College Decisions, Graduation Stress & Surviving Maycember

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Hey, guess what? We're officially recording.

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Listen, we're punchy today, people. We are. We are punchy.

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Welcome to the Balancing Act podcast. I am Jamie Wonkow here with Mr. Joseph Vitale.

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Punch Joe Punch Vitale. Yeah, we're just, you know, I'm on the struggle bus, girl.

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You are? Yeah. What are you struggling with? It's Maycember.

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You know how it is. It's like all the things, all the things. May summer is amazing.

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Yeah. We just talked about all. Yeah. We just talked about. Deets,

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deets, deets, deets, deets, deets on the calendar.

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Yeah. And it's like, it's my mom's birthday. It's the kid's birthday. It's graduation.

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It's graduation at school for my wife. So she's got end of the semester and

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it's. And she's got to wear that weird puffy hat.

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Yeah. The order of the exalted water buffalo is what it is. It's like the.

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Isn't that a Flintstones reference?

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Is that a Flintstones reference? I don't know, but I will say that we recently

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celebrated a family graduation.

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And it was glorious and all the wonderful, you know, things.

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But after a while, it's like, oh my gosh, like I never knew there were this

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many names in the world. But also...

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Also, they now make something that I would have loved as a teen,

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you know, 22-year-old graduate, which is a headband that, like,

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sticks to the inside of your cap.

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Oh, no crap. Yes. It doesn't look, your head doesn't look weird,

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and then there's not like a, you know, it doesn't start falling down.

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So it's a it's basically like a little square and

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you peel off the sticky and you put it up into the

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cap and then it just and i was like oh this

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is everything i mean really genius genius

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genius and do you put your name on it so this way we just throw it

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in the air you get it back is that like are we still doing that is that a thing

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like the daiquiri i don't know who although lately avery um my niece had gotten

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this like a bedazzling kit oh yes and And Avery has been bedazzling everything.

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And let me just say, like, there is nothing in this world that I like more than a little sparkle.

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Than a little sparkle. A little bedazzling. Yeah. I love it.

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Yeah. Hey, speaking of something that brings sparkle and happiness. What is it?

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The bedazzler of auto insurance, people. Season three.

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Season three is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Teacher's Insurance Plan.

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Make sure you check out their website, which is linked in our description below.

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So for more information or to get a quote, teacher's insurance plan,

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auto insurance that brings exclusive educator savings and exceptional customer

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care to New Jersey and Pennsylvania educational employees.

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So we really didn't get a chance to talk about it. So I wanted to make sure

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that we talked about it, even though, like, you know, we're jumping into different

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stuff. But like I have the magazine, okay?

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The NJAEA Review Magazine, which, you know, a lot of times might just make it

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in the recycle bin after you flip through it.

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And wouldn't you know it that your two favorite, and I did not mark the page,

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so now I'm flippy flopping.

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Is it 31? Is it 31?

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It is 32 and 33, actually. Okay. I thought it was in the 30s.

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Your two favorite podcasters, people.

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Look at us. Are in the most recent NJEA review magazine where Jamie did a great

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job writing the article because I know where my strengths and my weaknesses

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are and I should not be writing anything.

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I'm sorry. I have a producer that's helping me. It's a mug.

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Yes. Yes, it's a mug. A drinking mug. And it's underneath where Avery has that giant house thing.

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Yeah. Thank you. I just think a producer also helped me to deliver.

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Oh, but yes, there is something bedazzled that I need everybody to see.

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And it's really super important that it gets on stage.

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Yes, this was actually I have my copy, but it's in my backpack.

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This was actually like someone that works with Jason brought it in.

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It was like, did you know your wife has a podcast? And he was like, I had no idea.

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That's not so funny because that would be Jason like, oh, that'd be.

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That must be awful for you. Is that what she's doing?

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Is that what she's doing when she's in the bedroom with headphones on?

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She's not just tuning my giant ass out? Just to go backwards for one second.

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This is my teacher's insurance plan, Plymouth Rock insurance mug.

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Now, you remember my first one. Yes. Crashed in a tragic bedroom accident,

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right? In a landfill somewhere.

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Yes. So upset. Yes. So Chris and Emma, it was so great. yes,

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of course, Jamie, you can have another one. Absolutely.

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But if you have a teen daughter like me.

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That is so dope. That is a special edition.

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She bedazzled the Jersey teacher part. I was like, this is everything.

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This bedazzling situation has become pretty popular in the crafting world for the teens and tweens.

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And I mean, so it's just so funny. You never really know what in the house is

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going to end up with some sparkle.

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But yes, this is my... Somebody might be bringing their mug into work tomorrow

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and... Do you like it to be betazzled? I mean, why shouldn't I?

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I mean, I think it has to be. She would be happy to do it. I mean,

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everybody needs some sparkle, don't they?

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Right? Yeah, of course. So speaking of sparkle, it's really cool to see that

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we're in a magazine that a bunch of teachers are going to get their hands on in New Jersey.

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Um and it's on the uh the njea website um which is really cool so.

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Yeah, it's just cool to be to be highlighted. You know, we we did some awesome

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stuff at the NJEA convention in interviewing the county teachers of the year.

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And I think this is starting to be like a really cool partnership with us where

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you might see more of our content with them.

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You never know. So do you have a favorite line of the article?

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My favorite line of the article is, we are basically like, where is it? I got to find it.

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Now with the seagulls stealing snacks, our kids asking us for ice cream money

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and the lifeguards whistling at swimmers.

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It wasn't a surprise when Joe leaned over in his Tommy Bahama beach chair and

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declared, which I do have a Tommy Bahama beach chair. Thank you, Costco.

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We are going to do the podcast and we're going to call it The Balancing Act.

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And that's pretty much how it happened.

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Exactly how it happened. I mean, my favorite part.

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Go ahead. What do you think? You know what it is. Yeah. We are self-professed nerds.

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Teaching nerds, interest nerds, and try-hard nerds. Nerds is a description we

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adore and take very seriously.

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Like so many of the best in our field, we believe that the better is always possible.

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Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!

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Nerds! That's my favorite thing you do. I was talking to my daughter.

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We were at a recent trip to Disney World where we went to Star Wars Day.

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Nerds! Nerds! And I explained to my daughter about that and said,

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yeah, it's my favorite thing Ms. Blanco does. I'll just start talking about

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something science fiction or something.

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And she'll be like, nerds, nerds, nerds, nerds. Oh, my gosh.

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And he recently passed away.

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The actor that. Yeah. Oh, wait. Yeah. Yeah. That's right. Because my husband

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knows my affection for that movie.

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Which is Revenge of the Nerds, people, if you haven't seen it. Revenge of the Nerds.

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Yes. And if you've not seen it or, you know, I think, and I know I've mentioned

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this before, but like my childhood, we didn't have cable.

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So if we watched anything, it was on regular television and all the stuff that

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was not appropriate was taken out.

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And now in my adulthood, there are many things that I've watched on HBO.

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Yes. And I'm like, oh, that's really bad.

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But in my mind, it's like it's not that bad because, like, they had removed

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all of those things for television purposes. Exactly. That's great.

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Yeah, there's some nostalgia in that. What did we watch? What did we watch? Just a few.

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We watched A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, does not hold the

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same weight without the curse words because we were watching it on like BBC America.

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And there are just certain movies that need a couple F-bombs here and there.

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Yeah. And that is. Is one of them. 100% one of them because it lends to the

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gravitas of the characters.

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Well, I am stoked about this article. Yeah, me too. It's really exciting.

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It's really neat. And if you, you know, if you don't, if you didn't get a copy in the mailbox, like Mr.

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Vitale said before, or, you know, if somebody accidentally tossed it or something,

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you can certainly find it online, which is awesome.

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And, you know, and so, yeah, I wonder, like, if there's an age of people,

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like, does everybody get one?

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Can you, can you opt to only have one digitally?

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I don't know. It was funny because our good friend D-Megs did come to my door

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and she's like, you know, I've been carrying this around for a couple of days.

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I'm going to need your autograph on this. And I haven't had a chance to sign

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it yet because I got to figure out, like, where the hell did I sign this?

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So, like, I hope you sign right over my face.

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No, I want to sign over over my head. But I've got to, like,

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put a heart over my face for I would never sign it over your face.

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That's really I mean, it would be fine. So one of your faces.

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I'll put a mustache on one of your faces.

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I was like, I love the pictures. I really, yes. I was so thrilled with it, the way that it looks.

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And of course, our editor, which we talked a little bit about.

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Our professor that we work with, who is just everything, and just a wonderful,

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wonderful writer and friend of the pod.

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And so we'll give her all of the accolades again.

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She's adorable. She said, you know, I showed my mom and dad and said,

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like, look, I am famous. And they were like, your name is not here. And I was like, oh, no.

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Yeah. And so I said, no, I have to, you know, make sure because editing is so difficult and I.

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Often have like a lot of thoughts and like want to get every and

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and we of course needed to trim it um and

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it you know and that can be difficult too and she just had such great

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thoughts and and she was gosh i mean maybe that's

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going to be her next job just editing papers and books

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and things like that but yeah it also lent it also

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lends it to you know there's a couple people i've talked with recently that

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are you know talking to us about the show and about you know

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things that we're doing and uh you know

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one person actually said like you know it's really cool that you guys found

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a creative outlet and you're actually like doing

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something with it because a lot of people are like oh i want to like

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i want to do this but then they never like yes

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put their feet to the fire you know what i mean so remember when

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we first started in that guy chris i think his name is chris right you

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were like buddies with him and we talked yeah and

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i remember him saying like you know a lot of people start

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but they just stop after so many episodes seven

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episodes i literally remember him saying it was seven episodes

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like people stop like normally it's like seven episodes and then they reach

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like a roadblock and they don't and they don't do it but i

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remember like when i first released it i was like hey man i just want to like

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let you know that we released uh you know an episode it's first time we've done

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it just want to send it to you and we had like zero listeners at the time and

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he was like congrats you have a podcast like that was his only uh comment to

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me um yeah but no it's it's it's really cool to think.

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Yes. It's really cool to think about, to look back on the fact that we're getting

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to the end of our season three, right?

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And we've done a lot of things that we don't know what we're doing,

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but we fake it really well.

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You know what I mean? We're like, yeah, sure, let's do this.

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And like analytics and numbers and ad buying and, you know, just all things

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that like we're getting into now that like, like, OK, this is a thing.

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Like we want it to become something and it slowly is. But I think our persistence

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and hard work is paying off.

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So, yeah, I was at a doctor's appointment.

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With my daughter and the doctor, she's a specialist and we don't we see her virtually a lot.

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We don't see her in person as much, but we saw her in person and she was talking

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about my daughter needs like a special pass or like from the nurse because she has to drink.

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She's on this medication. She has to drink so much water.

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And she was having a lot of difficulty consuming the amount of water that she

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needed, especially with the bathroom situation.

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So I was explaining to the doctor how, and she's a mom, she has two kids.

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And I was explaining to her, it was like in her doctor mind,

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she couldn't understand why anyone would say no to going to the bathroom.

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And I had to explain to her about like the water bottles and the parking lot

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for the water bottles. And she was like.

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What? You kind of, because we do what we do and you think, and you know,

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and you talk to other teachers, but she was genuinely like, here's this pediatric. And she's like, what?

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And I was like, oh yeah, like this is, you know, and so the note has been so

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helpful and she's been able to, you know, do what she needs to do.

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And, and we kind of got on this whole, this, this whole thing about kids and teaching.

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And, and she was like, you know, I just, there's so much I don't understand.

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And I was like, well, I have a teacher.

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It was like one of the first times, like in the world of like i was like

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well i have a podcast and she was like oh and.

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Like stood there like doctoring and like took it out to

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follow and i was like amazing you know

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because you know it's like our job isn't really like that

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like even when we've had meetings and things like that where it's

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like we're gonna have a meeting yeah we're gonna

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meet you know right and like we're gonna meet like in a

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coffee shop you know there's just like there's so many things that are

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so different you know because we have meetings at school but it's like

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usually to talk about like one specific child

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or something that they need or you know it's just it's not like

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you don't talk about yourself and what you're

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doing or you're you know like you said like your numbers and

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yeah yeah and again we're just trying to figure it all out as

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we as we go yeah so yeah i mean there's

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been a lot of exciting things happening this season and

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recently um i think it's i

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think is it time that we make the big like i mean i

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know some people follow us on social media but is it time that we make the big

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announcement about where the uh the children are heading in

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the fall is it time that we do that at this point yes we're

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gonna absolutely college update yes the

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college update time so we are going to be meeting with uh we are

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going to be meeting with some of the college uh counselor people

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that we've had uh on the show before uh in in episodes as we close out the season

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for like a little recap of like if what we experienced was the norm right and

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also you know what's next what

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are we going to experience and i'm already getting to that where it's like.

00:15:21.061 --> 00:15:26.621
And maybe we'll talk about it. So where so where and because you had a longer journey with your son.

00:15:26.801 --> 00:15:30.381
OK, we did. We did. It was very typical of him.

00:15:30.681 --> 00:15:37.181
And it wasn't like I can't say that it was like surprising to me that he like

00:15:37.181 --> 00:15:40.801
weighed his options as long as he did and kind of went through all of that.

00:15:40.981 --> 00:15:45.021
So it was really what threw a sort of wrench into it.

00:15:45.201 --> 00:15:48.501
So, you know, just like I mean, your kids looked at a couple of schools out

00:15:48.501 --> 00:15:54.621
of state. Mine was like, you know, he had no desire to look anywhere but New Jersey, right?

00:15:54.761 --> 00:16:02.361
So we did that. And then the acceptances came back faster than I thought they would have. I agree.

00:16:02.641 --> 00:16:07.801
Like way fast. And then he was waiting for TCNJ.

00:16:08.101 --> 00:16:14.041
That was the one, like, I think until January 15th. And it was like wild because

00:16:14.041 --> 00:16:22.441
whatever the very last day was to know was the like for early decision was the day that he found out.

00:16:22.721 --> 00:16:26.221
Which was weird because we found out from there much sooner.

00:16:26.781 --> 00:16:30.281
Way early. And I was following some parent groups online and people were saying

00:16:30.281 --> 00:16:33.041
like that things were released and shouldn't have been.

00:16:33.281 --> 00:16:35.721
And like there was a glitch or who knows, you know, what the truth is.

00:16:35.801 --> 00:16:40.321
But so, you know, so it was like, it was like, OK, we're waiting and it's fine.

00:16:40.321 --> 00:16:43.941
And then we thought, like, oh, that's it. Like, decision done.

00:16:45.121 --> 00:16:49.341
And then he was like, no, I'm, you know, I'm still thinking. We were like, okay.

00:16:50.021 --> 00:16:55.581
And then he went to Seton Hall and, like, fell head over heels in love with it.

00:16:56.187 --> 00:17:00.867
Like in a way that like I had not even a little bit anticipated.

00:17:01.787 --> 00:17:06.787
And so they also have a program like the three and two.

00:17:06.947 --> 00:17:10.987
So you can graduate with your master's in five years in occupational therapy,

00:17:11.147 --> 00:17:12.147
which is what he wants to do.

00:17:12.267 --> 00:17:15.987
And we just couldn't justify the amount of money.

00:17:16.367 --> 00:17:19.887
It was going to be $30,000 a year for him to commute.

00:17:20.127 --> 00:17:24.627
And that was after we even challenged the merit.

00:17:25.301 --> 00:17:28.961
And they had given him more merit money than the original offer.

00:17:29.641 --> 00:17:35.981
So we just, it was like, nah, you know, so kind of like back to the drawing board situation.

00:17:36.361 --> 00:17:42.261
So then it was between TCNJ and Stockton and he chose Stockton.

00:17:42.821 --> 00:17:46.221
So we are, yeah, so we're really excited for him.

00:17:47.321 --> 00:17:51.041
You know, he had a lot of, I mean, we did get to the point where we were like,

00:17:51.121 --> 00:17:53.021
dude, like, can you just tell us already?

00:17:54.461 --> 00:17:59.821
You know mom wants to buy a t-shirt for you know i well i i was starting to

00:17:59.821 --> 00:18:07.141
get a little bit like i guess because it had gone on um or just felt longer but i wanted to know.

00:18:08.961 --> 00:18:13.061
Um that we were you know because then you kind of start getting the like okay

00:18:13.061 --> 00:18:19.241
it's decision day is coming and you need to sign up for admitted students day

00:18:19.241 --> 00:18:21.681
and you have to go to, you know,

00:18:21.961 --> 00:18:24.641
orientation, you know, there's like thing after thing after thing after thing.

00:18:25.881 --> 00:18:32.341
But yeah, so I, we were, we were, you know, he came with a list of reasons.

00:18:33.601 --> 00:18:37.081
And here, here they are. Would you like to hear them?

00:18:37.761 --> 00:18:42.041
Sure. Okay. Okay. So he really liked the new science building.

00:18:42.361 --> 00:18:48.321
They just put in a whole new science building and he really liked the whole thing.

00:18:48.681 --> 00:18:54.341
He wanted to be near the beach, which who will ever argue that? Not me.

00:18:55.001 --> 00:18:59.901
He liked the small campus. He liked that he can have his car there.

00:19:00.701 --> 00:19:04.841
As a freshman, he can take his car and keep his car. And he really liked the

00:19:04.841 --> 00:19:07.721
idea of being close to my parents.

00:19:08.961 --> 00:19:13.521
And if he has to do summer session or he decides that he's not going to live

00:19:13.521 --> 00:19:17.161
on campus, he can commute and live at my mom and dad's house.

00:19:18.144 --> 00:19:23.984
And also the last, and of course, like, I wouldn't say that it was like unimportant,

00:19:24.004 --> 00:19:28.784
but we were trying to make the financial situation not like the only focus.

00:19:29.664 --> 00:19:33.344
But it ended up being like a $10,000 a year difference.

00:19:34.264 --> 00:19:40.104
So, you know, that made, you know, kind of a sway in that direction as well.

00:19:40.104 --> 00:19:42.184
But it was like, it was kind of like all the things.

00:19:42.224 --> 00:19:44.844
And I kept saying, like, you decide on your own.

00:19:45.284 --> 00:19:50.744
We don't want to, you know, overly influence or, you know, it's not my decision.

00:19:50.744 --> 00:19:55.724
I'm not going to college there, you know. Um, so yeah, so he's,

00:19:55.864 --> 00:19:58.824
we went to admitted students day. He's like super stoked.

00:19:59.064 --> 00:20:05.784
Um, he's going to, um, live on campus in a single, which is also,

00:20:05.964 --> 00:20:10.344
um, something that my husband and I were like really wanting for him.

00:20:10.524 --> 00:20:14.484
Um, we just think that that would be better for him and then we'll see like

00:20:14.484 --> 00:20:16.964
how it goes over time. But, um, yeah.

00:20:17.144 --> 00:20:20.144
So, you know, go Ospreys. Here we go. We're, we're, uh.

00:20:21.184 --> 00:20:24.304
We're excited you know and um you

00:20:24.304 --> 00:20:27.484
know and then of course it's like who doesn't want to go to atlantic city and um

00:20:27.484 --> 00:20:30.484
you know gamble and pretend that you're visiting your child at college

00:20:30.484 --> 00:20:35.084
so i mean that's you for sure have you ever thought i work in education why

00:20:35.084 --> 00:20:39.364
is finding a job so weirdly hard yeah scrolling through random job boards where

00:20:39.364 --> 00:20:44.704
half the listings don't even make sense is not the vibe that's why njschooljobs.com

00:20:44.704 --> 00:20:48.964
actually makes sense it's a job board built specifically for New Jersey schools,

00:20:49.144 --> 00:20:51.444
public, private, charter, and parochial.

00:20:51.584 --> 00:20:54.824
Teachers, administrators, counselors, support staff, coaching opportunities.

00:20:54.824 --> 00:20:59.024
If your job involves a bell schedule, this site's for you. It's free for job success.

00:20:59.663 --> 00:21:03.703
You can upload your resume, set job alerts, and apply without jumping through hoops.

00:21:03.883 --> 00:21:09.003
Schools across New Jersey actively use njschooljobs.com, so these are real current openings.

00:21:09.243 --> 00:21:13.443
They also host virtual job fairs, where you can connect with multiple districts

00:21:13.443 --> 00:21:15.643
online. No driving all over the state.

00:21:15.883 --> 00:21:19.923
Those are coming up soon, so check the link in our episode description to register.

00:21:20.223 --> 00:21:23.083
Head to njschooljobs.com.

00:21:25.143 --> 00:21:28.043
Hey teacher besties i'm andrea forcomb and i am so

00:21:28.043 --> 00:21:30.743
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00:21:30.743 --> 00:21:33.583
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00:21:33.583 --> 00:21:37.943
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00:21:37.943 --> 00:21:41.983
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00:21:41.983 --> 00:21:46.103
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00:21:46.103 --> 00:21:50.123
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00:21:50.123 --> 00:21:53.103
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00:21:53.443 --> 00:21:56.223
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00:21:56.743 --> 00:21:59.423
And boom out. So go ahead. Who are you going to, you want to start?

00:21:59.543 --> 00:22:00.503
You want to do one at a time?

00:22:00.783 --> 00:22:08.463
I mean, no, we kind of, they're a package deal. Yeah, I get that.

00:22:08.883 --> 00:22:13.163
So yeah, I mean, as far as like, you know, they looked at a lot of the same

00:22:13.163 --> 00:22:15.483
schools, my kids and your son.

00:22:15.983 --> 00:22:18.683
And again we talked about the out-of-state stuff but really it was

00:22:18.683 --> 00:22:21.783
like um schools that were similar in size to

00:22:21.783 --> 00:22:25.343
we were comparing everything to tcnj size

00:22:25.343 --> 00:22:31.223
wise okay program wise academically stuff like that so we looked at there were

00:22:31.223 --> 00:22:33.883
like maybe two other schools that were kind of in the running it was towson

00:22:33.883 --> 00:22:39.583
which was one of them that's in maryland in maryland yeah it's a very very good

00:22:39.583 --> 00:22:43.583
uh teaching college uh the number one teaching college in the state of maryland

00:22:43.583 --> 00:22:45.263
which i did not know until I went down there.

00:22:45.423 --> 00:22:49.223
Um, so it really nice campus. Um.

00:22:50.526 --> 00:22:52.246
And, you know, not overly far.

00:22:53.086 --> 00:22:56.966
There was also an honors program that my daughter wound up getting into.

00:22:57.166 --> 00:22:59.226
My son didn't apply to it because he didn't have interest.

00:22:59.506 --> 00:23:03.386
But my daughter was like, yeah, it's cool to do that. So she applied to the

00:23:03.386 --> 00:23:04.746
honors program and wound up getting in.

00:23:05.466 --> 00:23:10.986
And I thought that might sway her decision because of the fact that additional

00:23:10.986 --> 00:23:15.926
scholarship and choosing priority

00:23:15.926 --> 00:23:19.746
housing and also getting to choose your schedule before other students.

00:23:19.886 --> 00:23:22.946
So really, you can make sure you get the professors that you want,

00:23:23.046 --> 00:23:25.486
the classes that you want, the times that you want.

00:23:26.886 --> 00:23:31.286
So that happened and she was weighing the options. They also both got a scholarship

00:23:31.286 --> 00:23:37.106
to Towson, which basically made it in-state tuition because,

00:23:37.326 --> 00:23:38.926
you know, we live in New Jersey, so be out of state.

00:23:39.546 --> 00:23:43.186
Oh, you know, affordable, like all the schools they were looking at were right

00:23:43.186 --> 00:23:45.666
around the same amount of money. Right.

00:23:46.586 --> 00:23:50.706
Westchester, we looked at out of state. But they applied to a couple like other

00:23:50.706 --> 00:23:54.006
schools that were like similar and thought like, OK, if we don't get into these,

00:23:54.146 --> 00:23:56.066
but they do get into those, then we'll go visit them.

00:23:56.066 --> 00:23:59.066
So like they're like back burner kind of

00:23:59.066 --> 00:24:02.026
schools i mean it's so easy to

00:24:02.026 --> 00:24:07.046
apply to these schools it's like check a box and your stuff goes like that's

00:24:07.046 --> 00:24:11.526
literally what it is i mean my daughter had to do like an additional small essay

00:24:11.526 --> 00:24:17.826
for the honors program like who you know it was like it didn't yeah so what

00:24:17.826 --> 00:24:20.586
who cares who what okay sweater weather.

00:24:24.106 --> 00:24:28.486
So we're doing i have a sweater weather mug i should bedazzle it oh yeah you should,

00:24:29.686 --> 00:24:33.506
so yeah we're you know going through all the motions and when they went to tcnj

00:24:33.506 --> 00:24:37.166
over the summer and then they went back again and i just kind of knew in the

00:24:37.166 --> 00:24:40.766
back of my mind what i had told them on a car ride actually back from tousin

00:24:40.766 --> 00:24:46.086
i said okay gut feeling you guys are going to get into tcnj and want to go there,

00:24:47.204 --> 00:24:53.624
Um, officially, I'd like you both to go to the same school because I think logistically

00:24:53.624 --> 00:24:59.464
for me, it would be better because not that I'm going to be the only one moving them,

00:24:59.564 --> 00:25:02.604
but my wife will probably be sobbing in a corner,

00:25:02.784 --> 00:25:05.724
putting something together while I'm doing the logistics of everything else.

00:25:05.904 --> 00:25:08.684
Uh, and that's no knock on my wife. She's actually said like,

00:25:08.744 --> 00:25:10.544
yeah, I'll just, just give me something to do. I'll be fine.

00:25:10.984 --> 00:25:14.724
Um, so logistically it would just be, I think better for the two of them.

00:25:14.724 --> 00:25:18.024
It also gives them a little built-in support system because they're their own

00:25:18.024 --> 00:25:20.404
people, but they are very close.

00:25:20.704 --> 00:25:25.124
So it's good that they're going to be on their own, but not on their own.

00:25:25.224 --> 00:25:28.724
So they wound up choosing TCNJ because they got in.

00:25:29.844 --> 00:25:34.844
Yay, go Lions! Yes, go Lions, which is, again, where my wife and I went.

00:25:35.124 --> 00:25:36.804
And then they would make out.

00:25:38.964 --> 00:25:43.344
Not my children. Duh, you and your wife, dummy. Come on. Oh,

00:25:43.384 --> 00:25:44.504
yeah. There was a lot of that.

00:25:44.724 --> 00:25:47.684
Um it was a lot of that yeah it

00:25:47.684 --> 00:25:50.484
takes a while uh yeah but so yeah we

00:25:50.484 --> 00:25:53.244
had a great uh a great experience there uh the

00:25:53.244 --> 00:25:56.424
both of us met lifelong friends and you know created relationships

00:25:56.424 --> 00:26:00.004
there that are very important to us and um you

00:26:00.004 --> 00:26:03.484
know my daughter when she was down in the admitted students day ran into uh

00:26:03.484 --> 00:26:08.424
you know our friend uh and ran into her daughter who hadn't really made a decision

00:26:08.424 --> 00:26:11.124
yet and they had talked a bunch of times before and my daughter was like yeah

00:26:11.124 --> 00:26:13.924
why you just go here we like be roommates and whatever and they're like sure

00:26:13.924 --> 00:26:17.064
so now they're going to room together which is cool they have their own little

00:26:17.064 --> 00:26:19.064
is that officially official like they've yeah

00:26:19.464 --> 00:26:23.344
that's officially official so love that yeah so now we're at the point where

00:26:23.344 --> 00:26:27.584
it's like they got to fill out the housing and fill out the forms and do all the things and like,

00:26:28.224 --> 00:26:31.584
we did that like we didn't know if we were doing it right did we do it right

00:26:31.584 --> 00:26:35.244
and did we submit it and is it the time and when are the things so like now

00:26:35.244 --> 00:26:39.984
is like a whole other like ball of wax of like figuring everything out.

00:26:40.184 --> 00:26:43.724
And also like, please, please, please.

00:26:44.364 --> 00:26:46.124
I can't handle another portal.

00:26:47.339 --> 00:26:52.719
Yep. There's another portal. I don't want any more portals. Leave me alone, portals.

00:26:52.899 --> 00:26:59.279
And I've also used your line recently because I've said to my children,

00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:00.999
like, hey, we all got to have some patience here.

00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:06.819
I said, this is the first time I am living. This is the first time I'm living this like.

00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:10.839
And back in my day, when we went to college, you filled out everything in paper

00:27:10.839 --> 00:27:15.299
and you had a system to call up on the phone to register for your classes. and you put in a code.

00:27:16.399 --> 00:27:19.439
And, you know, phones are these things you call, you hit numbers.

00:27:19.659 --> 00:27:21.319
And it would be like beep-bop, beep-bop, beep-bop.

00:27:21.579 --> 00:27:26.019
Ring, ring. Like literally you get the busy signal, you'd have to call at a

00:27:26.019 --> 00:27:28.959
specific time and you wanted to make sure you didn't have an 8 a.m.

00:27:29.299 --> 00:27:33.179
World history class with Dr. Karras because he was scary and mean.

00:27:33.699 --> 00:27:37.419
That's all right. And had an eye patch. It was a big, like six foot seven guy

00:27:37.419 --> 00:27:39.799
with an eye patch. Oh, it looked like a pirate.

00:27:40.299 --> 00:27:43.119
Seriously, the guy looked like a Viking and he would like have a hook for a

00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:47.539
hand and want to stab you. It was hysterical. Just off the swords. Yeah, exactly.

00:27:48.519 --> 00:27:52.219
But now it's like everything is different and meal plans and housing and where

00:27:52.219 --> 00:27:54.859
they're going to stay, what they're going to do, this and that group.

00:27:54.999 --> 00:27:56.699
And they'll join this and talk to these people.

00:27:57.199 --> 00:28:02.939
So it's navigating all of that. But just trying to get her, like both of my kids, patience.

00:28:03.619 --> 00:28:07.019
We've never done this before. We want to make sure you do it correctly.

00:28:07.099 --> 00:28:11.039
We don't want you to have any mistakes and miss something. So let's sit down.

00:28:11.259 --> 00:28:13.839
Let's do all of this stuff together.

00:28:14.879 --> 00:28:19.799
Yes. So do they have an orientation? Yeah. Where they like go and like sleep over?

00:28:20.259 --> 00:28:23.519
It's at some point in July. I don't think it's a sleepover thing though.

00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:26.519
I think it's literally like they go down for the day and then they come back,

00:28:26.679 --> 00:28:28.719
which seems a little inconvenient.

00:28:28.939 --> 00:28:32.679
I mean, not for us because we're close enough to drive in a day, but some people are not.

00:28:33.059 --> 00:28:35.559
And it's kind of a whole. Drew's is a sleepover.

00:28:36.119 --> 00:28:38.999
Yeah, which is good. Which is fine. I mean, you know, it's fine.

00:28:38.999 --> 00:28:42.259
It's just, there's a lot of portals.

00:28:42.539 --> 00:28:46.239
So there's like the housing portal, but then there's also your...

00:28:48.546 --> 00:28:55.866
I guess, registration, financial aid, paying, and also passwords.

00:28:56.426 --> 00:29:02.626
And also you have to invite your parents to see it.

00:29:03.606 --> 00:29:06.926
Yes. Which we also just did. And my daughter was like, well,

00:29:06.926 --> 00:29:10.546
why do I want to do that? And I'm like, hey, honey.

00:29:12.186 --> 00:29:17.246
Hey, we're kind of paying for this. So like, so like we kind of need to be like,

00:29:17.446 --> 00:29:20.986
yeah, yeah, yeah. Kind of. I'm like, um, what?

00:29:21.866 --> 00:29:25.226
Um, sure. So of course, how did it go here?

00:29:25.746 --> 00:29:30.806
I'm like, like do all the things and like, yes, and accept and accept and accept.

00:29:31.046 --> 00:29:32.346
And Jason's like, mom, good.

00:29:34.593 --> 00:29:40.273
So I kind of sat as like the, I'm the calming influence. You can laugh now.

00:29:41.013 --> 00:29:44.253
I'm the calming influence to keep everybody like on the even keel. That's true.

00:29:44.433 --> 00:29:49.613
No, I've seen that firsthand. Yeah. But there's even times when I lose it where I'm like, hey, look.

00:29:50.013 --> 00:29:53.833
Well, who does it? Like pump the brakes a little bit. We're all trying to figure

00:29:53.833 --> 00:29:55.453
this out. No one's out to get anyone.

00:29:55.733 --> 00:29:58.933
We're not trying to steal anybody's thunder. We're all just doing this together.

00:29:59.373 --> 00:30:03.173
So there's some of that. So there's the journey of that.

00:30:03.173 --> 00:30:08.273
And I, for, for TCNJ, they've always done historically, I don't know if Stockton

00:30:08.273 --> 00:30:13.133
does it, but they do a welcome week, which is, um, so like, I think school starts

00:30:13.133 --> 00:30:16.373
on like a Monday, but all the freshmen have to be there on like a Thursday.

00:30:16.973 --> 00:30:21.333
Uh, and they stay over for the weekend. They do all sorts of activities with

00:30:21.333 --> 00:30:22.893
the freshmen at their community building.

00:30:22.893 --> 00:30:27.273
They do, you know, barbecues and s'mores and all, like all the things.

00:30:27.273 --> 00:30:32.453
And it's really, really, really a highlight of everyone's freshman year because

00:30:32.453 --> 00:30:35.373
like there's nothing going on and they're just meeting new people and going

00:30:35.373 --> 00:30:39.833
around and playing games and doing things and, you know, going to seminars and

00:30:39.833 --> 00:30:42.233
learning their schedule and meeting the people on their floor.

00:30:42.473 --> 00:30:45.933
Like it's a really exciting culture of that school is fantastic.

00:30:45.933 --> 00:30:48.673
Fantastic i mean even down to like the blue and

00:30:48.673 --> 00:30:51.333
white striped shirts of the ambassadors and like all of

00:30:51.333 --> 00:30:54.093
the people that are running the show like the

00:30:54.093 --> 00:30:57.113
kids that are in charge of everything it's just it's all

00:30:57.113 --> 00:30:59.893
fantastic like i went to admitted students day and all the ambassadors are

00:30:59.893 --> 00:31:02.753
there and they're lined up in like a gauntlet and you're going through

00:31:02.753 --> 00:31:05.593
and they're cheering and they're clapping and these are kids that

00:31:05.593 --> 00:31:08.513
are like admitted they haven't accepted yet and my kids

00:31:08.513 --> 00:31:11.393
had my kids had already accepted but nobody knew that but like there is

00:31:11.393 --> 00:31:14.873
this there is this culture around it has a very high like

00:31:14.873 --> 00:31:17.753
graduation rate a very low transfer rate

00:31:17.753 --> 00:31:20.653
because people get there and yeah and they

00:31:20.653 --> 00:31:24.493
stay because they like it because it's a great environment so you know we'll

00:31:24.493 --> 00:31:30.593
we'll we'll see how everything plays itself out of course um but it's exciting

00:31:30.593 --> 00:31:35.133
that you know that the journey is beginning um i know and i'm excited for them

00:31:35.133 --> 00:31:37.853
to be like yeah you know where i'm going like i'm.

00:31:40.012 --> 00:31:42.772
Yeah yeah i'm gonna like i love that like i feel like that

00:31:42.772 --> 00:31:45.532
i can see that in their future of like you know what i'm gonna do i'm

00:31:45.532 --> 00:31:48.312
gonna go visit joe or like i'm gonna you know well drew will

00:31:48.312 --> 00:31:51.152
have to come visit joey because there's no car so freshman year there's

00:31:51.152 --> 00:31:53.972
no car on campus yeah but i mean it's not like he's never gonna be home or

00:31:53.972 --> 00:31:57.352
they're gonna have different schedules or stuff like that but yeah i

00:31:57.352 --> 00:32:00.792
was like i i think it's gonna be and they are like little group um

00:32:00.792 --> 00:32:03.632
and not to like omit sophia um because i but she

00:32:03.632 --> 00:32:06.832
has like sort of her own also like other crew um but

00:32:06.832 --> 00:32:10.392
the boys um like they were like

00:32:10.392 --> 00:32:15.152
really like stoked to kind of hear like who's going where what they're doing

00:32:15.152 --> 00:32:19.452
like you know what's best for them and like yeah isn't that great and like oh

00:32:19.452 --> 00:32:25.072
they're doing this i just i liked the whole um sort of like vibe around like

00:32:25.072 --> 00:32:27.492
the once they kind of all sort of.

00:32:28.112 --> 00:32:31.072
You know fell into like where they're going and what they're doing i just

00:32:31.072 --> 00:32:33.832
i thought it ended up being really um they had

00:32:33.832 --> 00:32:36.872
one friend they had one friend who literally waited until

00:32:36.872 --> 00:32:39.572
like the last possible day to the point where i

00:32:39.572 --> 00:32:42.792
was like texting his mom and was like what's

00:32:42.792 --> 00:32:45.892
happening and she's like we don't know you know i'm like it's how and

00:32:45.892 --> 00:32:49.192
why are you and drew's like he's just doing it to like torture us

00:32:49.192 --> 00:32:53.132
i'm like i know i genuinely think he's still i genuinely

00:32:53.132 --> 00:32:57.932
think he did yeah he was weighing his yeah you know it's it's funny too because

00:32:57.932 --> 00:33:01.792
like they're such an interesting group and i told you this story the other day

00:33:01.792 --> 00:33:05.652
i think i told you this story that with your son sitting there and they're talking

00:33:05.652 --> 00:33:08.152
they're you know prom they're going to the prom they're going to take a limousine

00:33:08.152 --> 00:33:11.352
right so it's i just i just absolutely love this story and this was,

00:33:11.892 --> 00:33:15.432
please understand audience that when i say these things everything was said

00:33:15.432 --> 00:33:17.412
through hysterical laughter right.

00:33:18.713 --> 00:33:22.573
My son is like, oh, I think we might like rent a limo. So I'm like, oh, that sounds cool.

00:33:22.673 --> 00:33:24.933
It's like, do you want me to help you like get some information and then I'll

00:33:24.933 --> 00:33:28.333
show you what to do? I'll show you the limousine. You know, let me ask a couple of people.

00:33:28.513 --> 00:33:30.373
I send it, you know, you fill out those online quote things.

00:33:30.493 --> 00:33:34.393
So I'm like filling it out and they start asking me questions about like the

00:33:34.393 --> 00:33:36.453
event. So it's like a school event. It's prom.

00:33:36.953 --> 00:33:39.713
The limousine companies are all familiar with this. Right. So I'm like,

00:33:39.793 --> 00:33:44.913
Hey, what time does like the prom, are you guys going to like do pictures beforehand? I don't know.

00:33:45.793 --> 00:33:49.773
So my son, i don't know it's like yeah so like do you think like what time do

00:33:49.773 --> 00:33:52.473
you have to be there by what time do you got to be down at the down at the prom

00:33:52.473 --> 00:33:57.273
like wait my son i don't know i don't know,

00:33:57.853 --> 00:34:01.493
and then so i'm like kind of chuckling i'm like all right well like well wait

00:34:01.493 --> 00:34:06.573
a minute where is the prom again he's like i mean you're asking me that's what

00:34:06.573 --> 00:34:11.693
he says you're asking me i'm like well you're the one going and i'm like hey

00:34:11.693 --> 00:34:14.973
what time do you what time do you have to be home and And he's like cracking

00:34:14.973 --> 00:34:16.753
up at this point. He's like, I don't know.

00:34:17.013 --> 00:34:19.433
It's whatever time we're going to be home. I don't know what time.

00:34:19.913 --> 00:34:23.093
So literally I look at him. We're both cracking up at this point. And he's driving.

00:34:23.253 --> 00:34:25.273
We're going to get our hair cut. I just look at him. I was like,

00:34:25.333 --> 00:34:30.153
Joe, you are useless. I was like, in the most endearing way possible.

00:34:30.353 --> 00:34:32.373
Like you literally know nothing.

00:34:32.673 --> 00:34:35.553
And I'm sure he like smiled with his little dimple and was like, yeah.

00:34:35.713 --> 00:34:37.873
And I'm like, how many people do you think are going to be in a limbo?

00:34:37.953 --> 00:34:40.933
And he's like, I don't know.

00:34:41.813 --> 00:34:47.953
It could be anywhere from eight to 13 million no one knows 13 eight to their

00:34:47.953 --> 00:34:49.073
entire graduating class.

00:34:50.133 --> 00:34:57.393
It just was so it was such a funny thing we were at accepted students day and we ran into a kid that.

00:34:58.493 --> 00:35:04.673
Drew has not only been in marching band with but swim he sees him like a lot

00:35:04.673 --> 00:35:06.453
like a lot of days of the week. They're together.

00:35:07.013 --> 00:35:10.753
And I know his mom. And I'm like, oh, like, are you guys checking it out?

00:35:10.833 --> 00:35:13.853
And she's like, oh, he's committed here. And I'm like.

00:35:15.913 --> 00:35:19.353
I'm like, what? True. And he's like, I don't know.

00:35:20.533 --> 00:35:26.573
What? Genuinely and truly, what in the heck do they talk about?

00:35:26.733 --> 00:35:29.373
I don't know. Because this is like, this is like a lot among,

00:35:29.893 --> 00:35:33.273
and it's like, do you just like look at each other's phones and giggle?

00:35:33.853 --> 00:35:41.593
Is there, right? Like, I know they all share a love, a true love of the following. Number one, cologne.

00:35:41.913 --> 00:35:44.353
Number two. Number two.

00:35:48.333 --> 00:35:52.473
Football they were here for the NFL draft they're

00:35:52.473 --> 00:35:55.173
at our they're at my house yeah they're at

00:35:55.173 --> 00:35:58.013
my they're at my house for the NFL draft right all the boys are

00:35:58.013 --> 00:36:00.873
here they're all watching the NFL draft and they're getting excited about who's

00:36:00.873 --> 00:36:03.593
getting drafted and they're talking to each other and I go

00:36:03.593 --> 00:36:07.393
downstairs and the smells there's so many there's

00:36:07.393 --> 00:36:10.333
so many different I was like Joe next time you guys get together

00:36:10.333 --> 00:36:13.373
you guys got to decide on like an avenue

00:36:13.373 --> 00:36:16.393
of what scent you want the way we're all gonna go fall we're

00:36:16.393 --> 00:36:19.413
all gonna go okay we're gonna go yeah there was

00:36:19.413 --> 00:36:22.173
a lot going on and then they're just a bunch of

00:36:22.173 --> 00:36:25.033
of really smart dummies which is great because

00:36:25.033 --> 00:36:27.653
they're all smart kids and one one of

00:36:27.653 --> 00:36:30.773
their friends is like hey the only way i the only reason i came here is for

00:36:30.773 --> 00:36:36.013
the bcd so we're at the buffalo chicken dip so they all start chanting bcd bcd

00:36:36.013 --> 00:36:40.593
and i'm like what's happening they're just in the most endearing way possible

00:36:40.593 --> 00:36:45.393
they're just such a they're such a good nerdy little group of kids uh so nice

00:36:45.393 --> 00:36:47.233
but it's like do you guys ever talk about,

00:36:48.053 --> 00:36:54.553
that we that we don't have to worry about i mean thank goodness we yeah we don't

00:36:54.553 --> 00:36:58.313
you don't have to worry about so which is good so just like keep your colognes

00:36:58.313 --> 00:37:03.613
in check fellas yeah keep your colognes in check yeah but the one said did say

00:37:03.613 --> 00:37:06.853
to drew like they were kind of all waiting for him to make the decision and

00:37:06.853 --> 00:37:07.913
then he and then he did say like.

00:37:08.739 --> 00:37:11.859
Yeah, because I've been like, I'm obsessed with like the Colonial Commits.

00:37:11.979 --> 00:37:14.879
Like I love looking at their pictures and their baby pictures and what music

00:37:14.879 --> 00:37:16.119
they choose. Yeah, which is cute to see too. Yeah.

00:37:16.559 --> 00:37:20.279
And he, I guess, must have said, because I was like, oh, I didn't see him like

00:37:20.279 --> 00:37:24.259
on the Colonial Commits. And Drew's like, yeah, mom. He was like, where is that?

00:37:26.059 --> 00:37:28.879
You know, he wouldn't know how to do it or, you know, and I was like,

00:37:29.019 --> 00:37:33.079
that kind of tracks. But yeah. And it's so funny, like it's so classic Drew.

00:37:33.339 --> 00:37:35.539
I was like, you know, are you going to do it? And he was like,

00:37:35.639 --> 00:37:38.499
well, I have to change my major and I can't. Like, of course,

00:37:38.559 --> 00:37:43.319
you can't put it online until it was like, like major change is not it was like

00:37:43.319 --> 00:37:48.059
from like bio to like health sciences. It was just like a small anyway.

00:37:48.199 --> 00:37:50.699
But, you know, he did it. And I do really like seeing, you know,

00:37:50.879 --> 00:37:53.139
there's so many of them from like when they were, you know.

00:37:53.459 --> 00:37:57.419
Yeah. When they were little girls, you know, girls that I coach on Sophia's

00:37:57.419 --> 00:38:01.439
soccer team and stuff like that, like where they're going and what they're doing. So it's exciting.

00:38:01.879 --> 00:38:03.839
Yeah. It's exciting. Melancholy, but exciting.

00:38:04.359 --> 00:38:07.299
Oh, my goodness. We say that in our house, like quite often.

00:38:07.299 --> 00:38:10.439
Like, do you have the melancholy? And sometimes like that is,

00:38:10.519 --> 00:38:12.039
you know, we say like, oh, we're in a quarrel.

00:38:12.639 --> 00:38:17.099
That's also like if you're having any feelings, it's like, I just give me some

00:38:17.099 --> 00:38:18.739
space. I have a touch of the melancholy.

00:38:20.039 --> 00:38:25.119
And that I just, and it is so true. It's like, oh, it's so bittersweet. And it's so.

00:38:25.979 --> 00:38:28.839
You know and you don't and you don't want to wish time away but you

00:38:28.839 --> 00:38:31.679
watch the clock ticking and it's like okay we're getting to a point

00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:35.919
where once this episode is is released you know we're we're very close to the

00:38:35.919 --> 00:38:41.239
prom we're very close wherever it may be wherever it may i mean somewhere uh

00:38:41.239 --> 00:38:45.619
no one knows how are you guys how are you guys getting there uh i guess carpool

00:38:45.619 --> 00:38:49.139
i guess that was that was drew's answer the other day when i came over and he

00:38:49.139 --> 00:38:51.419
was like oh yeah we're gonna i guess we're,

00:38:52.299 --> 00:38:55.299
I still want Jason to dress up and drive them.

00:38:55.999 --> 00:38:58.159
Cheerio. Put them in the backseat of the car.

00:38:59.737 --> 00:39:02.237
That would be fantastic. I would love everything about that.

00:39:02.497 --> 00:39:07.117
I mean, I just, I don't know, the idea of like driving to the prom is so foreign to me.

00:39:07.357 --> 00:39:13.037
Yeah, we, yeah, we drove to the junior prom because it was actually at the high school. What school?

00:39:13.337 --> 00:39:16.137
Because it was decorated and stuff. They do it at a place now.

00:39:16.337 --> 00:39:20.577
No, yeah. I mean, my high school was so teeny tiny that we had junior, senior prom.

00:39:20.877 --> 00:39:24.037
So like all the juniors and seniors went together. Otherwise,

00:39:24.037 --> 00:39:27.317
there wouldn't have been a prom because there were so few kids.

00:39:27.777 --> 00:39:31.237
So we had a joint, you know, which was like a little bit meh.

00:39:31.557 --> 00:39:33.637
I guess by the time you're like a senior, you're like, oh, I just,

00:39:34.037 --> 00:39:38.817
you know, it wasn't separate. I do like the idea of like the separation of it

00:39:38.817 --> 00:39:40.457
making it more special and that kind of thing.

00:39:40.637 --> 00:39:45.697
Well, in the one room schoolhouse where I went to school, we had a we had just

00:39:45.697 --> 00:39:50.497
had a giant cotillion where everyone would come from miles around.

00:39:50.637 --> 00:39:52.017
It normally would be a week before

00:39:52.017 --> 00:39:54.857
where they'd all take their horses and buggies. These are all jokes.

00:39:55.097 --> 00:39:57.957
Thank you for playing along. Of course. Okay. You look very confused there.

00:39:57.977 --> 00:40:03.677
You'd have to bring a bit of coal and, you know, like the lamp fires and, yeah, of course.

00:40:03.877 --> 00:40:08.037
The biggest concern was to feed for the horses on the return journey. It was very difficult.

00:40:10.837 --> 00:40:19.097
Somebody at school actually was talking today about doing a class trip for this

00:40:19.097 --> 00:40:24.917
year's, like, the current sixth graders for when they are in eighth grade. And I was like, yes.

00:40:25.937 --> 00:40:30.537
I'm there. Let's do it. Was this the DC thing? They're going to try and bring it back. Yes.

00:40:31.077 --> 00:40:33.737
We tried that a couple of years ago. I remember. Yeah. I was like,

00:40:33.797 --> 00:40:35.397
yeah, I'm doing it. Again, there are more milestones.

00:40:35.637 --> 00:40:41.357
You know, it's, it's, uh, this year has been milestones for the two of us, right.

00:40:41.537 --> 00:40:44.557
With different things that, uh, you know, we've accomplished with,

00:40:44.717 --> 00:40:45.937
with the show, with our careers.

00:40:46.157 --> 00:40:51.397
And, and unfortunately some, some other milestones that kind of change your

00:40:51.397 --> 00:40:54.297
courses of life. Right. Um, but,

00:40:55.200 --> 00:40:59.960
We're kind of in that season where there is some excitement towards seeing what

00:40:59.960 --> 00:41:02.120
our kids' futures are going to look like, right?

00:41:02.360 --> 00:41:07.840
So it's very exciting to be a part of that journey and to have this as almost

00:41:07.840 --> 00:41:11.960
like a little catalog to look back on and see those episodes where we talked

00:41:11.960 --> 00:41:14.280
about, Oh, so worried. Were they going to...

00:41:14.900 --> 00:41:17.940
And hear the consternation in our voices. But now it's like,

00:41:17.940 --> 00:41:19.080
eh, they figured it out. Yeah.

00:41:19.820 --> 00:41:22.940
And, you know, my current project or my future.

00:41:25.640 --> 00:41:32.320
God bless. Thank you. Is I'm starting a list for the summer of places I would

00:41:32.320 --> 00:41:33.840
like to go and things I would like to do.

00:41:34.120 --> 00:41:37.360
Oh, OK. They almost all involve like happy hour.

00:41:38.300 --> 00:41:42.300
Oh. And yeah, so, of course, you're in your pre-vited.

00:41:42.720 --> 00:41:45.980
I'm pre-vited. OK. Can I get it? Can I get a little preview here?

00:41:46.100 --> 00:41:49.980
Oh, my goodness. I mean, there's so many places. You remember the summer.

00:41:52.527 --> 00:41:55.867
Of butch. I can't say it. Yes.

00:41:56.027 --> 00:41:58.867
There was like a phrase that my sister would say. It was like one summer and

00:41:58.867 --> 00:42:03.547
it was like this summer is but the S-H word and then the A-S-S word. Yeah.

00:42:03.747 --> 00:42:06.707
And it was just like the most ridiculous phase. And, you know,

00:42:06.767 --> 00:42:08.647
and it was like, gosh, like, this is crazy. Anyway.

00:42:08.887 --> 00:42:13.787
She might have said that she might have said that under the duress of a couple of cocktails.

00:42:14.607 --> 00:42:18.927
I mean, I think that was the day we were on the beach and you were ordering

00:42:18.927 --> 00:42:20.427
Chinese food. No, no, no, no, no.

00:42:20.547 --> 00:42:23.327
It was the day that you and your sister were like, oh, we're just going to go

00:42:23.327 --> 00:42:25.167
down to the bar and use the bathroom.

00:42:26.187 --> 00:42:35.427
Two hours go by and they come back and then they're ordering Chinese food inebriated on the beach.

00:42:35.627 --> 00:42:39.647
And my daughter's favorite story about your sister, Janine, is like you're trying

00:42:39.647 --> 00:42:43.267
to order and your sister's just like, chicken fried rice.

00:42:44.107 --> 00:42:48.667
Get the chicken fried rice. She's just like screaming chicken fried rice.

00:42:49.767 --> 00:42:55.047
Like, and she's not very far away. It's like, why is she screaming chicken fried rice?

00:42:55.487 --> 00:43:01.147
Recently, and this is now Jason's favorite thing, we were making a list of wine

00:43:01.147 --> 00:43:04.987
and beer and, like, what was appropriate for my mom's repass.

00:43:06.347 --> 00:43:11.407
And so Jason, of course, was tasked with going and buying all of that to bring to the restaurant.

00:43:11.927 --> 00:43:16.787
And we were driving. And I'm like, okay, we're going to need,

00:43:16.907 --> 00:43:19.947
like, a pinot grigio. We're going to need a Cabernet Sauvignon,

00:43:20.327 --> 00:43:22.387
you know, and I mean, not me.

00:43:22.607 --> 00:43:26.987
I just I drink a Moscato or Riesling. I'm, you know, I'm very low class when it comes to wine.

00:43:27.847 --> 00:43:31.247
And then she starts doing exactly what you just said.

00:43:31.687 --> 00:43:35.387
Scream. Now, we were in the car, in the car together. She was driving.

00:43:35.507 --> 00:43:37.027
I was in and she was screaming.

00:43:37.407 --> 00:43:39.787
It has to be from New Zealand.

00:43:41.391 --> 00:43:44.671
Now, you know, Jason, a dog with a bone, like the minute that something tickles

00:43:44.671 --> 00:43:50.651
him, all he can do now is run, walk around and randomly scream, New Zealand.

00:43:53.731 --> 00:43:57.571
And if it's not from New Zealand, I don't want anything to do with it. That's fantastic.

00:43:58.111 --> 00:44:01.791
Classic. But yes, I'm starting a list and it's, you know, we're going to, all the things.

00:44:02.091 --> 00:44:04.611
We're doing it. Give me a little preview. What's on the list?

00:44:04.711 --> 00:44:07.311
I actually have one. I think there's one that we need to do. But go ahead.

00:44:08.331 --> 00:44:11.711
Strickland's happy hour. Have to do it. have been wanting to do it for three

00:44:11.711 --> 00:44:14.351
years, have not since they opened, have to do it.

00:44:14.691 --> 00:44:19.091
Also, I would like to go to the new place in Woodbridge that's called like Violette

00:44:19.091 --> 00:44:20.391
or whatever it's called.

00:44:20.931 --> 00:44:23.271
Chon, chon, chon. I want to go there also.

00:44:24.711 --> 00:44:31.071
Number three, I want to go to the C. Warren, whatever, outside. The Tiki Bar.

00:44:31.951 --> 00:44:35.731
Yes. My buddy, my friend Cletus goes there all the time. He actually called

00:44:35.731 --> 00:44:38.151
me this weekend. It was like, oh, I'm going to watch the Knicks game over there.

00:44:38.211 --> 00:44:39.571
Do you want to go? People go there all the time.

00:44:40.091 --> 00:44:43.071
But not me i want to go cletus call me yeah

00:44:43.071 --> 00:44:45.971
okay well we're going and um also

00:44:45.971 --> 00:44:48.591
i want to go to hotel lbi i want to go

00:44:48.591 --> 00:44:53.571
upstairs to the roof yes because they apparently have like a rooftop bar i also

00:44:53.571 --> 00:44:57.451
want to go there is that accessible if you're not staying there though that's

00:44:57.451 --> 00:45:01.471
what we need to find out yes it is oh yes it is yes you've already looked into

00:45:01.471 --> 00:45:08.251
it got it i have and will i at the The greatest mystery of all time will I ever get to?

00:45:09.351 --> 00:45:13.191
What's the one when you go over the bridge and it's on the right on the way home?

00:45:14.091 --> 00:45:18.211
Whatever that is. The shipyard. I've never been there. Boat yard.

00:45:18.871 --> 00:45:21.671
The boat yard. Yeah. And every time I'm like, oh, it looks great.

00:45:21.731 --> 00:45:23.991
And I never go. But yes, that's also on the list.

00:45:24.491 --> 00:45:27.671
Yes. So, you know, the list has just started. I just recently.

00:45:27.811 --> 00:45:31.291
Mine are not alcohol related. I have an ice cream related one.

00:45:31.671 --> 00:45:35.011
Oh, my gosh. I feel like we need to go to that new place in Red Bank.

00:45:36.498 --> 00:45:40.918
Colleen said that to me recently. The scoop and scootery thing.

00:45:41.078 --> 00:45:43.178
We're going. We got to go. That's right. We're going.

00:45:43.918 --> 00:45:50.978
And I would like to go, you know, I was referencing our chocolate chip cookie tour the other day.

00:45:51.318 --> 00:45:54.018
Yeah, that was fun. With like such great affection. And I was like,

00:45:54.098 --> 00:45:55.838
we have to cook up one of those again.

00:45:56.198 --> 00:45:58.578
Like it doesn't have to be chocolate chip cookies. It could be something else.

00:45:58.698 --> 00:46:00.098
But I feel like a fun tour.

00:46:00.498 --> 00:46:02.538
And it doesn't even have to be in the city. It could be somewhere else.

00:46:02.618 --> 00:46:05.678
But I feel like, oh, that would be so great. Maybe we do an ice cream tour before

00:46:05.678 --> 00:46:07.658
Sophia goes back to college.

00:46:07.798 --> 00:46:10.038
I'm sure she'd love that. So I'll talk to her.

00:46:10.458 --> 00:46:13.278
But yeah, I know. And I'll be crying too. Melancholy, I can't.

00:46:13.478 --> 00:46:18.918
Yeah. Well, we hope that you guys are going to check out our article for sure.

00:46:19.318 --> 00:46:22.678
And that you'll listen to us as we go towards the end of our season,

00:46:22.678 --> 00:46:25.298
as we recap and figure out, did we do this right?

00:46:25.858 --> 00:46:28.938
You know, we'll figure it out. We're just living life on our own all at the

00:46:28.938 --> 00:46:33.738
first time. It's just my first time living. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah.

00:46:35.138 --> 00:46:40.138
So don't forget, by the way, that, hey, who's our season three sponsored by again? Who is that?

00:46:40.358 --> 00:46:45.138
Season three is brought to you and me and everybody by our presenting sponsor,

00:46:45.298 --> 00:46:46.138
Teacher's Insurance Plan.

00:46:46.318 --> 00:46:51.718
Check out their website below or in the description for more information to get a quote.

00:46:52.038 --> 00:46:55.338
Teacher's Insurance Plan, auto insurance that brings exclusive educator savings

00:46:55.338 --> 00:46:58.058
and exceptional customer care to New Jersey and Pennsylvania,

00:46:58.338 --> 00:46:59.558
educational employees.

00:47:00.738 --> 00:47:05.618
And you too could bedazzle your Jersey teacher mug. Yes, you can because,

00:47:05.618 --> 00:47:07.578
you know, you should bedazzle everything.

00:47:08.238 --> 00:47:11.658
All right, everybody. Jamie, I appreciate you as always. Joe,

00:47:12.078 --> 00:47:13.978
I appreciate you so much. All your support.

00:47:14.258 --> 00:47:19.218
We are, you know, sliding into, slipping, sliding into the end of the school year. Here we go.

00:47:19.698 --> 00:47:23.998
We got to get done with Maycember first and then I think I'll be able to take a breath. Got it.

00:47:24.518 --> 00:47:28.018
Yeah, we'll see everybody next time on the Bouncing Act podcast and hopefully

00:47:28.018 --> 00:47:30.518
I will not have pulled my hair out. bye,

00:47:32.678 --> 00:47:37.878
look for the Balancing Act podcast every week on your favorite podcast platform

00:47:37.878 --> 00:47:40.078
new episodes drop every Tuesday.