Summer Fatigue, Nostalgia & a Little Bit of Chaos

Summer is winding down in Saratoga, and Noel and Zac are feeling all the feelings.

From celebrating Standard Fare’s first birthday and trying to embrace a little summer whimsy to the return of puzzles, bedazzling, family computers and other ways to escape the doom scroll, this episode is all about slowing down and enjoying what’s right in front of us.

Then things take an Off Track turn with a D23-inspired game of “Remake It, Reboot It, or Leave It Alone?” as Noel and Zac debate which movies and shows deserve a second life—and which ones should be left alone.

Plus: SPAC, back-to-school, emotional support water bottles, the great Crocs debate, and a revealing round of Inside the Actors Studio-style questions that gets surprisingly personal.

It’s summer in Saratoga, it’s a little chaotic, and it’s very much Off Track.

Transcript

Noel 0:00

Ooh, I'm Emmy Award-winning journalist Noel McLaren.

Zac 0:03

And I'm local business owner, Zac Denham. And this is Off-Track Saratoga Podcast.

Noel 0:08

Sometimes we're on track.

Zac 0:09

Sometimes we're a little off.

Noel 0:11

But it's always worth the listen.

Zac 0:13

Let's go.

Noel 0:16

It's one way to start it.

Zac 0:17

Yeah. Red other, yellow leather. Oh now, brown cow. Okay, we're back. Okay, hi folks, and welcome to another riveting episode of Off Track Saratoga.

Noel 0:30

We are at Standard Fair today, which just celebrated its first birthday.

Zac 0:34

I know. My little

Happy Birthday Standard Fare!

Zac 0:37

baby turned one, which is crazy. I mean everybody's like, oh, how do you feel? How does it feel? Like my response has been this has been the, I guess, like the fastest year of my life, but also somehow like simultaneously, like the longest year.

Noel 0:51

It's like having a newborn baby. It's literally like having a kid.

Zac 0:55

It's just it's it's the same, but very different, I guess. You know, um, you know, there's still like aches and pains, and I'm still not sleeping well. So I guess it is very much that goes on for years.

Noel 1:06

I woke up last night with both of my children in my bed. So there you go.

Zac 1:11

It's just that's the way it is. But yeah, we just celebrated a year. I'm stoked. Congratulations. Thank you. It's been a lot of hard work, but uh super rewarding, and I'm very excited to have a few really cool and uh exciting things to share with everybody in the next couple of weeks. Uh, so keep your eyes and ears um on the standard fare socials. Okay. Yeah, be sure to do that.

Noel 1:34

But like, how are you hanging?

Zac 1:35

Like, it's August. It's August in Saratoga. How are you hanging?

Noel 1:38

Summer

Summer Fatigue

Noel 1:39

fatigue. I mean, it's good, it's very much. I think I've told you this like last time. I'm kind of like nostalgic because Ace goes to kindergarten, so I'm trying to like savor every moment, but I also feel like in the process of trying to be hyper-present and savor every moment, I'm exhausting myself. And I feel like parents out there, do you feel the same way?

Zac 1:54

No, I know they do. I don't even have kids, and I definitely have summer fatigue.

Noel 1:58

Yeah.

Zac 1:59

You know, it's just like between the days themselves being inherently longer, you know, like you just I find myself not really shutting down until much later. Um, which is fine. I'm not like dogging on productivity, obviously. Right. But the thing that about it all is, you know, being able to find that balance, I guess, uh, of everything and you know, taking yourself out of the rat race a little bit.

Noel 2:26

Right. Which is good. You have to do that, but we have also discussed this. We have to force ourselves to not have a schedule and like to be haphazard and fun and free and wild and just fly by the seat of your pants, which is not fair of us.

Zac 2:38

I have been telling myself like for us, but girl, let me tell you, it's I need a schedule again. Well, that's the thing, you know, can you kind of letting yourself take take your hands off the wheel? And I have been very much in this space of, you know, let me find the whimsy, right?

Noel 2:54

You know, do you know what I absolutely loved? You Zach just posted on his socials, you just got back from a fun vacation.

Zac 3:01

Oh God, yes.

Noel 3:02

And he posts, if you need me, don't. And I there were so many times I wanted to text you, like, like from a podcast perspective or a friend perspective. And I was like, no, just don't. You can wait a few days. Yeah, because you mean that.

Zac 3:19

I had to. I really did. Um, and that was, I mean, you know, like I'm very, I'm always like tuned in, tapped on. Always, you know, like you have to. And with this, I I that was the thing. I challenged myself. I was like, find the whimsy. Let's kind of like take everything out of it, step away. Yeah. You know, and while, you know, I I I looked back whenever we got back. So we spent the week at Cape Cod, which was really lovely. Um, but whenever I got back, I'm I'm going through my like photo thing and I'm like, oh my God, like I didn't take any pictures, you know. But like I remember everyone, I was present, but like I didn't take, I didn't document anything. So it kind of felt weird.

Noel 3:56

There is nothing better about like you know you had a good time if you didn't take any photos. If there's no photo evidence, that's the sign of a great time.

Zac 4:05

But also, like,

Nostalgic for no photo evidence, home computers and childhood hobbies

Zac 4:06

I'm very much like pro no photo evidence. Let's bring it back.

Noel 4:10

See, like I like it. I like the photo. Maybe that's like the journalist in me. Like, I just love doc and I'm always the one documenting everything. And when I don't, I know I had probably the best night. Yeah. Like if I didn't, I was too involved. But at the same time, like, oh, I just I like looking back, especially like with the kids. And I get the memories that pop up on my phone, and it's like, oh, this time last year, Ace took his first steps, or like at this time last year, like we were getting ready to send this one to kindergarten, Mac to kindergarten.

Zac 4:41

So it's just Yeah, um, you know, and to kind of tie, you know, give a little callback to some of our previous conversations. So, you know, we had talked about like a 90 summer, being bored, et cetera. So um this just in breaking news. Okay, so I read that the Motoroler Razor is coming back and they're doing it in such a way where like you can have your maps, you can have your texting, you can have your, but there's like allegedly like no browser. Yeah and you can't download apps. What's so fierce about it is like it it will take the doom that basically their mission is to take the doom scrolling out of your point, yeah, out of the edge. Which I'm which I kind of love. And then to the same conversation, MySpace is staging a comeback, which is really fierce because to what I understand is she's gonna just be a desktop only sitch, which I love. Like, let's bring back the family computer.

Noel 5:39

Like that was the best of everything. Because you had to leave it, you had to like it.

Zac 5:46

Here's the thing with all these kids and stuff, all these little raggedy snot-nosed kids. I mean, like, you got games on your phone and stuff. It's like no, no, you no, no games on the phone, sweetie. I'm gonna introduce you to the home computer, and you're gonna play roller coaster tycoon and the Sims like everybody else.

Noel 6:01

And you're gonna, and you're gonna worry whether or not mommy and daddy see who you're talking to and what you're doing.

Zac 6:07

Because you only have 45 minutes of screen time because everybody else in the house is a good thing. Yeah, exactly. You know, like let's do that.

Noel 6:14

Uh-huh.

Zac 6:14

No, I absolutely don't know. So I think this is really fun, and I love to I love the idea that we're not those, we're not the only people who kind of want or yearn for that.

Noel 6:25

Do you know what I also um have seen is that people, in order to battle the doom scroll, that's like the whole big thing is battling the doom scroll, the brain rot, right? Is to go back to childhood hobbies. So, like, I'm talking to some of my friends who have older kids, and they're bedazzling things. Literally everything. They're buying crystals and they're bedazzling, like, which I used to do for fun too. Do we have a standard fair bedazzle party?

Zac 6:50

Listen, I would love that. Off track bedazzle.

Noel 6:53

We bedazzled things like, but wait, so like I Yeah, that sounds so fun. That's not fun. So, like you're sitting there.

Zac 6:59

Or like studying denim jackets and stuff, right?

Noel 7:02

That's so like like everything from like chapsticks to like um you know, their phone cases. They used to have stands at the mall that like did it, but I want to do it myself. Sunglasses, anything.

Zac 7:11

That's so fun.

Noel 7:12

Bedazzling, that was one of them. Another one was knitting. Some kids are knitting again.

Zac 7:17

My sister knits. What's so fun though is um to like that same conversation. So when we were in the Cape this past week, our friends they brought their kids and and their eldest is five or about to turn five or whatever. And he was so turtle for wait for it. A puzzle.

Noel 7:35

You guys this is what we talked about.

Zac 7:38

He was so turned up about a puzzle. The first night, like they got there, he like completed maybe a 200-piece puzzle or whatever. And he made like made his parents Amazon Prime overnight situation a 500-piece puzzle. And so, what was so cute is like, so our friend Dustin and and Clark and and um Wally, that they all like when the puzzle got here, Wally was like, My puzzles here, my puzzle, and you know, and so then of course, like he recruited everybody he could so that it could be a fun activity. And it was so wholesome and so cute.

Noel 8:10

Wait, did you finally get Clark to do a puzzle?

Zac 8:12

Yeah, but not freaking with me. Hello. Listen, I guess you have to I guess you have to be like a really um, you know, sweet, tender-hearted little five-year-old to convince my husband to do a pulse. I said sweet and tenderhearted.

Noel 8:27

He is not sweet and tenderhearted, which by the way, Spirit Halloween has opened up and Ace has been.

Zac 8:32

We have to do a full like mic him up, let him go.

Noel 8:37

Oh, we're going to.

Zac 8:38

That's not so funny.

Noel 8:38

Problem is he's already seen that one, so we'll have to go to like a different location. There's one in Queensbury. We went to the Saratoga one, but he already has his whole costume planned.

Zac 8:45

So let's ever he loves it.

Noel 8:47

Yep.

Zac 8:48

Um, okay, so summer obviously is winding down, but also still somehow we're so much in the thick of it. Like, somehow, Travers is still like only two, still two weeks away, which is crazy. It's been an abnormal. He was just the Belmont. Like we just season.

Speaker 2 9:02

Yeah.

Zac 9:03

And you know, I'm definitely getting getting a little tired. I can't wait to, you know, while my regulars, and thank you, I love you guys. My locals, while my locals and my regulars still um are not shy about coming downtown, I'm gonna be ready for the um energy shift. Yeah. You know, where it's kind of like, you know, the end of September, that weird gap space between track season and before the peeper, the leaf peepers come back. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, like I'm yearning for that two or three week period where it's where it's just where it's just us gals, you know. Um I I really am looking forward to that.

Noel 9:41

No, it's gonna be good.

Zac 9:42

School is around the block. School's around the block. How are the kids feeling? Are they restless?

Noel 9:46

They are no, they're loving it. They're having a 90 summer, they're very happy. We had the perfect balance of like structure with like some camps here and there, and then like just like now we have nothing until school starts. So we're just trying to like be tourists in our own town, go to different things, see different things. We had a, you know, there's sometimes summer birthday parties. We had a birthday party this morning. We might take a couple day trips, might go down to the shore, go up to the lake a few times. But yeah, I mean, my kids are nerds, they like school. Like, Max got all his school supplies,

Back to school/ fall excitement

Noel 10:15

but we haven't found out who his teacher is yet. So I feel like we don't really, we can't really envision everything. Like we don't have a vision for the school year. We find out Friday.

Zac 10:23

Yeah, that's like the fun part. I remember like being a kid and being super excited about like who's my teacher? Who's in my class? And then find out who's in my class. Like that was so fun. So, like, that's that's it's exciting. That's great. And and when are they officially back?

Noel 10:36

They're officially back, so it's not, it's it's actually late this year. It's I I forget what the it's after Labor Day, usually that Thursday.

Zac 10:44

So you don't know when them kids go to school. I don't know.

Noel 10:46

Whenever the bus comes, I'll be like, go! That big yellow angel is waiting for us.

Zac 10:55

Run! That's so funny.

Noel 10:57

No, but it's it's usually after Labor Day, which is usually like the first week in September, and now it's like the second week of September. So it's it's kind of late, and usually what's nice is they have like usually an orientation day before, like, so it's usually that Thursday. So it's like a short week. It's like a Thursday and Friday. Take a sip from your emotional support water bottle. I actually have a question. This is also unrelated.

Zac's Emotional Support Water Bottle Collection

Noel 11:17

This is off track, sorry. How many um emotional support water bottles do you have?

Zac 11:21

You know, I have I keep my so I have several many. Um several many. The ones that is the limit, the one the limit does not exist. Tell Rob Norton now. The ones that I use whenever I am in the world. In the world, that means like away from my space. You have old water bottles versus exactly. So the ones that leave indoor cast now. My simple modern brand. Yes, because they're very indestructible.

Noel 11:48

Okay.

Zac 11:48

And I have my those, my pink ones are my work, my work, my work, my work jugs. Yeah, and then I have other ones that are at home, but like that's my vibe. So like if that's what color are the ones at home? All kinds, sweetie. So we have listen here, Tootsie. Um, we've got green, we've got gray. So we've got green, gray. I would say probably I would, I would say five to six.

Noel 12:13

Okay.

Zac 12:14

And then two pink ones are in the work are in the work rotation.

Noel 12:17

On top of the five or six. So about seven.

Zac 12:20

Roughly.

Noel 12:20

One for each day of the week.

Zac 12:22

I mean, yeah, mostly. I mean, and then of course, like other people, of course, like use them. Clark will use them or whatever. Or I'll leave some or I'll leave some behind somewhere or whatever.

Noel 12:30

I'm possessive of my water bottles. Like, these are my water bottles. We're not sharing water bottles with my kids. No, you get your own because they chunky water. No.

Zac 12:38

Don't get me started on that.

Noel 12:39

But they each probably have like four. So I'm not constantly like washing them. Like, and then I have they have some that are better for sports. I was just told I have to throw out a water bottle because I just discovered Owala makes like I used to not like the huge ones because they wouldn't fit in your cup holder.

Zac 12:58

Exactly.

Noel 12:59

Now they do.

Zac 13:00

That's why I like my simple modders.

Noel 13:01

No, the Owala's do. Okay. And it's pink and it's shiny. Wait, so I should. I wish I had this bad boy in here. You would love it. But the problem is.

Zac 13:08

This is not a they're not a sponsor, by the way.

Noel 13:10

No, they're not. Please sponsor us. Owala or simple modders. Yes. Yes. But at the same time, like, Rob was like, you need to get rid of one of them because every time you bring in a new water bottle, you really should get rid of two. I told him the limit does not exist.

Zac 13:23

Yeah, no. I listen, I I like Rob. I think he's a cool dude. I definitely don't agree. Okay, so SPAC has a

Busy week at SPAC

Zac 13:30

super busy week coming up. We they've got so many things, like the orchestra is in town, which is great. They I think this week, no, not yet. I think we're gonna go see um this week is when they start their uh movie.

Noel 13:42

Oh, I want to take the green stuff. There's one with Star Wars.

Zac 13:45

That's the one I want to go to.

Noel 13:46

I kind of want to go to.

Zac 13:48

Yeah, so that one I think is on Friday. But then we've got like the four seasons are gonna be in town this week with the orchestra. Then we've got Kesha. Obviously, that's gonna be turned and fun. There's so freaking much between like between SPAC and then the never ending, yeah. I'm not complaining, but the never ending track season. Yes, you know, like it's very, it's it's very stimulating, right? Right.

Noel 14:11

Is it overstimulating or is it just stimulating? What do we think?

unknown 14:14

I don't know.

Zac 14:15

At this stage, to me, full me.

Noel 14:18

Because you're working it.

Zac 14:20

Yeah, I think I could probably like leave it.

Noel 14:22

Yeah.

Zac 14:23

But like also, whatever. You know, I mean, it is what it is. I mean, it's part of the excitement, it's part of the it's part of living here.

Noel 14:30

I feel like for me, it depends on the day. I could wake up one morning and you know, be overstimulated by it because I'm just overstimulated as it is. Yeah. Or I could wake up one morning and be like, this is great. I'm so glad. Let's get out. Let's go.

Zac 14:44

Like, you know what caught

D23 Summit

Zac 14:45

me though this week, and I never pay attention to this stuff because I am not a Disney gay or I am not a Disney adult. However, the D23 Summit really was all over my socials.

Noel 14:58

Explain to the people if they're not aware what a D23 summit is.

Zac 15:03

Like, and here's the thing. Like I said, not a Disney gay. I am not a professional Disney person.

Noel 15:07

But we have some professional Disney listeners.

Zac 15:10

And we very much do. Um, it's just not the table I necessarily sit at, but I do pay attention.

Speaker 2 15:15

I love Disney.

Zac 15:16

Um, and what's so so a D23 Summit is like something they do every year, which is where they kind of unveil their plans, whether it is for movies or the park improvements or you know, new projects. This is where they debut like new um technology and things like that.

Noel 15:34

It's like a performative press release. Yeah, for sure.

Zac 15:36

For sure. And it goes over the course of several, several days. So this the thing that was really all right, let me pull out the thing. Here we go. So what really was what was really crazy for me was just to see how exhausting the IP of it all is.

Noel 15:51

You're so tired that even Disney is exhausting to you at this point.

Zac 15:56

Why is the studio like are they afraid of letting intellectual property die? Like we're getting here. Buckle up, sweetie.

Noel 16:03

Well, we just had Toy Story 5. I have not seen it.

Zac 16:05

We could have stopped at Toy Story 5.

Noel 16:07

I've had enough of Toy Story 5.

Zac 16:08

I know that's a hot take, but we could have stopped at the first one. All right, so here it is. Buckle up, Tootsie.

Noel 16:13

I could have more cars, and I'm waiting for that, and I was disappointed it wasn't in that.

Zac 16:16

Buckle up, Tootsie. Okay, all right. We got Frozen three, Zootopia, three, Incredibles, three, Coco two, another Lilo and Stitch, a live action take. No, no, I don't freaking know. But a live action tangled. Here's the thing. I don't need it. Okay.

Noel 16:35

Um wait, wait, we just saw Moana live action. Didn't need it. Didn't need it. It's the same.

Zac 16:41

Why would they release the same goddamn movie twice? It's selfish. It's like Taylor Swift and her albums releasing. It's selfish. It's cons it's consumption. That's all it is.

Noel 16:51

Loved Moana. Loved it. Loved the rock. I I loved it. But like we just keep going on, like maybe a third. Like even Moana 2, I liked. We didn't need to recreate. It's not that old either. I don't think we need a it's not that old.

Zac 17:02

Now the one that I am looking forward to.

Noel 17:04

We're gonna get paid for this, I think. But yes.

Zac 17:06

Girl, come for me. Come for me. Engage in the comments. It only helps me. Uh the one that I am excited about is the Bluey movie. I love Blueie. No, so I don't watch let me let me pre let me preface, I don't watch Bluey because I don't have kids. I found Bluey because I was playing secretly watching. No, I was I was playing Mr. Mom for my niece and my nephew a year or so ago, and I was with them for like a weekend change. Yeah, and they were obsessed with Bluey. And I thought that was such a it's such a sweet little show.

Noel 17:37

It helps parents too. Like it's it's it like teaches you ways to navigate creatively situations as a parent.

Zac 17:45

I thought it was terrific. So that's the one that I'm excited about. So

Remake it, Reboot it, or Leave it Alone

Zac 17:48

I so in the spirit of D23 and the fact that we're just gonna keep, you know, keep shoving the same IP down everybody's throats. I want to play a little game with you called Remake It, Reboot It, or Leave It Alone.

Noel 18:03

Are you gonna answer these two, or is this just for me?

Zac 18:06

We can both do it.

Noel 18:07

Okay.

Zac 18:07

All right, so I'm just gonna throw out a couple things and you can tell me if you would give it a red light or a green light.

Noel 18:11

Okay.

Zac 18:12

Sound good? Yes. All right, uh, clueless.

Noel 18:14

Like like the Alicia Silverstone.

Zac 18:16

Red light or green light.

Noel 18:17

Green light.

Zac 18:17

So you want to see a different girl do it?

Noel 18:19

No, I want to see That's what you're saying.

Zac 18:20

You want you admitting to another girl doing it.

Noel 18:23

No, I want I want Alicia Silverstone in the 40s.

Zac 18:27

Okay, so we want to reboot. Well, guess what? You're getting one in 2027.

Noel 18:30

Okay.

Zac 18:31

Um, I believe from what I what I understood, what I understand is she is now a successful career woman who has a daughter who is going into today's high school, and now Alicia Silverstone is clueless all over again. Which I think is kind of cute. And I think I believe it's gonna be a TV show. Green light. I'm okay with that.

Noel 18:51

Okay with that?

Zac 18:52

Okay, I don't need them to give me a word-for-word remake with another girl in the city.

Noel 18:56

Like the Legally Blonde. I loved Legally Blonde. I don't, sorry, Reese Witherspoon. I wanted to see Herbie L. I don't want to see a younger version of L. I don't need someone else.

Zac 19:04

I don't need to see L.

Noel 19:05

If it was gonna be someone else, it should have been her daughter.

Zac 19:07

All right, um, give me one.

Noel 19:08

Ooh, I feel like I need to make this tricky for you. Crossroads.

Zac 19:12

Leave it alone. Leave it alone. Leave it alone. Let it be. Let it be. Leave it alone.

Noel 19:20

I'm surprised by that.

Zac 19:21

That's all I'm gonna say. Leave it alone.

Noel 19:22

You don't want a bad taste in your mouth.

Zac 19:23

Nope, leave it alone.

Noel 19:24

Okay.

Zac 19:25

Let it be 2003 forever.

Noel 19:27

Yeah. But see, I feel like in order to make it 2003 again, you need to like recreate it.

Zac 19:33

Yeah, I get it. I get it.

Noel 19:35

Right.

Zac 19:35

Um, pretty woman.

Noel 19:36

Reboot.

Zac 19:37

Okay. I want Richard Gere in the old folks' home and Julia Roberts with his credit card.

unknown 19:45

Calvin.

Zac 19:46

Also in the old folks home. Uh no disrespect, love you. No!

Noel 19:50

Um, how about just like music festivals, like Woodstock?

Zac 19:53

Um, we can we can totally reboot that.

Noel 19:55

Yeah.

Zac 19:56

I think that could very much be an East Coast version of what's the one that everybody goes out to, like in Joshua Tree and is that the one in the desert?

Noel 20:05

Um stagecoach. No, Stagecoach is the next Coachella.

Zac 20:08

Coachella. I knew how to coach. Oh my god, we are absolute boomers. Speaking of like, how about brands and styles?

Noel 20:15

Coach. Because apparently that's making the comeback. She's having a comeback. What do you think?

Zac 20:20

Listen, I'm all about it. As long as we can get like really good, sustainable fashion, I'm all about it. Anyway, I just, you know, to kind of put a bow on the segment, I I guess like my point is um to kind of put a bow on the segment, I guess my thing is I don't want to live in a world where I'm just getting recycled stuff put in my it put in front of me, and then I'm expected to consume it. Right. The way like that list that I read you, while some people may like be stoked and so happy for, and like I not stealing anybody's joy, please don't miss misunderstand. But I do think it's like I think we could do better. Where's the creativity?

Noel 21:00

Do be original. All of you original thinkers who have creative ideas out there.

Zac 21:05

Get to the forefront, yeah, sponsor them. Yeah, that's my I guess that's my gripe. You know, get the visionaries out there and let's get some, let's tell some new stories. Yeah, you know it.

Noel 21:16

I love that.

Zac 21:16

So anyway, let's take a break.

Noel 21:19

Hey Zach! I finally have some free time this fall because both of my kids are in elementary school. Where should I go for a girls' trip? I'm finally gonna have the time.

Zac 21:29

Well, do I have just the thing for you? Bocage is going to Champagne, France this fall, and we're bringing a very small group with us. This is not a bus tour and a lanyard situation. We're talking four nights in Champagne, luxury transportation, private visits with champagne houses we actually know and love, incredible meals and experiences you just can't book online yourself. We've spent years building these relationships, and this is basically your chance to come along for the ride. There are only a couple of spots. Us so if champagne has been on your bucket list, this is your sign to stop talking about it and come with us. Shoot me an email, Zach at SureThingHospitality.com for all the deeds.

Noel 22:13

Sign me up.

Zac 22:14

Now back to the show. Okay. So I wanted to do this little thing with you that I thought that would

Inside the Off Track Studio (random questions)

Zac 22:22

be really fun. So one of my favorite things to watch whenever I was in high school, because I was kind of a nerd, was inside the actor studio with James Lipton. Um and at the end of every conversation with every guest, he would ask a standard list of questions.

Noel 22:39

Okay.

Zac 22:40

And I wanted to do that with you.

Noel 22:41

Okay.

Zac 22:42

But I also want you to do it with me too, because I think it would be really fun.

Noel 22:45

Yes.

Zac 22:45

Um, okay.

Noel 22:46

All right, Zach. I feel like you always ask me questions, so I'm gonna start. What is your favorite word?

Zac 22:52

I would say kerfluffle.

Noel 22:56

I too. So good.

Zac 23:01

Well, what's your least favorite word?

Noel 23:02

It used to be moist, but I'm over that.

Zac 23:05

I think we as a culture can get over it.

Noel 23:07

Get rid of I'll get rid of it or no.

Zac 23:10

Get over it. I mean like relax.

Noel 23:13

It's a bad word.

Zac 23:14

What's your least favorite word?

Noel 23:17

It's the C word. To like see you next.

Zac 23:20

Cookie? Cookie?

Noel 23:22

Oh, it's not a cookie.

Zac 23:23

I don't know because I feel the C word.

Noel 23:26

It depends on how you use it.

Zac 23:28

It just like I love to use it to describe like a feeling. I love to use it to describe any way. Yeah, like, or it's like, oh my god, this outfit right here is so cool. You look great. Like, I love it. I live. Yeah. I live. Because there's power. Here's the thing. It comes down to like. Does I put this in the same box as like with like fat, right? Yeah. You know, like I spent years hating that word.

Speaker 2 23:51

Yeah.

Zac 23:51

But now actually, I will use it sometimes in certain situations because I can take back the power. And that word. I never thought of it so much. So like if you think about it, anything. Words only have the power that you put behind it.

Noel 24:04

I love this about you. You always are like good at finding the pot. I'm serious though. That's a really, really good thing.

Zac 24:09

But it's true, words only have the power that you put behind it. So like You know what?

Noel 24:13

I'm gonna change it.

Zac 24:14

So I'm gonna change it. That's an app. That's that's the thing. You know, and I know that I know that may seem like a little woo-woo, but like I think that that's it.

Noel 24:21

And I the older I get, the more woo-woo I get. So what sound do you love?

Zac 24:26

Um I love the sound of my mom's voice.

Noel 24:30

Oh, that's cute.

Zac 24:31

I love the sound of her laugh.

Noel 24:33

Mm-hmm.

Zac 24:34

Yeah. Like it's still so resonating. Is it you hear it?

Noel 24:37

Do you have recordings of her still?

Zac 24:39

Um, I do. I do, yeah.

Noel 24:41

I love that.

Zac 24:41

Sorry, that got me going. No, I love that though.

Noel 24:44

And I love that you can get that deep, and I love how we can go from talking about the C-word to that in a heartbeat. We love you, Alice.

Zac 24:51

Um, okay, so for you.

Noel 24:53

What sound do I hate?

Zac 24:55

Yeah, I mean, I or I can give you something that you love if you're a big thing. Well, what I love. Let's talk about. Yeah.

Noel 25:00

Um, I love the sound of a thunderstorm. Ooh, word. Thunderstorm and rain. Love it.

Zac 25:04

Peace. Nothing is better than like a fall storm where you can crack the window. And feel the wet air. Oh, girl, I love it. I'm with you.

Noel 25:14

Yep. Um any like wet talking. Do you know what I mean? I do. People who, and it's like very apparent in like, I'm really sorry, listeners, but for between every sentence.

Zac 25:28

Listeners, I am shook.

Noel 25:32

Because I think if ever any of us accidentally have a wet talk, like, I take it out.

Zac 25:39

Oh my god, I hate it.

Noel 25:40

I take it out. Because sometimes it hap happens accidentally.

Zac 25:43

Yeah, sure, sure.

Noel 25:44

But like. Nope. Goodbye.

Zac 25:47

Yeah, I hate that one too. Um, okay. What's your favorite? Obviously, what's your favorite curse word?

Noel 25:53

Well, we know what my least favorite is, but we're taking the power back.

Zac 25:56

We're taking the power back.

Noel 25:56

Um I overuse and love the F word. And you know what I'm really excited about? I feel like I've had like to to repress my use of said word around my children, which our parents didn't care. Mine didn't care. They did not. I love like because I don't want them walking around saying it all the time.

Zac 26:18

Yeah, I guess. Fine.

Noel 26:20

I love if they sometimes it slips out in the car, but you know, because it's like I'm like, it's okay in the car. I just don't want them to say it in a way.

Zac 26:27

No one even thinks it's appropriate in social situations. Or to use it frivolously. Exactly. Perhaps at school.

Noel 26:34

Yes. Yeah. But the second they get on that bus. Ooh. I'm telling you, my psoriasis is worse right now because I've been repressing. You can't say the up.

Zac 26:55

Yeah, I'm kind of in the same boat. I think my favorite is so yeah, that's a rendition. Oh, I love it. Because you can say it in so many ways. Again, like it has so much, it can be so many things. You know? It's so brilliant. It can make you feel good. It can express absolute disdain or anger. It can be like in the middle of pleasure, like anything. No, it could be so fun. So I like that one. I like that one a lot. Um, okay, so I wanted to ask you this for sure, but you can also ask me. Uh, what profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Noel 27:30

I was talking to my hair girl and I was like, I feel like if I ever could relive, or like I would do hair. You would ask you. I would talk about it. I would talk to people. You would be really good. Like, I love art and I love so I would do that. I also feel like because I was so artsy and creative as a kid, like I kind of repressed some of my like scientific love. And I love biology. Me too. So working with animals in any sense of the definition, or just in care and like caring for people, being a doctor, I don't know, like those are very wide separate things. But like I feel like, you know, something where I'm care, maybe a vet. I love animals, taking care of animals. Um, I don't know. So yeah, how about yourself? I think You've done everything. I kind of have done a lot.

Zac 28:20

I've lived many lives. I I have been a hairstylist, I have been an actor, I have been a restaurant guy. Um, yeah, I think the one thing that I had I gone to a more academic space, I think, whenever I was a kid, instead of being, you know, artistic and and fun and all that stuff, um, which whatever, I mean, you can be all those things. Yeah. Um, I think I really would have liked to have been like a paleontologist or whatever. Because like I love dinosaurs, I love prehistoric that idea and studying that and finding that. Um, I think the inner nerd would have thrived. I think it's like Or architect.

Noel 29:06

Okay.

Zac 29:06

But I was never really great at math, which is why I didn't really go anywhere but interior design. Yeah, and I'm really good at that. So, but anyway.

Noel 29:14

This is all you.

Zac 29:15

Yeah, it's all my fault. Well, Clark, Clark's too. Clark too. He had he co-signed.

Noel 29:20

Oh man. Um, what profession would you absolutely never want to do?

Zac 29:26

I would never want to be. I would never want to be a vet.

Noel 29:32

Really?

Zac 29:33

While I love animals so much, I don't love all animals.

Noel 29:37

Okay. I love pretty much all animals.

Zac 29:39

I don't like cats. You have met me none. I don't like snakes. I don't like, I don't, uh uh-um. Nope. You're just like I don't like, I don't I like birds, but I don't trust them.

Noel 29:54

I don't trust snakes.

Zac 29:55

Clip it. That's clip it. That's that's that's on its own. Um, yeah. A snake. I'm sorry. The only good snake is a dead snake. I'm sorry.

Noel 30:05

So like my kids want to get a snake so badly. I'm like, when you turn 18 and you move out of the house, I will not have it in here. But I hope they grow out of that. It is a Did you hear it's called a no-probe. I don't think I could. I respect this profession so so much. I think it's such an important job. And I actually know someone who is one, um, but a mortician.

Zac 30:26

Oh, girl.

Noel 30:27

I couldn't do it. Me either. And it's not even about like the dealing with the the the preparing a dead body thing, which I mean, I don't love that either.

Zac 30:38

It's the bloodletting.

Noel 30:39

It's yeah, but it's also just like right, don't they drain the bodies and stuff?

Zac 30:43

Sweetie, it's not.

Noel 30:44

Yeah, no. And but you also get to like style their hair and do their makeup and no. For me, it's just I think it takes a very, very, very special person to be able to live in that morning space every single day and care for somebody who has lost someone. Like you're just dealing with people at the worst points in their life every single day. Exactly. And you have to keep it all together. That's one of the hardest parts of life. Yeah, but you're too much of an impact.

Zac 31:15

You couldn't do it.

Noel 31:17

Because I would be too involved, I couldn't separate it. I couldn't, I absolutely couldn't do it.

Zac 31:20

Yeah, I couldn't do that either.

Noel 31:21

Which thank God for the the the incredible souls that are able to do it, and and like I just thank God for them.

Zac 31:29

Um, what is something completely insignificant that you have an extremely strong opinion about? But really like grinds your gears.

Noel 31:38

Putting clothes away incorrectly.

Zac 31:42

Girl, I get it.

Noel 31:44

More specifically, my children's clothes. Rob, please turn off the podcast right now because you are a wonderful man who is a new age man who does the laundry and he does the dishes. But I guess he doesn't like how I put the dishes away because he handles like the the dishes and the dishwashing, and he has an order he likes to organize the dishwasher in. Let him for me. Don't wash a set and only wash the top half, but not the bottom half. So that I have to wait for the next laundry cycle. But I should be grateful because he's doing the laundry.

Zac 32:21

Yeah, I mean, I get it. I I can see red for you. Let me do the laundry so that I can also chill out. Girl, I get it.

Noel 32:29

But also Or he'll put like very clearly Ace's underwear in Mac's underwear drawer. And I'm like looking for Mac's underwear, and it's like in Ace's drawer or Ace's, like I get it.

Zac 32:43

Um, okay, something uh completely insignificant that I have a extremely strong opinion about. I feel like anybody in the 518 knows mine, and it's Crocs. I used to be forgiving about it and say, like, oh, if you're in the medical field or if you're a kid or whatever.

Noel 33:00

Still now you're drawing the line further.

Zac 33:02

I'm drawing the line further.

Noel 33:03

Okay, why?

Zac 33:04

No one, no one should have them.

Noel 33:06

So why?

Zac 33:08

Okay, well, I know y'all are not wearing socks with them, and I know your feet stink, and I know they stink. Number two, um, I know you're wearing those open back shoes, and you're ladies, the I'm going, I'm going here. Ladies, it's summer. If your man, your grown ass man, is gonna wear open-toed shoes, you better make sure he has a pedicure, and you better make sure that his feet are are correct because guess what? I don't want to see it in my restaurant. I don't want to see it. It's so gross.

Noel 33:38

Quick, have you ever kicked anybody out of your restaurant?

Zac 33:40

No, because uh no, because I'm not that petty, but in my brain, I am. Now, here's the thing, y'all. It's gross. I'm drawing the line. Nobody, nobody can wear, don't, don't just don't. I'm getting mad now. We gotta move on.

Noel 33:53

But see, here's the thing. If you have kids, and I feel like I need to pick a time to draw a line with that. No, like you're walking around, they can hike in them and run in them, and then also get them wet if they're like going to the creek. They're multifunctional, they're versatile.

Zac 34:06

So I I just like like I said previously, you can wear a flip-flop if you're going if you're by the pool or if you're at the beach. That's it. No. No, crocs are fine if you're going, obviously. I mean, if you're going hiking, yeah, sure. But like, why wouldn't they have proper shoes on?

Noel 34:21

Crocs are fine if they're in the furnace.

Zac 34:22

I'm literally gonna spiral. We can't talk about it. Okay, we need to move. Sorry, it's it flames, flames right now. All right. I just told you, Mom.

Noel 34:30

What is something you pretend not to judge people for? But absolutely judge them for.

Zac 34:35

Yeah, open toe shoes and not having a pedicure. I'm judging you. Sorry. Ladies, oh, another thing too with your men. Here we go. Another thing with your men. If they're gonna wear uh shorts, make sure their ashy knees are moisturized. You hold on around straight men. Straight men are not straight men have to be stopped. Very, very hard. It has to be stopped.

Noel 34:53

My favorite quote can I can I talk about this?

Zac 34:56

Yeah, I obviously.

Noel 34:56

One of the first nights standard fair was open. It was like the first night, and he's like, he's a perfectionist, Zach, so he's like trying to make sure everything's going according to plan. And he storms out of the kitchen and like flips his hair over his shoulder and goes, I just can't. There's too many straight men in this kitchen right now. I just I cannot.

Zac 35:17

Yeah, there that was a rough, it really was a rough time. Um yeah, yeah, though the that's what I'm judging you on. Not having your pedicure. And and getting out and going out in public in front of God and all these people with open toe shoes and not having a pedicure is disrespectful. What's yours?

Noel 35:34

Oh my gosh, I I'm not very judgy.

Zac 35:37

That's a damn lot.

Noel 35:38

Ooh, uh overly performative on social media.

Zac 35:43

That part, that part.

Noel 35:44

I'm gonna act like it doesn't bother me.

Zac 35:46

No, it bothers me too.

Noel 35:48

I don't know. Like, I get it. Listen, like, I I share a lot on social media. I'm not saying it, but like I feel like posting because it's like, oh, I saw this. It was interesting. I'm gonna repost it. Or posting pictures of like, well, maybe that is performative. Maybe I'm judging myself. Like, look how cute my kids are, or look how like awesome Mac did it his wrestling tournament, or like like I feel good, so I'm gonna post this picture of your.

Zac 36:15

See, these are examples of someone posting something that is significant either in the moment or in your life.

Noel 36:22

Right.

Zac 36:23

Not for clicks for like for okay, for example, your kid like crushed it at the at the wrestling match. If it gets three likes, you're not gonna lose sleep. No, it doesn't matter.

Noel 36:34

In fact, all of my pictures of me and my family get less than everything than our show altogether.

Zac 36:41

But that's done. But that's not for everyone.

Noel 36:43

I just want it on my grid in the photo album of my likes.

Zac 36:46

Exactly. And that's I think that's separate. But then what we're what you're referring to is that is the people who like do the the multiple posts a day, and we're talking grid posts a day. Right. Oh, like it could be a picture of uh full you know, some laundry that they folded with the caption of like, oh my god, it's giving Picasso, right? Like whatever, like these are things that people are doing for likes, clicks, etc., but there's no validity and not likes and clicks because they're getting paid for it, like like that.

Noel 37:20

That's not what I mean. It's for the attention.

Zac 37:23

For me, that's that's the thing I have, that's the thing that I have an issue with too. I don't love the performative posting either.

Noel 37:31

I feel like a lot of people do it, that's why I'm like hiding right now.

Zac 37:33

Yeah, it's fine. Girl, I don't care. Alright, last question. If the goddess herself does exist, what will she tell you or say to you when you arrive to the pearly gates? What do you th what do you think that you'll be greeted with?

Noel 37:48

It's okay. It's all okay. It's alright. You did the damn thing. It's all alright, and and it's all okay because now you're here. The past is in the past. Welcome home.

Zac 37:59

I love that. I think that's actually very real.

Noel 38:02

At the end of the day, it's like she's mother, right? That's what I want my kids to feel when they come home. You did that. You had your day at school, you had your day. Okay. Welcome home. On to the next thing. Okay, how about what do you think?

Zac 38:15

I like to think that I would be given the acknowledgement of effort. Right?

Speaker 2 38:23

Yeah.

Zac 38:24

Um, but I kind of have a feeling that, like, whenever I get there, and I'm a I'm a pull up in the driveway, you know, and I get out to the house. And and and the goddess answers the door. I think it's gonna be more along the lines of you did that, bitch. Get in here. Get in here. You know, and it's like, let's have a wine and gossi and and talk about it. Let's unpack what it, you know.

Noel 38:49

Heaven is bocage.

Zac 38:54

Heaven is bocage.

Noel 38:55

And this goddess you're speaking of is actually Zach.

Zac 38:59

But the gag is it's actually me.

Noel 39:02

Could you imagine?

Zac 39:03

Oh my god, that's not that's a whole new merch idea. Heaven is bocage. I can see the ads now. It's an episode of Emily and Emily and Paris, actually. I hear it. Well, let's leave it on this one for now. Um, and I think this was just super fun, fun episode. I think we we covered a lot of emotions. We covered, I'm giving oh my god, I am. I am telling you. I was like, Oh my god, I wait. I meant to I meant to go off air. We're supposed to be packing right now, and then I can say all this, right? Right? No, um, I think this was a fun episode. It's fun. Um, but anyway, uh, summer is almost to the finish line. I want everybody out there. Please enjoy the rest of your time that you have. Enjoy the sun, enjoy your family, whatever it is. Um, and we'll see you back here next week.

Noel 39:50

Next week. Listen, you still have time to do the things that you want to do this summer. Remember that. It's not over yet. You have a few weeks left, so make the most of it.

Zac 40:01

Absolutely.

Noel 40:02

All right.

Zac 40:04

All right, Jairus, we'll see you soon.

Noel 40:07

Bye.