm.

unknown: 28:19

Few.

SPEAKER_03: 28:19

Go to Costco, get the ready-maids.

SPEAKER_06: 28:21

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 28:22

Ready-made.

SPEAKER_06: 28:24

I did see this man on TikTok. Now, the ready-made, they had the turkey breast, the mashed potatoes and the green beans, they said it had zero flavor. It was a whole like Yeah, it's a whole little meal kit. Oh, whole meal. And it had a turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and uh green beans. And uh he warmed it all up the way that it says.

SPEAKER_03: 28:43

But he didn't season it at all.

SPEAKER_06: 28:44

He he fixed it just the way they said it.

SPEAKER_03: 28:46

Oh.

SPEAKER_06: 28:47

And he said, you got that. So they ended up adding bacon and stuff to the green beans. And they added some other stuff to the mashed potatoes to kind of help it to jazz it up to taste better. So, anyways.

SPEAKER_03: 29:00

It was a black man or white man?

SPEAKER_06: 29:02

Black.

SPEAKER_03: 29:03

Oh. But somebody else probably would say, Oh, this is perfect.

SPEAKER_01: 29:07

It's delish.

SPEAKER_03: 29:08

They probably would have loved it. Hey, I'm just saying. So good.

SPEAKER_06: 29:14

Who made the cream beans?

SPEAKER_03: 29:16

Yeah. They left it just like that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 29:19

He said, Yeah, needed something with it.

SPEAKER_03: 29:22

So, okay. So old sister girl lost a sister and her, well, just a sister and a dinner in the process.

SPEAKER_06: 29:28

In the whole process. So and maybe not. If she was master of manipulation, she probably did all that that day, and then the next day had her plan for what the next would be, so she could indeed have Thanksgiving dinner.

SPEAKER_03: 29:42

Is there a person in our family, yours or mine, that if they were cooking the entire dinner that you would find some kids to watch. So that you wouldn't have to uh not necessarily say set up, but eat the dinner.

SPEAKER_06: 30:06

Eat the dinner?

SPEAKER_03: 30:08

There isn't. I I know it is. I'll be fine with some kids.

SPEAKER_06: 30:12

And our family on my side. Well, it might so sorry to this woman. It might be my mama because she doesn't like to cook. And so when you cook Thanksgiving, it's supposed to be cooked with a lot of love, a lot of homemade. Cause she even said, I don't know what we're gonna do at Christmas because y'all not gonna be here. I guess I'll just get stovetop stuffing.

SPEAKER_05: 30:38

Stovetop stuffing for dressing?

SPEAKER_06: 30:43

So that might be the word I'd be like, uh-uh. She might pull out some canned green beans.

SPEAKER_03: 30:50

Um canned greens.

SPEAKER_06: 30:53

Yeah, she even got can canned greens. Child, no.

SPEAKER_04: 30:59

That's some travesty.

SPEAKER_06: 31:00

Travesty. Because they're just her thing. She's always been a very convenient fast cook. She don't like to be in the kitchen because she don't know how to do the homemade stuff. Now, the homemade stuff, that was all my daddy. He making everything from scratch. So now he can is not as mobile to do all those things. So I think that if the whole menu was on LMA, um, I think I might find some children. That's true. Sorry, mama. Who's yours? I'm not saying who it is.

SPEAKER_05: 31:37

Oh why he had me say the name. He said it like he said it like we were supposed to say it.

SPEAKER_03: 31:44

No, I did not. I just said yours or mine.

SPEAKER_06: 31:48

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03: 31:49

And I know it's a it's a person, and uh they had to cook.

SPEAKER_06: 31:52

I feel bamboozled.

SPEAKER_03: 31:54

The whole thing, I ought to be like, nah.

SPEAKER_06: 31:56

I feel bamboozled.

SPEAKER_03: 31:58

I'm good.

SPEAKER_06: 31:59

I feel bamboozled. Nah, you be alright.

SPEAKER_03: 32:07

Use a total yourself, huh?

SPEAKER_06: 32:09

Oh, Lord. Take this out.

SPEAKER_03: 32:12

Queen of putting their foot in the mouth. Put like this way we can get your mom to listen to the episode. Oh, my God. So we know she ain't listen to the whole episode.

SPEAKER_06: 32:21

Yeah, I know she. I'm all of them act like, how in the how you get to the podcast. The podcast.

SPEAKER_03: 32:28

But they'll say everything. I see you seen that such and such. I found it on the but they can't find the podcast.

SPEAKER_06: 32:34

They can't.

SPEAKER_03: 32:35

Be your own people.

SPEAKER_06: 32:36

Mm-mm.

SPEAKER_03: 32:37

Be your own people. Keep you when you're down. Keep you when you're down.

SPEAKER_06: 32:40

All right, let's get to uh Oh, let's start to start with the holiday chat. Let's do a game um playful game of this and that, and it's gonna lead to holiday discussion.

SPEAKER_03: 32:52

Because now what you can officially play Christmas music.

SPEAKER_05: 32:58

Cause it's Christmas time.

SPEAKER_03: 33:01

For all you pre-Christmaladers. You know, put that with something else. Celebrating Christmas too soon, wanting Christmas to come too soon, you pre-Christmas.

SPEAKER_06: 33:16

I was so proud of I was so proud of this one house. I don't know if you saw it on our way home. They just had their blow-up turkey out. They didn't have any Christmas stuff, and I'll bet you they said once the weekend passes, then we'll get Christmas out.

SPEAKER_03: 33:31

Yeah, now you can play. Like, what's that?

SPEAKER_06: 33:34

It's two.

SPEAKER_03: 33:36

Now you can play uh old girl, Mariah Carey. And what do that's my favorite? What do the lonely do at Christmas?

SPEAKER_01: 33:44

What 'tis the season to be jolly. But how can I be when I have no body?

SPEAKER_03: 33:56

That's the jam.

SPEAKER_01: 33:58

All right. So this and that. What do the lonely do at Christmas? Whoa. What do they do? What do they do at Christmas time?

SPEAKER_03: 34:13

Okay. My bad. That's my jam.

SPEAKER_06: 34:15

All right. This or that. Real tree or artificial tree.

SPEAKER_03: 34:20

Real. Real. Don't bring that artificial mess up in here. The only thing artificial better come up in here better be a weave. Or a nail. Or nail.

SPEAKER_06: 34:30

It's actually real though.

SPEAKER_03: 34:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 34:32

They just got acrylic on it.

SPEAKER_03: 34:33

Yeah. Oh, Cinnabon over there, pootin.

SPEAKER_06: 34:36

Oh, stinking boot as hell, so. Okay. So it doesn't matter to me, but I'm in a real, I I grew up in an artificial tree family. Um, but now I am in a real tree family.

SPEAKER_03: 34:51

Real tree family. We real over here.

SPEAKER_06: 34:53

All right. Matching pajamas or everybody does their own thing.

SPEAKER_03: 34:59

Everybody does their own thing.

SPEAKER_06: 35:02

Well, I don't really care either way, but our pictures that we took that time match pajamas was really cute. I thought it was super cute. Anyways, cook at home or order in.

SPEAKER_03: 35:17

Cook at home.

SPEAKER_06: 35:18

Cook at home. Yeah, for the holidays.

SPEAKER_03: 35:20

But like we said, if we could have someone, you know, set it all up and all that stuff, I would, you know, I think that would be like ordering, you know, somebody come and cook. That way we're just there.

SPEAKER_06: 35:32

Here's my idea, guys. This is what I said. You know, you spend so much money, like buying all the groceries, all the ingredients for things that you cook really just during the holidays. So if you have family that's coming, let's say right now, as much as groceries are, you're gonna spend like at least 200 Christmas dinner at least or more. If everybody did who who coming? Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03: 35:56

Shoot, we spend 200 getting stuff for up.

SPEAKER_06: 35:59

I know that's what I'm saying. I said, so at least, I said, at least at least. I said at least$200. So let's just say every family um thought about that and took that money, and then you were able to hire um um caterer, a caterer to come in and set it up, do all the cooking, everybody put their money to that. So then you could just show up with delicious food ready for you, already set up. Like that is really my idea. And I really, really want to talk our family into doing that. So the people could just show up and not feel stressed about cooking. Everybody can show up and maybe be that dinner where everybody dressed nice and you can dress up and just you know, something like that. I think that's a great idea. I mean, I think it's worth it. And as far as like the the cleaning up, because they're gonna have to come take down their own stuff, take it with them.

SPEAKER_03: 36:53

They may use your oven and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_06: 36:55

But yeah, I just think that'd be a great idea. All right, what about holiday movies or holiday music? You already said your favorite song. Which one? Holiday movies.

SPEAKER_03: 37:04

Music.

SPEAKER_06: 37:04

Music.

SPEAKER_03: 37:05

Yeah, you know, I'm a music. We I listen to music every day. All the pretty much all day.

SPEAKER_06: 37:10

Okay, last one. Big family gathering or small cozy celebration?

SPEAKER_03: 37:17

Um, both.

SPEAKER_06: 37:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 37:20

Like there's a time for the big family gathering, and then you gotta have your small family celebration.

SPEAKER_06: 37:26

Yeah. I just don't, I I don't like um if I have to host it every year.

SPEAKER_00: 37:33

Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_06: 37:34

No. Um I I I feel like if if your family likes big um family gatherings, then we need to share the love.

SPEAKER_00: 37:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 37:44

Like that needs to be, we share hosting. So for instance, um, here in at um in where we live now, all the brothers keys, all of his brothers live here. So I feel like if that's what everybody wants to do, then we share it. One year we do it, then next year somebody else takes it, next year somebody else takes it, next year somebody takes it, and then rotates back through. So that way it doesn't feel so overwhelming because hosting is a lot. So that's why I say I'd rather do be if I have to be the host, big next year, small. Big, small, big, small. I'd rather do it that way if I had to be the host of it.

SPEAKER_03: 38:22

But just even participating, though. Yeah, like even just going. Like, uh, you know, I still say like you have a dinner with everyone, yeah, but then something should be small and intimate for your family.

SPEAKER_06: 38:38

That's true.

SPEAKER_03: 38:39

You know, whether it's the that's why I like the, you know, how we do the beautiful Christmas breakfast by ourselves.

SPEAKER_06: 38:44

Yeah, we do that.

SPEAKER_03: 38:45

Um we do uh but when we are hosting, you know, it sometimes if everybody's staying over, the the crisp the breakfast turn into something big because 15 people. But um but um I think, you know, it's important to have something intimate with your family during the holidays because when those moments are not, you kind of don't want those memories to be cluttered with everyone else.

SPEAKER_00: 39:16

You understand what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03: 39:18

And so I just I do like it when we we do have our small, like our brunches that we do for our holiday brunch that we try to find somewhere for the just us.

SPEAKER_06: 39:27

Yeah, our dinner. Because we've done the dinner, not a brunch.

SPEAKER_03: 39:31

Well, remember when we used to go to Midtown, one midtown.

SPEAKER_06: 39:34

Oh, we yeah, we did do that, but then we but we have but we switched it. But we swapped it. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 39:39

And the only reason why we swapped it was because we couldn't find a good brunch anymore.

SPEAKER_06: 39:42

Yeah. Well, I mean, there I think there is a good brunch, but we liked the having Santa. I think because it c for me, I enjoyed that every we used to go to Midtown One Kitchen for um breakfast with Santa, and Santa knew the boys. So as each year as they grew, he was like, There go my twins. They're so big. They're so big, and Santa will remember them, and then after COVID, it's not open anymore and they don't have it. And so to me, I mean, we could do somewhere new, but it takes away all of the nostalgia or the feel that we had with one midtown in the Santa that knew the boys as they grew up. Um, because we went all the way through middle school um for them that they got to have breakfast with Santa. So, anyways, so that to me. So now we do a dinner. So we tried to find a place that's either dinner time, we ate that time.

unknown: 40:37

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_06: 40:38

We did the steak dinner and we did we was at the the Select, right? What was that we went last year? Oh, that was brunch. Yeah. You're right. So it you're right. It it's not necessarily brunch, but it's just some kind of family uh meal. Yeah, we did do the select last year. But I tried to find something that was Christmas themed.

SPEAKER_00: 40:59

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 41:00

Um, so either they're somewhere nearby so we can do pictures and it's Christmas like. So we did the select.

SPEAKER_03: 41:07

The state was when we went to remember, was that no, that was just uh celebrating somebody's finishing around.

SPEAKER_06: 41:14

But it turned to the Christmas thing because they had the treat thing, yeah. So we did it that way.

SPEAKER_03: 41:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 41:20

Um, so we tried to find something that's just our um family holiday dinner that's just the four of us to celebrate. So I have not decided. I've been looking, but I need to hurry up and figure it out because they're gonna be, they look so fast. The places that are decorated. And now what I've noticed now is some of the places are decorated, but it's just not a good restaurant.

SPEAKER_00: 41:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 41:43

So I was trying to find something that is like still close to something outside that's pretty that we can do.

SPEAKER_03: 41:50

What's the restaurant we went to? And they have one in Alphoretta. Uh we went to we went to recently.

SPEAKER_05: 41:59

Seafood?

SPEAKER_03: 42:00

Uh no, I don't know. I think about it. But they got one in Alphoretta.

SPEAKER_06: 42:04

We went to one Oh, Del Bar.

SPEAKER_03: 42:06

Yeah, Del Bar. They say they say it's decorated very nice. Oh, maybe we'll do that. Maybe check it out, yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 42:12

But we already ate there together. I'd like to try somewhere new. Anywho, we'll figure it out. But we need um I thought maybe de Cab might have something. Oh and then also downtown Roswell.

SPEAKER_03: 42:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 42:25

So either who, anyway, we'll find that place so we can have our special um family like little.

SPEAKER_03: 42:32

So if you're out there and you actually listen and you know, shoot us a uh text or comment. All right.

SPEAKER_06: 42:39

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03: 42:40

Yeah. Um, what else?

SPEAKER_06: 42:42

All right. All right, so thinking about the holidays and family and all of the things. Um how has the meaning of the holidays changed for you over time? Thinking from now as a child to now as an adult, how has the meaning of holidays changed for you?

SPEAKER_03: 43:07

Um the obvious, of course, is from more so receiving to giving. Um the it was fun as a kid, you know, a lot of fun. Christmas time was. Um it was just, you know, a lot of just uh back in the day we used to get the JC Penny catalog, and you would circle stuff. And because, you know, you knew your parents would, but you would circle your wish list.

SPEAKER_01: 43:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 43:37

Stuff would be$400 keyboard, you know. You circle, knowing you and not getting no$400 keyboard. And you circle all those different things and just looking at the uh different uh JC Penny catalogs, serious catalogs and stuff, because everybody's having on their countertop, not countertop, what they call it a coffee table. Um you know, trying to figure out what you were going to get and stuff like that. Uh just the excitement is still there for me. Um as an adult, it's uh even even though like I'm not, you know, I don't need nothing, anything, I guess you should say. Um, you know, picking for the boys, like it was it was so much fun when we were doing this early morning, going to get the, you know, finding somebody to watch the boys while we were going.

SPEAKER_06: 44:23

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 44:23

And grab stuff and hiding stuff and, you know, all picking up stuff from the from Tours of Us and things like that. That was super fun. And then now as everybody's uh you know in adult phase, we still do the surprising thing. Um it still has the same uh I'm not gonna say excitement, but the same joy. You know what I mean? The same joy. Uh but I mean, you know, for me it was it was cool. I got uh some great memories from Christmas, you know. Some great memories. I remember putting up lights. Remember my daddy karate chopped me in the neck because I was putting the lights up. He we we got the lights, and you know how you plug the lights in and make sure they all working.

SPEAKER_00: 45:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 45:13

And I was already like, let's do the lights. But my dad, you know how my daddy is.

SPEAKER_00: 45:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 45:18

We're gonna do it at four o'clock.

SPEAKER_00: 45:20

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03: 45:20

Now it's 10.

SPEAKER_00: 45:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 45:21

I'm tired. Everybody ready to go to bed, you know? Yeah. Let's get these lights so we put the tree up. Like, shh. So we trying to put, I'm tired, you know, ready to go to bed. And I'm putting it, I'm, I'm like freaking 11th grade. Okay. You know? And so I'm putting the light, he's dropped, you know. Oh, you better butt them lights. I was like, so then I put them down real slowly like that. And I he was like standing over, he said, chopped me in the man hit me so hard.

SPEAKER_01: 45:53

I was like, oh no, I was trying to put him on.

SPEAKER_03: 45:55

You trying to be an ass. And then he said, You're being an ass about it, something like that.

SPEAKER_04: 45:59

He said, I was like, no, I wasn't. You'll be facetious.

SPEAKER_03: 46:02

Yeah, I was just crying in lemon grade. That's my last whooping too I think that he got the belt.

SPEAKER_06: 46:08

Your karate child?

SPEAKER_03: 46:09

Yeah, no, he got it, he got the couple.

SPEAKER_06: 46:10

Oh, you gotta whoop it after the karate child?

SPEAKER_03: 46:12

I said something else. Kind of smart.

SPEAKER_06: 46:14

Uh uh.

SPEAKER_03: 46:15

And then he whipped that whoop real quick. And he put them lights up by himself, and I was done. I went in that back room, crying.

SPEAKER_06: 46:23

I know you cussed them out, didn't you?

SPEAKER_03: 46:24

Oh, yeah, I cussed it. I said my favorite, my favorite line. Oh, god dang. You know. So that was my favorite. It was god dang MF uh doo-doo booty trick. That was my, so say it real fast. That's why I used to say every time they used to leave the house. And so I said that about them. And uh I was mad. And so, yeah, that that was some amazing times in Christmas. You know, got karate chopped in the neck, trying to put the lights down. But other than that, that's it. What about you?

SPEAKER_06: 47:03

I think the meaning for Christmas for me has always been the same. My mama is a big holiday person. So um, everything she tries to make special. So Christmas is the same. They did the whole thing of of Santa bringing the gifts and all the things. And um, I think for me, when I knew Santa, my understanding of Santa not being real anymore. Plus, I had a brother who was six years older, so he didn't care, like, really spoiling for you, but I still tried to like be in the belief. Keep hope alive. Yeah. But the when I knew that Christmas was not real is um when Ewok were from Star Wars, I really wanted the stuff, you know, the stuffed Ewok. And I knew that I was great. I was on the good list, and it did, and I didn't get it. And I was like, Santa ain't real. Because I didn't get no Ewok. They were like, and my mom and would wait, I think. I don't know what they did, because even one year I wanted the cabbage patch, and I ended up getting uh, you know, they had the knockoff cabbage patches, and I was really disappointed by that, but I took the old knock out.

SPEAKER_04: 48:14

A green patch.

SPEAKER_06: 48:16

I don't know what she was, but she was not cute, she was not a cabbage patch. Eventually I did get a eventually I did get a cabbage patch. I don't know, maybe my it might have been out of their budget. I don't know, maybe the ewok was out of their budget. It was. Um, so anywho, that um that's when I said Santa is not real because I have been the best. And I did not get that ewok. Um, and so we did the same for the boys, where we, I don't know if the boys did steal or not, but they sure put on like they did in middle school. And so their dad was like, these boys cannot go into middle school thinking it's a Santa. They're gonna make fools of themselves. People think they can't do it.

SPEAKER_03: 48:55

Right, because I taught middle school for several years, and you know, everybody knows middle school is brutal. That's why I had most of that's you know, my trauma trauma is in middle school.

SPEAKER_06: 49:04

Yeah, so he was like, they cannot go into middle school, thinking Santa is real.

SPEAKER_03: 49:08

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 49:08

Uh, but we try to do a real good job of making a watch. Of making it, you know, Santa real and all the things.

SPEAKER_03: 49:15

So um And we we used to uh we used to have you know Kirk Nell with help, because I the same thing I did with them, you know, with Sponky Now, I would throw stuff on the roof. And then Kirk, oh, that's that's um the reindeer's trying to land. We gotta hurry up. And so it Kirk Nell would kind of do the same. I think one when we were in the house, I think that the house Kirk had Oh the other, the oldest. Uh-oh, uh oh, y'all gotta go to bed and they ran.

SPEAKER_06: 49:45

And I think I remember I could have totally making this up, but I'm not sure. Because the boys, were they concerned about when we were in the apartment how Santa was gonna uh find them? You knew how he was gonna get to them.

SPEAKER_03: 49:56

We told him he got it, he got an address book. Everybody updates their addresses.

SPEAKER_06: 50:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 50:00

So it doesn't matter if the if there's no real chimney because he can't fit down the chimney, it's magic.

SPEAKER_06: 50:06

It's like, oh yeah. Uh-huh. So we've tried to keep that going for them and um over time. So, anywho, um, we try to, I think the same values and the way our parents make the Christmas special, we've tried to keep the same thing going for our boys. So we kind of keep that same um tradition.

SPEAKER_03: 50:29

I remember another whooping I got on Christmas.

SPEAKER_06: 50:31

Uh-oh. Oh, I think I remember this one when your Kurtz got, yes.

SPEAKER_03: 50:35

He got me, made me get a whooping. Uh-huh. So, you know, we've always like I was super excited during Christmas. And I was the scapegoat. Because we, you know, we had to share a room at one point. And so he'd be like, hey, I think we can go open our gifts. So we would go back there and I would say, can we open our gifts? No, go back to bed. So I'd go back to bed. And then Kurt wake me up again. They say open our gifts. So I can we go open our gifts, get your butt back. You come back in here one more time, you're gonna whoop your behind. I'm like, dang. So then I went, but Kurt woke me up again. I said, can we, before I could get open our gifts, they was in the room. You know what the room that we sleep in? Yes. That's what that was this way. That's where they were, okay. So I go out and I walk like I'm going towards the hallway. Uh-huh. And we used to have like a little thing that closed the hallway up. And so I was getting ready to say, can we? And before I I felt something hit me in the back because they came out of that room.

SPEAKER_00: 51:30

Pye out, oh!

SPEAKER_03: 51:32

I said, whoops, get your butt back in that room. They whooped me with that belt. And I went in that room. Kurt was laughing. I laid down and went to sleep. It was like eight o'clock. And normally we up at six. It was eight o'clock. You ain't gonna come in. Nope. I ain't coming in there. And so I finally went in at probably like 8:39 o'clock to go open my gifts. He was already in his clothes and everything. I was like, nope. The things we do.

SPEAKER_00: 52:04

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03: 52:06

For the manger.

SPEAKER_06: 52:08

For the manger?

SPEAKER_03: 52:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 52:10

Lord.

SPEAKER_03: 52:11

For the manger.

SPEAKER_06: 52:12

All right. What's one tradition you hope to pass on to the next generation? So thinking about the boys, what do you hope that they do?

SPEAKER_03: 52:21

Um, I hope that if if they have kids, that they make it they they keep the uh imagination alive. You know what I mean? Um that they keep it about family. Um try to find things, you know, um that they can do to make it exciting. Um continue to understand that family un the family g uh gatherings is important still, even though, you know, you don't always get the um you don't always get everyone else trying to to to bring them together. Not saying they don't want to, but the work behind it is tough. Yeah, yes. You know, but that it is important, you know, even if it's just for a minute. Um I hope that they keep that tradition of understanding that family gatherings are are uh important. But I I would definitely say the main thing is the fun in the Santa Claus myth. I think that's that's huge to me. Because like you say, if they do have kids and if I'm around to see them, I know I'm gonna play my part. I know. And you notice I know I'ma play my part. I'm gonna find somebody to be a Santa Claus. Uh oh, nah, you ain't gonna say it. I'm gonna say somebody to play Santa Claus, but it might offend them. Um but anyway, let's move forward.

SPEAKER_06: 53:59

And I'm well, you know, all the things you said, but I'm really excited to see because um, as everybody knows, Keemani loves to cook. Like he enjoys cooking. So I just know that if he hosts uh a holiday dinner, it's gonna be something. He's gonna be so stressed. It's gonna be something. I mean, he's gonna plan that thing weeks in advance, but it's gonna be just amazing.

SPEAKER_03: 54:28

He's gonna be so stressed.

SPEAKER_06: 54:30

Yeah, he is gonna be, but he's gonna enjoy every part of it.

SPEAKER_03: 54:32

So um, I'm excited to just see how he's gonna you ain't gonna be able to reach him after for the next two days. He's gonna be knocked out.

SPEAKER_06: 54:39

So I'm excited to see how he hosts and how he allows other people to contribute.

SPEAKER_03: 54:44

What about that other one over there? How Kahari's gonna host when he has his own place.

SPEAKER_06: 54:51

No, I think if Kahari hosts holidays, Kahari's gonna make us eat, you gonna make us eat hot dog? No, no, I think he's gonna have a lady that's gonna do it all. Yeah, that's yeah, yeah, Ma.

SPEAKER_03: 55:02

Yeah, she did.

SPEAKER_06: 55:03

Yeah, she's she's been in there cooking for days.

SPEAKER_03: 55:06

I said, here, shoot, here's the debit. Go get it.

SPEAKER_06: 55:10

You know, I don't know all that. Uh he'll he'll make he'll find one thing so he can at least say he did one thing.

SPEAKER_03: 55:16

He made a sweet potato pie.

SPEAKER_06: 55:17

Yeah, that's what he'll say. And them mashed potatoes, y'all like them. So yeah. So, anywho, I'm looking forward to seeing how they host and all the things. Um, so last one.

SPEAKER_00: 55:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_06: 55:32

If each family member, let's just do our family.

SPEAKER_00: 55:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_06: 55:36

If each family member were a holiday character, who would you, what would you label each person? If you're thinking of holiday characters.

SPEAKER_03: 55:47

I don't even know no holiday characters.

SPEAKER_06: 55:48

You don't even know what holiday characters are.

SPEAKER_01: 55:50

Like Santa Claus and Rudolph? Movie characters. What are some hot the Grinch?

SPEAKER_03: 56:02

I don't I can't think of any holiday.

SPEAKER_06: 56:06

I was thinking, I was thinking of that. Um I don't y'all know I'm a TikTok junkie, but that one little girl that was dressed in her regular clothes, and her mom said, Look at my daughter, why she dressed like Faith um from um because I consider that Soul Food. That sounds like a holiday movie. It maybe isn't maybe things like that. Um but her daughter was dressed and she looked just like Faith from uh from um Soul Food, and she said, Why you steal your cousin's man like that?

SPEAKER_05: 56:34

And her daughter was like, What are you talking about? I don't even know. Well, who's Faith?

SPEAKER_03: 56:41

Let's see.

SPEAKER_05: 56:41

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 56:42

I mean, like, I don't know any, I'm gonna just cause all I watch is cartoons. Okay, you know, um so let's see. Uh as far as Kimani would be that narrator from where? For Frosty.

SPEAKER_06: 57:02

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 57:03

Yeah, he would be the narrator.

SPEAKER_06: 57:04

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03: 57:05

Uh the man that wear the little hat and moved, you know.

SPEAKER_06: 57:09

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03: 57:10

This is what happened. Yeah, that's what Kimani would be, the narrator. Just because he, I think because he had like a little vest on and little clothes.

SPEAKER_06: 57:16

Uh-huh. He loves a good thing. Dress up during the holiday, yeah. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03: 57:21

Um. Or he used to. Yeah. Um, let's see. Um, Kahari would be Rudolph.

SPEAKER_06: 57:32

Why do you say him?

SPEAKER_01: 57:34

Because uh when like when she uh when old girl told him he cute, I'm cute, I'm cute, he thinks I'm cute.

SPEAKER_03: 57:48

I think that's what he would, you know, be that because he would be like, oh, you see, you see. You know, he liked to get the little compliments. Yeah, he liked to get the compliments. Um I think you would be um you would probably be um the girl from Elf. The girl that was singing.

SPEAKER_06: 58:16

Oh, that worked at the store? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 58:17

That's who you would be just because, you know, you sing and you try to um, you know, you worked at a store.

SPEAKER_06: 58:25

I did. I worked at.

SPEAKER_03: 58:26

Did she do she do like I don't know?

SPEAKER_06: 58:28

I worked at Lancombe, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 58:30

I think she and so, and I who would you be? Would be the younger me would be um uh what's his name, Kevin from Home Alone.

SPEAKER_06: 58:41

Oh, yeah, yes that, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 58:43

No, because I would be You're very crafty, yeah, and and probably would get in trouble unintentionally, get left, something like that. Then I'd be like, oh well, I'm gonna make it work. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_06: 58:54

I can see that. I can see that.

SPEAKER_03: 58:55

So that's what I would be.

SPEAKER_06: 58:56

Good job, Junior. You did a good job on that question.

SPEAKER_03: 58:59

What about you?

SPEAKER_06: 59:00

I don't know, but you did great on that question. You did great.

SPEAKER_03: 59:03

Move on then.

SPEAKER_06: 59:04

All right, all right. Um, do you want one more question? Are you ready to close it out?

SPEAKER_03: 59:08

We could do one more question, then we'll close it out.

SPEAKER_06: 59:11

Okay. What's one thing your family or our family does better than most?

SPEAKER_03: 59:21

Um. I think we are we are very respectful for each other's emotions. You know, I I think that um even when it's about me, me, me, we're s in the process of of kind of getting what we want, we're still looking and you know, checking to see if it's offending somebody. And then when it is, we kind of know when to stop. You know, I I think we're good at that, but I think there's some people in my f you know, my family that I know that when it's about them at that time, that's it.

SPEAKER_06: 1:00:09

And then we'll tell each other. So we feel like s w maybe somebody hasn't gotten it as soon as we think they should, we'll kind of give each other the Yeah, and we and we're we won't say, I don't give a damn.

SPEAKER_03: 1:00:24

You know, we won't we'll be like, all right, I'm gonna shut it down. All right, all right, all right, all right. We'll do that quit. We quit, just do that. Um that's I mean, that's what I think. Um, you know, because everybody that I know as as far as family, I my family. I don't uh you know, I don't really kick it with other folks outside of family. Um we all, you know, have love for each other. We all, you know, love the family, but that's definitely one thing. Um for the most part, okay, we're very respectful of other people's time. That's why I say for the most part, collectively, we are respectful for other people's time. Whether whether that's the the captain of the ship, make sure that or what? Okay, you know.

SPEAKER_06: 1:01:17

I was gonna say for me, I think the thing that we do um better than most, or that we're good at as a family, um showing gratitude. I think um yeah, I think that we are great at that, at being able to say thank you for this, just the simple things. Um we make sure to say thank you for people doing certain things, like cooking or doing small little things. Like um, I think we all do a great job of showing gratitude. And then when if somebody does it, we go, you forgot something? Yeah, like, oh thank you. You know, so it's not like you know, so um I think we do a great job of that. And I guess that kind of goes hand in hand with being respectful. Um, I also think that if we have caused harm or hurt somebody's feelings, that um we um don't have a problem with apologizing or in whatever way that looks like for us. Like um if that's in a text message, if it's in trying to get the you know, talking to the person. Kahara used to like to leave little notes for me. And I still have some of the notes of saying sorry. But um, yeah, I think that we do a good job um of that.

SPEAKER_03: 1:02:44

Yeah. The other thing, oh man, I just slipped my head. I was gonna say, we um we're we're we're we're good at helping.

SPEAKER_06: 1:02:52

Yeah, we like to help.

SPEAKER_03: 1:02:53

More times than not, we don't have to be told to help. Like, we're not the ones that just dip up out of the house if the kitchen needs to be clean when we go to people invite us and stuff. We, you know, we'll grab something. Hey, when we grab the garbage and stuff like that. We don't just sit there and be like, oh yeah, that was great. And just do Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 1:03:14

Cause that is funny, because even for Kahari, when he goes to other people's houses, even though here we like have to say everything to do, but he knows that that is what you should do when you go to other people's homes, that he does do that. Both of the boys do that.

SPEAKER_03: 1:03:30

Um, but and that that's huge. That's huge.

SPEAKER_06: 1:03:34

People at people will invite you back.

SPEAKER_03: 1:03:36

Yeah. You did good, good job. Uh you did great too. That's right. I'm not finished.

SPEAKER_06: 1:03:42

No.

SPEAKER_03: 1:03:44

Oh no, we sure aren't.

SPEAKER_06: 1:03:45

I don't know why people think when they go off to college, you're done.

SPEAKER_03: 1:03:48

No way. Even when they got a family. Yeah. You know, you're not raising them, but you can you can offer advice or or be available for advice. For conversations of Yeah, don't force your advice. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_06: 1:04:02

But to offer your advice. Because sometimes people What you need to do. Oh, don't do that.

SPEAKER_03: 1:04:09

Yeah. Yeah, because it it makes it easier for them to come to you. And then, you know, when they trust your advice and when they trust what you have to say is coming from a good place.

SPEAKER_00: 1:04:21

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03: 1:04:22

Yeah. Cause like, and I told somebody uh long gone are the are the porch lessons. You know, when the old people used to sit on the porch with them and just talk. You know, you know, one people don't sit on the porch, and then if they're on the porch, they occupy with their phone. Yeah. So the conversations are not there anymore.

SPEAKER_06: 1:04:40

So Yeah, it was like someone was saying, in America, we have just become just going, going, going, going, work, work, going, going. And in other countries, it's like not that way at all. Yeah. At a certain time, like there's a two-hour lunch where everybody's supposed to go home, have lunch, take a nap, come back to work. Um, other countries at a certain you only work so many four days out of the week, and your job is not allowed, they aren't allowed to contact you or email you on those other days. Um and like that is we don't turn off. So um that that goes to show like the porch things, and it may be also why other countries have progressed faster than ours. Right.

SPEAKER_03: 1:05:27

Especially during Because they're overworked. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 1:05:30

Overworked, and people feel underappreciated, overworked, underappreciated, and disconnected. And disconnected, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:05:36

I was I was watching TikTok and this young lady, uh, she was talking about things to do in the holidays in Atlanta. Um, she says since she just left, you know, Thanksgiving, you know, this is what you could do this week. And like Tuesday, there's this party. It's called a no-phone party. You bring your phone and they give you this pouch and you lock your phone up so there's no selfies, there's no picture, nothing.

SPEAKER_06: 1:05:59

You just have to be fully engaged.

SPEAKER_03: 1:06:00

If you want a conversation, they give you a notepad and pen to write down the person's phone number if you if you link up with somebody. Oh. If you want their Insta or whatever. Insta or whatever. So everything is old school conversation, enjoy the moment. I was like, that is so dope.

SPEAKER_06: 1:06:16

That is cool.

SPEAKER_03: 1:06:17

You know, and so um we you know, we kind of gotta get back to that that conversation piece and and that enjoy the moment piece. You know, I mean, I'm like anybody else, yeah, you got your phone, use it. But at the same time, um we're massing out. Yeah. And like I said, the reason why we don't hand down recipes is because I can do what? Look it up on the phone. You know, but the the recipes, that's that thing they're saying, uh we're in a in an era now where we're not sharing recipes. And basically what that means is we're not sharing the advice, we're not sharing down traditions, we're not sharing love. Because we always feel like, oh, I can go back and get it.

SPEAKER_06: 1:06:56

Yeah, I can go back and get it or I can research something better.

SPEAKER_03: 1:06:58

Research it. Yeah, so we we need to get to that point of sharing recipes. I charge you.

unknown: 1:07:05

Charge.

SPEAKER_03: 1:07:06

I charge you all to share a recipe of something that you've made. Share it with somebody. You know what I mean? Um of course you're just gonna send them the link. But still shared. Share them a recipe, share a recipe.

SPEAKER_06: 1:07:23

And it's not a recipe that you gotta try and see that it didn't work.

SPEAKER_03: 1:07:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06: 1:07:25

Somebody did it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:07:27

Well, really something that you've done. Yeah. Yes, something you've done, share the recipe and give them a, you know, give them something else.

SPEAKER_06: 1:07:35

And sometimes on it, like it or something. Well, yeah, and then like sometimes you tweaked it. So if you did the recipe but you tweaked it, what did you do differently than that? So you can give the recipe and say, but I baked it at this degree, and then I add a little pinch of this, like give them what you did to make it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:07:52

Yeah, I I remember when I would posted my greens and how I uh boiled the meat, the smoked meat, and then took them out and chopped it up. And uh Tamika, Janaska's wife, and she's like, boom, that's what I do now. And she, you know, my brothers, you know, gave me shared this recipe, you would shared, you know, to chop it up so that you can get meat in every bite. And it just, you know, it made me feel like, because now there's a connection.

SPEAKER_01: 1:08:18

Yeah. How'd you do that?

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:20

Well, you know, my you know, it's stuff like that. That and that's how recipes, well, where'd you learn how to make this cake? Well, my grandma would make it every Sunday, and it just carries over. Um, so that's important, you know. So share recipes. Continue to share recipes. All right. All right so what are you looking forward to this week? Oh, first of all, yeah, what are you looking forward to? And then we do the grateful.

SPEAKER_06: 1:08:46

Yeah. I'm not quite sure what I'm looking forward to this week. Um I mean, I have I have Oh, side-eye. We didn't do side eye. Uh oh, you do you have one?

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_06: 1:08:58

Oh, what is your side eye?

SPEAKER_03: 1:08:59

It was just a um, we had so much cooking to do.

SPEAKER_06: 1:09:06

We did. Well, we did sign up for specific things. So this one was only supposed to have greens. Um I was supposed to have me and Kimani were gonna do the dressing together and the mac and cheese. Was mine. Then Kimani had a cake. I think he had mashed potatoes, but somebody else ended up getting that job. Um but super chef over here, he kind of was the same way. Like last week I said when he played, played in the softball league, he was all over the field. Like you're like, what position does he play? Is he the shortstop, first base, outfielder? What is he?

SPEAKER_03: 1:09:57

And I was being a team player.

SPEAKER_06: 1:09:59

He was, and let me tell you, I'm not complaining about it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:10:01

And that's what I'm saying. When you be a team player, then sometimes people be like, let me slide.

SPEAKER_06: 1:10:06

No, so he was a team player, but I didn't slide back. I did, I stayed in the kitchen the whole time too. So I did do the dressing because I cooked the cornbread the night before. Kimani did the season, like we did do a team effort of that. When it came to the mac and cheese, we did have two separate kinds. And so um we didn't have to like the macaroni cheese wasn't as complicated because we do have a little um efficiency where we use part hours, part Costco mac and cheese. So it wasn't like too challenging. I mean then we did add the turkey at the because my mama did order a turkey, but we were like, let's just get another turkey just in case. Um, and so that ended up being that. But then um, yeah, we were we were in the kitchen the majority of the morning. We a little bit into the afternoon, um, but it was just really the three of us. But I was the we believe in cooking as you, I mean cleaning as you cook. So as they are doing their things, I'm washing the dishes so that when we when everything's done, like we're ready to eat. Like there's no dishes to put away. The kitchen is not a disaster. Like we believe in that. So we have a system that just works and we work together well. And so we did have a good machine going, and um, so I'm just thankful, yes, this one was cooking. Yep, and um I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:36

Yeah, that's just my side eyes.

SPEAKER_06: 1:11:38

If not, we probably would have ate much later if y'all were waiting on me because I it to do it all at all.

SPEAKER_03: 1:11:46

Because I'm looking at all my frat brothers' plates, yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 1:11:49

They were they ate too early. No, that's how you're supposed to do it. They were eating at noon. I'm like, why are you tripping? You supposed to eat, yes.

SPEAKER_06: 1:11:56

Yeah, that's what my daddy wanted. Eat at noon. When noon came, he came up to the counter like the food. I said, I told you already food ain't gonna be ready around here at noon.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:04

Eat at noon, take a nap, then eat the leftovers.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:08

Anywho, we didn't have it at noon. We did eat at a decent time. Food was ready. We did say grace all together at 3 p.m. I feel like that's a great time.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:18

I don't know, because you only eat once.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:20

You can eat again? Yeah, but then you did eat again.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:22

But then it's late.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:24

Yeah, it is late.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:25

Right.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:25

Um, so anywho.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:27

Especially if now if you're at your crib, that's different. When you go to somebody else's crib, yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:32

And you just do up. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:35

You out.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:35

Yeah, so um, yep, he did do the cooking, but I I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03: 1:12:40

All right. So no side eye for you.

SPEAKER_06: 1:12:42

I don't think I have. I do, but this is like a side eye, but kind of scary. So when I was in Wichita, of course, you know there's always something we forget. Well, we didn't forget it. My mama threw it away. We needed a cheese grater for the cheese, for the mac and cheese. And she's like, ooh, I think I threw that thing away because I ain't gonna use it. I knew I wasn't using it, so I had to go to Dollar General um to get a cheese grater. And I'm driving. Uh, my parents live in like outside of Wichita. So it's a small little town outside of Wichita called Kichai. And so when you drive in, you really are driving through open wheat field, open land. This man is like, I'm driving down this road. Um, he is driving, intersecting towards me like full speed. Like he's not stopping. Um, and I was like, wait, so I slowed down and I just stopped. So if he wanted to go, he could go. So then he stopped and he didn't go. So I went on and there was a car behind me. So they stopped and they, I guess, refused to go until he went. And so then he got, so he went ahead and turned, then he kept breaking like in front of them. And so then finally, I guess he was trying to get them a little flustered. He took off and I was like, oh Lord, here he comes. So then I just got over to the side of the road to just let him pass. So he flew on past me. And so um I just drove to where I was driving to the Dollar General, and when I pulled Dollar General, I go, oh God, that's that guy's car. And so I pulled in and I was like, I gotta go to Dollar General because I gotta get this cheese crater. So I was like, what if he? This is where I first I thought, what if he's just because he obviously he was not having a good Thanksgiving. And I don't know what he was angry, but he was angry and upset about something. And I did in my head go, what if he goes into this Dollar General and just cut the food, right? And so I said, I gotta get this cheese crater. I just said, Lord, get out of this car, cover me in protection, knowing that I can go in and out this store, get the cheese grater and go on about my business. And I got out and I went and did what I did, came back out. The guy was still there in his car. I didn't even look his direction because I didn't want to make eye contact. I just got in and out and went on. But I side-eye him and I thought, you know what? Not only that, Lord, let me pray for him that whatever is messing with his spirit today, that you would just help him with whatever he's struggling with because something is wrong.

SPEAKER_03: 1:15:28

Yeah, you didn't need that cheese grater that bad.

SPEAKER_06: 1:15:30

Well, anyways, I did that. So maybe I should side-eye myself in the main.

SPEAKER_03: 1:15:34

I'm side-eyeing you.

SPEAKER_06: 1:15:35

Yeah, because he was like, You got out the car, and I was like, I did, but I prayed over myself before I got a million family dollars in Wichita. No.

SPEAKER_03: 1:15:45

They like stop signs in Wichita everywhere.

SPEAKER_06: 1:15:48

Anyways, I went in, it was fine, and I made it out, but side-eyeing that man.

SPEAKER_03: 1:15:54

All right, so what are you looking forward to?

SPEAKER_06: 1:15:57

Oh, I'm not quite sure what I'm looking forward to this week. It's the same old same. Got some um zones of regulation things to do with schools this week. Um, because we have a digital learning day. I think it maybe isn't a digital learning day. I think it's just a day off. Anywho, I don't know what it is. Yeah, no, it's not digital learning. It was like a last thing. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03: 1:16:24

It's not, it's not a digital learning day. Oh, okay. It's uh Ed Camp. Well, we're calling it Ed Camp. It's the day, well, like I said, it's that day that they say, oh, we're one less day of work, and he lied. We're still there.

SPEAKER_06: 1:16:35

So um anyway, so I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to this week. Um, but just thankful that we had the week off and uh looking forward to knocking out the next three weeks to have another break. So what about you? What you looking forward to?

SPEAKER_03: 1:16:57

Um I'm looking forward to, like I said, returning back so that we can get the week over with, and then you got uh another full week, and then after that, it's half. Well, you know, half days. Um we have two class days and then we do no three classes Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then we do half a day, Thursday, half a day, Friday. So yeah, I'm looking forward to that. Uh because it's just reviews on those, you know, that last week review you were saying, and a lot of parent emails about uh holiday parties. No, my kid failing. Oh, what can I do about that? Why he failing? Because you just your first email.

SPEAKER_06: 1:17:36

Like that. Did you send me that about that mama that trying to go on the news and her child was fail well when he only had so many credits, he wasn't a senior, he was really a freshman. Yeah, three credits and he missed 227 days of school, and she's blaming the school, it's the school's fault. Ma'am, I know you knew before his senior year, supposed senior year, that your child only had two, three credits, or however many credits he had.

SPEAKER_03: 1:18:04

She worried about the credits he missing and not the days of class he missing. Right.

SPEAKER_06: 1:18:09

So how did you not know your child wasn't at school? So you didn't go. I I that's a lot to that story. Anyways, that'd be a whole nother thing.

SPEAKER_03: 1:18:17

But uh, that's what I'm looking forward to, all that good stuff. All right, so what are you thankful for?

SPEAKER_06: 1:18:22

Um, I'm thankful for safe that we had safe travels, yeah. Um, and I'm thankful for a family that is just easy, easy peasy, um, just kind um people. Like my um for I'm thinking I'm saying my family, like my media, my boys, my husband, like just the the calm peace.

SPEAKER_03: 1:18:54

Um and our dog is easy.

SPEAKER_06: 1:18:57

And our dog easy peasy, yeah. Like I'm just thankful for that, that just to be covered in um peace and calm and um joy, right? So I'm just thankful um that I that I get to have a family that's that um is this way.

SPEAKER_03: 1:19:20

Yep, me too. Yeah, yeah. I'm thankful that uh your cycle started, because I mean you ain't pregnant.

SPEAKER_06: 1:19:31

So I was gonna say that. I have that I wasn't gonna say that, but I was been on um spirilactone for my skin. Hopefully I'm saying spirilactone right. If not, you know. Anyways, I was on that for my skin um with hormonal and all the things. I never had skin issues until I turned 30 something. And then anyway, so I got back on spiralactone, and goodness gracious, it just really just messed up my whole system. And um, I was like, what is going on? So I said, you know what? That's the new, that's the one thing I've taken that that says it can impact all the hormones and all the things. So I said, let me stop taking it. And sure enough, my body's back to normal.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:14

Yeah, because we came back. So I'm not pregnant. Twins at 50. No, child, I will die. Twins at 50, and the doctor told us that time, you got 80% chance of having twins again. The way you can.

SPEAKER_06: 1:20:26

No. Yeah, so anyways, system is back to normal. Yep. So if anybody's on spiral lactone and you're trying to figure out what's going on, it's the spiral lactone. That's what it is, that's what's doing it. That's what's doing it. So, anyways.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:40

Yep.

SPEAKER_06: 1:20:41

So you're thankful that ain't no more babies coming.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:44

Yep. Because I mean, even though I did I do one some girls.

SPEAKER_06: 1:20:48

Not now.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:49

Yeah, not now. Before. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 1:20:50

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:52

Yep. So that's it.

SPEAKER_06: 1:20:54

All right.

SPEAKER_03: 1:20:55

No, I'm thankful for um just life, man. It's uh it could be worse, you know, uh in any regard. And it's not. You know what I'm saying? It's um I'm enjoying life right now. Um I'm enjoying the possibilities of what could happen in the future. Um kind of want to hit fast forward to see, but then at the same time, you want to enjoy each moment. Yes. Um, but I'm I am thankful that I can go downstairs and even if I can't find nothing in the refrigerator, I can go get something. You know, I'm thankful for that. Um I'm thankful that, you know, we were able to go see your parents because we don't see them as often. Um I'm thankful that we have plans to see my parents, you know. Um I'm thankful for those, everything, all those moments, because there will come a time when those plans will be different. But for the time being, I'm thankful for them. And that's about it. As Q money would do with the wink and the gun. Um so next week we're gonna uh talk about more holidays. Possibly and see and let something pop off. Let some pop off. Uh you'll know. So we're gonna get up out of here because Alabama is about to play Auburn.

SPEAKER_06: 1:22:32

And I got lasagna soup to make.

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:34

Oh, that's what we have.

SPEAKER_06: 1:22:36

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:36

All right then.

SPEAKER_06: 1:22:38

It's my first time making it, but I've heard, oh my.

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:41

I need to go get some snacks, then. I won't get no snacks.

unknown: 1:22:44

Why?

SPEAKER_06: 1:22:45

You ain't gonna like my lasagna soup?

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:46

I just still need snacks.

SPEAKER_06: 1:22:47

We gotta make it. Oh, okay, good. All right, all right, and I've got a potty, so we've got to go.

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:53

Oh, and uh I I need to get some Lucy Glow apples from Sprouts. They are delicious. All right.

SPEAKER_06: 1:22:57

Are the y'all something on?

SPEAKER_03: 1:22:59

Y'all have a great one. Thank you for tuning in to the Refreshingly Normal podcast. I'm your host, Keith Lloyd.

SPEAKER_01: 1:23:03

I am Lucretia.

SPEAKER_03: 1:23:05

All right, and we will be seeing you when we see you.

SPEAKER_04: 1:23:09

Get out of here, PPJ. Open it, open it.