Have you ever tried to pressure wash something? Collin has. It’s not gone well. At least, as well as his attempts to change a faucet. Brandon is working to communicate better with others, and obviously loves speaking in broad generalizations. Obviously.

Tried to pressure wash
Thwarted by rust
Changing a faucet
Using only official terms
When will they fail…
Snakes in trees!
sometimes you’re Theoden
Communicating to others
Speaking in broad generalizations
Round 1 debates!
Pillows in the classroom
Another quinceanera
No photos please!

Check out our other episodes: ohbrotherpodcast.com

Check us out on Youtube

A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE

PROVIDED BY OTTER.AI

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

people, day, sink, pillow, piece, faucet, good, talking, pipe, fine, person, bit, left, snakes, communicate, fun, bought, minutes, bathroom, installed

SPEAKERS

Collin, Brandon

Brandon 00:09

Oh boy oh boy

00:14

how are you?

Brandon 00:18

Pretty good I think How are you coming up in assess like, Am I okay? I think I'm so like I don't know because like, all the days are the same and you're just like what where am I? What?

00:40

yeah I totally understand

Collin 00:50

No, it's it's been a it's been interesting we've been well, we're getting thrown into another chaos with some staff changes and stuff it never ends literally never ends. That's fine. It's part of what we signed up for. We didn't but it's fine. You know it's one of those so I had hoped that the weekend after we are done with Aaron's upcoming nuptials that I would just be able to drive back home. But no, no, no, that Monday is when I need to start taking over visits for a staff member who's leaving so I just just gonna stay in. Oh, good old queen. City for a bit.

Brandon 01:30

Oh, good. So close. And yet so

Collin 01:37

close. So close. So you know just is what it is. So, we've been so now like, because Okay, so this person because of the nature of this, like, I'm expecting to be gone for a minute or two until we can get this covered. We're obviously out there and everything but it's a it's a it's it's approaching almost a full time position. Not it's not 40 hours, but like sometimes it's really it's like 30 hours, like pretty solid week. And so that's, that's a lot to cover. So that takes a little bit longer to fill than somebody who just wants to pick up five hours of work on the weekends or in the evenings. So this takes our timeline of like what projects the family wanted to accomplish, and really truncates it to two weeks. Like basically if it's not who knows when it's going to get done? Like who knows? Who knows? So been trying to first identify everything of like, what did we want to actually do like what was on our plate expectations? And then going realistically, what's going to happen? And one of those today was like, oh, it's going to be kind of cold the next several days and this weekend. So I need to I need to powerwash that's what I should do. I should powerwash today that be a great use of my time. I'll just go out. I'll start with a power washer and we'll just go do that right well. So the way the power washer works, it has a little feeder bin that you can pour like soap or detergent or something to boost the power of your of your power washing. And I had done this last year when power washing our deck to get off because I hadn't powerwash it since we moved in it really needed to be done. It's kind of mildewy in areas and whatever so I I had added the soap to it. It has a little knob on it and basically when you open that knob, it drips out. So the as the water is passing passing through it, it picks up this detergent little by little and blasted out well. That little knob okay, but I that's how I would explain this very well but like it's this little Hopper for extra soap and the it's not attached to the intake it's it's put on the outflow of it so it kind of gets sucked out as it's being used. So that the detergent or whatever isn't going around the inside of the machine. Well, this this little thing was left open for a year, a year and a half

Brandon 04:29

now it's full spiders. That's what fighters post fighters.

Collin 04:34

But the internal mechanism is now full of rust because it did not eat all the way and so it just sat with water just sitting out this for a year.

Brandon 04:50

And now, I have to I have to figure out like can I dissolve this with like CLR Can I chisel my way first step right like yes, yeah, just soak it. Right. And then it's like, then I'm thinking can I just buy this one little piece to replace? Probably not or that's

Collin 05:16

probably not cero I have. So that was a lot of fun because I was like oh great. I've got like just want to take a time Well, obviously nothing happened and now I'm frustrated because I'm like nothing happened

Brandon 05:36

man,

Collin 05:37

so yeah, it's just one of those steps. Wanted 14 by Rost for sure. Which but other than that, that's that was my highlight of the day. Which

Brandon 05:56

highlight low light you have there.

Collin 05:58

But it's it happened, right? It certainly happened, that's for sure. Yeah.

Brandon 06:12

It's always it's always those like little things that just like thwart you, right? There's always some like really little inconsequential thing that you never notice or didn't know existed and that is just your downfall. Right? It's just it's like the dumbest thing in history of the universe and that your day is probably ruined because like, literally nothing will work. Now because this one thing isn't broken.

Collin 06:36

Like because it's it's I shared with you my my escapade to try and change out our faucets right of like, yeah,

Brandon 06:47

that was a very confusing time. I didn't know that sinks were this complicated. Who knows? I

06:57

mean, either. I

Brandon 06:57

mean, why? Why how?

Collin 07:07

Oh, I was. Yeah, it was It was so bizarre how this entire half thing happened right? We were just like, oh, well this sink broke which was weird to begin with. Like it was just, it was leaking from inside the little the faucet like it wasn't an external hose connecting from the bottom. It was like inside the metal area was where water was leaking from and it's like, not fixing that.

Brandon 07:31

Was it like it wasn't like the handle or whatever. Because that sometimes like wears out that that valve that opens and closes just like box out and it won't work anymore. And like when you turn it on water just comes out of weird places. Like it wasn't bad it was like just ended up

Collin 07:50

with some point of view the internal structure because it probably was the handle but even when it was shut it was leaking and I couldn't get

Brandon 07:59

that thing isn't closing right than it is gonna. Cuz that's the that like the handle x is the valve to open water and because while the water is always there, like there's always water pressure on the back end. And when you open the faucet lid, it's letting the water through so if that was worn out in there that seals so just like breaks down and like

Collin 08:18

so I I'm pretty sure that that's what it was. It was almost like get

Brandon 08:22

almost like waters the universal solvent or something really weird. Yeah,

Collin 08:26

who knew does weird things. But I couldn't. I couldn't get to that and it wasn't the way this the old one was constructed. Like I couldn't get into the internal bits of this like I couldn't disassemble anything and then I was like what am I gonna do find a replacement part for this. So anyway, we we decided we were going to do those and then turns out like oh, what really it didn't it didn't change but we wanted something different and I the every other metal surface in the bathroom is a brushed surface. But the previous faucets that we were replacing were like a Chrome. And so we thought we thought well, we'll just we'll get we'll get this like this is what we do. We'll get this brushed so technically that didn't didn't really change anything but it meant that I definitely had to change the tail piece or whatever. There's a pipe that exits down the bottom of the drain. That was the other part of this. Trying to explain that thing is

Brandon 09:31

awful. Like that thing is a monster that little inset thing. I hate this like that. I I'm excited about that here in a minute go ahead and

Collin 09:42

develop well so you know I so we bought one. We bought one set and we're like okay, this is fine. This is this will work. We get it there we pull it out of the box and I was immediately like this thing is super lightweight. It's mega cheap, the faucet itself and I was like there's no way I'm installing this like I cannot abide by this. So went back bought something better. And while we were there, that's when we were like well, we're replacing we have to replace two because it's a double vanities. I have to buy two Yeah, the one downstairs is also the same making

Brandon 10:20

while I'm here

Collin 10:22

and we should we should we should change that one because that way both will they'll match but then we were like but that sink is also like super tiny. So we didn't want to get the same one because our faucets basically go they just go kind of straight up out and over. We wanted to have something with was a bit more rise

Brandon 10:43

Yeah cuz you get your hands under there is impossible. I don't know who thought that was a good idea. I don't even have like really big hands but like,

Collin 10:50

I guess it's the worst. So if you have a deep basin, it's kind of fine. But if you have a shallow or small sink, yeah, it becomes it is kind of ridiculous. So when

Brandon 11:02

you like get your hands on the back of the future like wash your hands. He's like punching the back of the sink right it's a whole day I thought

Collin 11:10

so we bought up a month with more rise again. I'm trying to describe all this with terms that I have no idea what I'm doing like I'm

Brandon 11:19

official terms. What's happening?

Collin 11:21

Yeah, no, no, right there. They are. Now and we so we got that one we came in and I was like fine, great. This is what we're doing. We're replacing these faucets and then I start tearing one apart. And when we the the piece that goes down that tail piece, I tried to get it out correctly. But while I was screwing it up the entire sink, disconnected from the surface of it just went it just went

Brandon 12:01

puppy cocking seal just like shot right that's like yes, yeah,

Collin 12:07

but the bathroom was redone like 15 years ago before we bought the house. So like I understand. So I'm like well now this I have another project. The thing was that like, I'm staying there and I I'm like well, I'll go ahead that's fine. Like I had actually kind of wanted to try and do this anyway, at some point when we were painting the bathroom and I didn't. So now I've got to scrape off all the old stuff. Oh, the other thing that they did was that every possible point in the connections and whatever they had crammed it full of plumbers putty crammed, every every nook and you don't want it to leech us right like fine like it was like up in everything but about 1520 year old plumbers putty. Let me tell you, it's true. It's just dust. It's getting everywhere. It is it's just crumbling to pieces. It's everywhere in the bathroom and breaking off. Meanwhile, I'm scraping off the old adhesive in cocking and it's going everywhere. And then I'm like, oh, I'll just go grab that. Oh, I actually have the wrong caulk to make this work because the one I have is actually for just like trimming around doors like interior doors so that you can paint on it.

Brandon 13:28

I need to have a silicone adhesive. Yeah, it actually it he's so I have to so now I'm like oh no egos back we go and then I realized well actually like I don't have plumbers putty. So I also need to get plumbers at this point. So I'm buying the adhesive caulk and the silicone so they can get it sucked in and then got to get the plumbers putty. And then we come back and I'm able to finally break over the tailpiece on its way out which is fine anyway because that little ring at the bottom I had to create it was Chrome but I had to replace it to be brushed metal. But also while I'm replacing it, the original tailpiece that was installed was like brass and metal and really nice. And the one I'm stalling in is like plastic plastic even though it's frustrating to me is like even though what I bought was like a very expensive faucet. It's just everything's plastic now. So yeah, that's how they are. Just how they are which means getting it back in real annoying because like when you have to, you're talking about the stopper piece at the bottom. Right? Yes. Okay, so yes, we're gonna use the word stopper now because tailpiece confuses me, and I'm probably confused the lowest person as well. Because I know real quick I had to replace not just the stopper but the entire drain stopper house down. Yes, yes, yes. Housing. Yeah, there you go stopper housing and pipe warehousing. There you go. These are official terms. Our dad's an engineer. It's fine. We know something. It's not a lot. But yeah, getting that thing to go in there and then like hook up properly. How you want to handle that move the plunger is that's hard, right? Because if you don't get the right spot, if you move the handle up, it just drops back down and you can't get once

Collin 15:32

that comes at the end, we're like, I like the little lever that you pull up and down. To kind of a I like a long throw. I don't know what that's called. I don't like the short where you like you jerk it up 13 centimeters, and it stops and then it just goes like, I don't like that. I like a plunge up, plunge down like it needs to be lackadaisical. So that took me a while to figure out but that piece for that whole housing. That was metal and brass with the old one, it's plastic now. I get the sink put. I get the housing installed. I get the little ring in I get and I get the caulking around the edge. I get it set down. And I'm like great. Now I can connect it to the rest of the Oh, clamp. I was it was three inches too tall.

16:20

So it was three inches before it could connect with the rest of the existing so Bours who Yeah.

Brandon 16:35

Anyway, ours has this like is your Okay, so I'm gonna attempt to describe this I had to Alright, so as a person with a beard, right there like this, like soaps and things that you use for this process can be very, very like gummy. Yeah. So like my sink was having a problem being gummed. Right? And so I was like, I put the drain on down there and it would work for a while and then it would just like not work so easy to get to something worse was happening so I was like, Okay, I'm gonna rip this plunger out of here. And I'm gonna like clean out this pipe. First of all, it was disgusting. Okay, it is yeah, it was horrible. But the process of getting that thing out. Is so maddening. Right because you have the so affixed to the handle that runs under the sink. You have there's like a you know, a vertical wire that comes off of that thing, right? And then there's that stupid horizontal piece that goes from there. And then like through that little thing in the pipe that hooks internally to the plunger. Getting that thing out, is a pain. I like the way that it's attached. The way that mine is attached. It looks like two pieces of Erector Set. Yes, right. Does that what yours is? I don't know if all of them were like this or it was just my two Erector Set. pieces that you have to like, hold it together. And then to take the tension off to slide that horizontal bar out of there. And it's the most frustrating to try to get it in because if it's not just the right amount of tension like nothing will move.

Collin 18:37

No it'd be throwing my hat. MIT had the little tension clip that was supposed to be like one on the inside and you put the stuff in the middle of one on the outside to fit to hold it onto that little lever that goes up and down that goes into the pipe. I had a weird like I don't know like it looks like a hair clip like yeah, like bent over thing that had to have the right tension on it and but that was positioned in the right spot. Getting that in there. Yeah, it was just just ridiculous of like, I think it was so exact but also all of these pieces are just laughable of like, yeah, there's an erector set. And then there's a thumb screw that you got to put here and then it goes up and they just say

Brandon 19:19

a lie. I haven't like drop everything and like to hand that monster and like, break that thing because you know, I mean that's the seal. That's that thing needs to be screwed down tight, because that's the thing that like, the bar goes from outside the pipe through that little hole to the inside of the pipe. And then there's like, yes, it's kind of big ball on the end of it to like stop everything, you know, but it was very, I mean, you're already wedged into a very great tightness under the sink anyway. And then you have to like try to rip that like it's not a good angle to get a lot of good leverage to a turn a bolt especially when only about it. It's basically like a weak net right but it's like a plastic thing that that you're afraid to break. And you have to get like you can't get good leverage.

Collin 20:10

No, and you just have your dad's voice in the back of your head being like don't over tighten this. Don't over tighten this.

Brandon 20:18

No, oh

Collin 20:19

my gosh, like well, you know, maybe I just will. So yeah, so I had to go back to Lowe's to get a little extender piece to go down from that main drain pipe that comes from the bottom of the bowl down and before it hits the U curve, or whatever that is whatever that is the trap, right of a human I was given I was three inches off to hit the trap. And so I was like dang it so I had to go back and I'm like, Hey, like, I need to find this extender piece. And then like, I did the thing that I remembered while I was there like I should have taken a picture of one. Yeah, yeah, because I don't I don't I

Brandon 20:58

don't know the technical term for this. Yeah. I

Collin 21:01

talk to people. And man, what a gentleman they're really he really tried his best but he thought I was talking about a kitchen sink for a while and that's a whole other set. As you are aware kitchens think measurements are based off of that exterior dimensions, but the but the bathroom sink are measured on the interior dimensions.

Brandon 21:23

I did not I was unaware of this fact. Let me go as was I know because this is useful for the people. There you go. Yeah,

21:31

I know. We're

Brandon 21:32

expecting useful information today. Were you.

Collin 21:37

The same box would have kitchen and bathroom and they would have different measurements on them. Like that's rude and broke my brain. Because I was like, I don't know what I I'm in a bathroom, but I don't know what's going on. And finally I found like, bathrooms everything else is like everything else is like these accordions that can extend and bend and everything and then I'm like, trying to remember like the male to female piece and like got the screw thing and I need the gasket and voila. I was like there's got to be a super simple thing to make this work, but there has to be. It was in one one box way over in a section that I wasn't looking at. And I found it and then I was staring there going well this is for this sink. I have two more sinks to do. Do I think that I'm going to need these this item to because also before I left? I did not I haven't I have not looked at those other two sinks at all. I have no idea what they're like Oh, no. Again, bad on me. I was like, Well, I'm not coming back here today. So I bought bought three I was like whatever.

Brandon 23:00

So came back.

Collin 23:03

Got it installed got everything screwed on and that works fine. Move to the next one. It like ran like a breeze and I did not need the extender which was totally cool. went to the bathroom one. Got it installed. It was a little different. Just for a couple other reasons because it's it was it was it's a really really small vanity like really small vanity. And so you're talking about being cramped, like I was having to remove doors I thought about trying to drill in from the side and just get get in there. And they were using like non standard connections

Brandon 23:43

of course. Yeah,

Collin 23:44

of course natural light. So it's not just like oh my gosh, and while I was in weenies wants that totally are totally. I was like I was like well I'm in here. I'm going to recall all of this stuff. So I was like caulking around pipes and things and whatever to get it like to seal it. And it was that went off without a hitch. But then of course once I get everything installed, what's running through my mind, oh, when is it going to start leaking because it did tighten it or over tighten something right? Like that's of course all I have been obsessed with over the last like five days. So I've been like obsessively kind of lucky not kind of but like obsessively opening up the the cabinet doors and like running my hand underneath to see if there's any water there like feeling pipes and things and seeing if there's any moisture on anything like get this now because I it was because that's the thing of like, two of the three words broken in it. Yeah.

Brandon 24:47

So what you did right in the process of like, what is the fear like? Well, it was fine. But then I futz with it and now maybe it's not fine anymore

Collin 25:15

maybe fine anymore. And and I so that's what was mine that's been on my brain for since I've since I got these installed and they're they're fine. They're working great but like but also like, yeah, for

Brandon 25:31

sure. Like, yeah,

Collin 25:33

yeah. When and I know that you can't walk through life just being like, When are they going to fail, but Oh, yeah.

Brandon 25:39

But when are they going to fail? Yeah, it's like, you know, you shouldn't but you do. You can't help it sometimes. Right. It's like, oh, now what's gonna go wrong? Yeah, that was I had a similar experience about six months ago trying to take that thing out of my seat because like, I can fix this. I did, but underestimated the amount of time that it would take me to do right. Like I have done a bad I don't know.

Collin 26:25

Yeah, well, yeah. Because then yeah, it was like, Oh, I've watched a YouTube video. So that's what I did. I watched a YouTube video about about what I was like, Oh, this boat, right? This won't take any time at all. Like this is I have this wrench like it I need one thing I need this this one. This one wrench. And I won't need to do anything else. Well, you know, that was not true. So that's true. And then yeah, like, well, I didn't want to spend six hours of my day futzing with all this stuff. Yeah, that's not what I wanted.

Brandon 26:57

But you ended up doing that. Anyway.

Collin 27:00

So how do you did did and I laid on a heating pad that night? Because that's the other thing. I'm like, I can lay on my back but also like the love for that launch lip. Yeah. And the lip to go up into it where you're like, Oh, my back is not supposed to be in this position like this. This actively is I'm actively in pain.

Brandon 27:25

Yeah, true.

27:27

Like, Oh, no.

Brandon 27:30

Yeah. It's not fun. Well you know, I think I had this idea just why you were talking right now. I think that we this, this is dad second career. Dad needs to be just a YouTube guy that just shows people how to fix random junk. Because I feel like this is his calling. Right? This is what it is. Yeah.

Collin 28:03

It's it's best that he's not in the room with him to yell at him whenever they do it wrong.

Brandon 28:08

Yeah, they could just rewind it. Yeah, it's fine. Just

Collin 28:14

peacefully walk through the process. I I had that moment.

Brandon 28:19

For him. Like, ah, yes, we

Collin 28:23

test and look, you can just look, this is gonna just go slowly. You're gonna appreciate the threading on this and we're not going to Oh, yes thread.

Brandon 28:34

Bring I'm gonna bring that up to this weekend. Next weekend.

28:37

I think Hey, Dad, really appreciate it.

Brandon 28:39

I think it'd be like, shut up. I think you're right.

Collin 28:44

I don't have time for that. I have snakes in lilac bushes to deal with I have to think was sent them. Do you remember he he?

Brandon 28:54

Listen, for context before we before we go on, randomly, again, my dad Colin takes after our father with pictures with no context. And he just said the picture that says made a new friend today. And it is the biggest Black Snake you've ever seen in your life outside of the outside of his kitchen, because the first bar is enormous. This thing is every bit of two inches thick. It's Oh, it's so fat. Oh my gosh.

Collin 29:33

Yes, it is. And that first picture that he said was through the screen and it was blurry and so you couldn't I couldn't it took me a minute to figure out what he was trying to focus on for it because it was like it in context. It was

Brandon 29:45

just large blob.

Collin 29:48

Well, that was what I was like looking at the tree and I was like, What is he and then I was like, Oh no, that's a lot yeah. So he's actually he actually the, the, the air conditioners out there sit on a slab of concrete and, and he was like, paranoid about snakes getting in there. So he he took like, I don't know, five of those spray cans that have the expandable foam that you're supposed to use for insulation in your house. Yeah, and just like, stuck them all underneath there and pulled the nozzles at the same time to try and fill that void. So that that snakes couldn't live underneath there. Anymore

Brandon 30:35

listeners guess where the snakes living? Yeah, that's right. It's under the concrete slab

30:42

did not help at all right like it's

Brandon 30:52

That's hilarious. I didn't know he did that. It doesn't surprise me. I mean, the dog used to take her back there, right like, oh, yeah, in that corner. We used to hide in that corner because there's bushes used there was another bush there. So it was like much bigger in the summer, spring and summer when it was all filled out. And so we would hide back there. The dog would hide back there. So the Roxas FBI got kind of excavated accidentally accidental activation right as to have as they think was monsters today he went outside to see it which is surprising because our father does not love snakes at all. So you know, felt confident that was not true.

Collin 31:47

I think well yeah. Well because he saw it from the tree in the from the kitchen window and then he was like went out quickly so that it could be in the tree so he would know its location. Basically. Like okay, I know where it is. I can scurry outside and I will keep keep an eye on it. And I will continue to keep an eye on it while while I'm doing this.

Brandon 32:12

See, it's so big.

Collin 32:15

It was a big thing. I can't see it. I think I don't know but Oh, but I have a very interesting conversation today and about with with a person who does research on generational differences and communication issues in the workforce. And

Brandon 32:46

what the research topic, there we go.

Collin 32:51

Yes, yeah. So here well, he he started doing research because he wanted to see if these assumptions were true. And

Brandon 33:02

if the memes were real, like if

Collin 33:05

if the memes were real, and it's very interesting because he has reached a point in his career where he's like, You know what, I'm no longer interested if these differences are real or not. They are perceived by individuals. So how do we deal with those perceptions and biases that people have? Right? Like, and that's where he comes from.

Brandon 33:28

I don't sociological to say, like that.

Collin 33:32

Where he was like, Look, it doesn't matter if the differences exist because I no longer care about that. I just want to know, what do we do with those perceptions? Because if they're not real, and they

Brandon 33:43

it doesn't matter, because we both think they are. Right?

Collin 33:47

No, that's saying like, it doesn't matter if they're real or not. People think they are and they're acting in a certain way in accordance with those assumptions. So that's actually where we need to approach this. And I had I had reached out to this person to do this interview because I hear so many people who are hiring or dealing with stuff of the like, the younger generations don't want to work. Or nobody has any work ethic anymore, or they don't know how to communicate or it's their problem. It's their problem. Or there are younger people who are in business and they're trying to hire and they don't want to hire older people because they're Fuddy duddies or they're not going to change or adapt or they're not going to do what they want to or they're not going to respect them or that they're empathic people are bringing these huge amounts of assumptions into the workplace, and then they're like, Well, nobody's sticking around. Why that must be their problem. Not mine, obviously, because I'm perfect. was like, Yeah, I need to find somebody who doesn't. Who does research on this and can talk about it. That was like his opening line of like, look, it's not them. It's most likely you you need change yourself. Oh, God, there we go. And I was like, Well, anyway, I'll just close this up. So yeah, good interview.

Brandon 35:07

Okay. Right.

Collin 35:15

It was, it was, it was it was, it was it was an interesting interview. He very straightforward to the point. Not the typical academic kind. of person who would just sit there and wax, you know, eloquently about things or whatever. He's just like,

Brandon 35:30

yep, this looks really philosophically Right. Like, yes, exactly.

Collin 35:35

Yeah. And like, Yeah, this is what we found the site this is what you do with it. And he works in most of the stuff that he gets called in to do is like, supply chain manufacturing, communication, conflict resolution stuff. Yeah. And so this was a very that when I reached out to him to do the interview. He was kind of like, yeah, that's kind of weird. But I'm game. And one of his, one of his books is actually titled, leadership in Middle Earth, taking leadership lessons from the world of Tolkien. And he also had, oh, oh, what was the Pong that he used and what another book was like communication with the for communicating with the force. And talking about communication tactics and styles from people in Star Wars. Was he's a huge nerd and in my in my office where I'm doing the recording I have the for Christmas dad got me a token calendar. And oh, yes, it's it's on it's visible. In my my shot and within like, I don't know, a couple of minutes. He's like, what's like what's a calendar behind you? Is that Baggins?

Brandon 36:58

Maybe I spelled that right. Sometimes some days, you know, you really want to be Gandalf, but your year turns out you're Theoden. Right? That's that's a hard pill to swallow. Right. You want to begin off you have good intentions of being Gandalf. By the end of the day, you realize you've been fed in all day, and you're like, oh, no, that's not that's not. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no. So sorry. I mean, this is a very important thing to think about when teaching though as well, right? I had this conversation with some of my kids the other day, because they you know, they come in, they'll they, you know, they complain about everything. Because they're sixth graders, and that's what they do. But we've talked a few times about like, Alright, look. When you're talking to people, like adults, right? Some of them are going to, like, not understand where you're coming from. Right. It's difficult for them. As like, it's hard for me some days, but as a person who spends almost every day around a 12 year old, like, I understand more about like, the way that you say things, right? You know, we're talking about like talking and like the way that they come across, right. So I was like, I understand that you are not sitting there going like, Yes, I will now be disrespectful to Mr. Funkhouser, right. You're not saying that's not what you're doing? You're just talking or behaving in the way that a current 12 year old talks and behaves right. Other people that it to other people who are like us to different things like they perceive that as being disrespectful. And then like, right, both of you get like all offended, right? Because they think you're being disrespectful and then you get offended by it and then you like say something back and they think it's even worse, right? So, like we've had this conversation a few times about how they address people sometimes like, you know, like, we have to be more cautious with our word choices and like, what we say to people because, like, you know, they don't mean to come across like a certain way, but it's perceived by the other side as like being disrespectful or like a hateful comment or something when it's just them. Like, not being as funny as they think they are. You know what I mean? Like, you know, that's just

Collin 39:50

Yeah, where it is. And that's, that's a big part of it, of of it, but that's with any relationship, you know, oh, yeah, no fire i at some point, at some point, I have to assume that the person I'm talking to or interacting with is not trying to be a jerk, like actively like sometimes they are totally like, we've all been in that. We've all been in those situations. You can tell

Brandon 40:16

by their body a lot of times, right. Are they meaning there's a

Collin 40:19

lot of other signals that you're sending. Yeah. Right. So putting that good faith in the other person, like, okay, like, what they're trying like, what what what do I need to do? Like, how do I adapt this? And that can become exhausting, though. For I know, for people who can go like, so. I mean, I always have to be the one who's thinking about that, like, Yeah, I mean,

Brandon 40:42

sometimes, right? I think if you're just like buying groceries and you encounter somebody else who is buying groceries, like you can just leave, right? Like, shot. Yeah, you could just be like, whatever, bro, and walk away. Like, you don't have to do anything. You can like literally leave right like

41:04

yeah

Brandon 41:09

but sometimes, yes, you do have to be that position of like, oh, no, like I told them to you know, I tell them like, do I always remember this? No, right? No, do I fail sometimes? Yes, of course I do. But like it tried to keep in mind like, you are 12. So you're just ridiculous, right? Like, I just know that.

41:32

And it's okay, right? Yeah.

Brandon 41:34

And it's fine. It's only gonna get fine. So it's good. But yeah, that is people don't want to do that. Right. They don't want to be like, Oh, I have to put in all the effort all the time. Like, I mean, kinda if you want to be the better person, like you don't have to, but like you could you could also be a jerk. I guess.

Collin 41:59

If that's something that you're just dying to do. Yeah, sure.

Brandon 42:02

Yeah. But if you're like, in a management position, you know, kind of your deal is to facilitate and communicate effectively with people. So

Collin 42:19

which, which means taking into account communication styles, experiences, you know, feelings, how people respond, and it's just, that's where the the communicating at the personal level is so important, and not just going like, well, this person is, is 12. So I'm going to speak to every 12 year old ever like this, because that's what's important, right? Ya know, why people get caught up with that. And we're, especially with the way our businesses run where it's, we have zero face to face interaction. Going up. All of my communication with all of my staff is text. It's literally text within our app. We don't do emails. We have slack to communicate and share funny photos. But if I have to ask them a question, it's going to go through, through through the through our software, which comes as a text to their phone. So we have to be hyper aware of like how we phrase things how we respond like with a kind of, you know, how we sign off all of these things and and know that it sets up some of those communication expectations with staff as well of going like, look, this is how we communicate. Yeah, and this is how we expect to communicate back with us like that. That's what that's helps.

Brandon 43:38

Well, I mean, it also you also do have to lay that groundwork and you have to say like, Okay, I and this is where I've maybe not done such a great job this year. Right. I'll admit that, like, you have to set that. Like you have to say these things and then you have to, like create this environment where like, if I say something to you, and like, this needs to be a safe environment where you can come back to me and be like, Hey, I didn't understand that. What did you mean like, and like, you know, just like be able to ask or like, hey, you know, this is or or the other thing is like, be able to say like, this is what I need to be successful, right? I need you to know that about myself. Right and being able to put yourself out there in a in the environment. And that's like a terrifying thing to do. Because people don't like to do that. Because, you know, they've had a lot of bad experiences. And there are some people that like if you say that they're just like, Well, too bad. That get and leave, you know, fit here, right? And so that's a scary thing to do. But like having that environment to be like, Oh, I communicate this way. This is how I feel about this or like I work. This is some effective working strategies for myself are this and then being able to just have that heard by somebody is good, right? Having somebody being able to be willing to listen to that and not just like write you off. It'd be like, Well, it sounds like you don't fit in here because that's not how we do things. That's not helpful. Right? Like so just like creating that. It's like a safe environment kind of thing like a space where people like okay, they're comfortable with like, it's like it makes it slightly more give and take like you say, Okay, these are expectations. And then they can say, here's what, here's how I function the best. How does this fit into your expectations? And then you can have that conversation of like, okay, here we go flap left, right. Yeah, is good environment and that thing that a lot of people, not a lot of people, but that is the thing that some people find hard to do is like, Give and take back right? Because they just think like, well, I'm the boss. So they're right, like oh,

Collin 45:53

oh, it really and we had that kind of thrown in our face where we were. We tried to send out quarterly surveys to both clients and staff to just ask relevant information from them and how we're doing. And the last quarterly surveys that we sent out, we got some feedback that said it's a Do you feel comfortable going and talking to management? I mean, us like, whatever. But we had like two responses that said, No, and I was like, oh, like, okay, like, wow, like, that's why, what am I doing? Because, on one hand, it's like, well, I say, oh, open door, come talk to me. Or do this or I'm, you know, any questions, you have any questions and we're going, but how am I? I had to really think about of how I was responding to questions when they were asked or how I phrased things or how I brought up issues or how I handled issues when they were brought to me and realize of going okay, I'm actually by how I respond back to them. I'm actually communicating to them that this is annoying to me or I don't have time for this, which means I don't have time for you. So stop talking to me about this like being hyper aware of, of that in the context and not being afraid to go, Hey, I'm really stressed out right now and I have a response to this. It's probably be a bit shorter than I would normally respond to and send that right to give them some context. But some of those things, that that is a lot of work, but it's so beneficial. And like you said to go with at the very beginning, going, here's how I communicate, here are our expectations. How do you communicate? What are your expectations? And because that's, that's boring that doesn't like because then yeah, you have to go well, oh, they want me to communicate like that. Well, that's why you Okay, so they'll just have to like you said, like, well, they'll just have to suck it up. Well, yeah, I

Brandon 47:51

mean, you can for a long time. Yeah. You also can't like completely like but there's has to be an understanding right like you don't have to like you can't like just necessarily change everything that you do to fit like one person, right? That's not fair. That's a good point. But you just have to be like, be aware of it. Right? Like be aware like, okay, maybe they need extra this or maybe they need extra that or something like that. Like it's a hard thing to do. It depends on the very specific situations as well like talking in general terms like this is difficult on this subject, but like, just be aware,

48:26

nations broad

Brandon 48:29

it's 2023 we only speak in generalizations. That's how it works.

Collin 48:33

I know. So, finally.

Brandon 48:39

Yes. But, like at least be aware, I guess, you know, and it is hard, right. Like I said, I've struggled this year with that at work, too. Right. It's been difficult for me for a very veritable number of reasons, but like, it's been a little difficult but so we've actually probably try more next year, I guess. And the rest of this year obviously not going to like just give up but

49:05

voted in.

Brandon 49:09

Things To Do. Darn it

Collin 49:16

Yeah, how has how have you? Do you been even sciencing? How have you done? You haven't done the debates yet. Have you?

Brandon 49:23

Are you working on doing it tomorrow round? One. Tomorrow.

49:30

Ding ding,

Brandon 49:31

ding ding tomorrow. See how it goes? We've been working on it this week. They some of them look pretty good. I don't because this is the first time I've ever done it and we're just sort of winging it. I told him that to you. I was like we're I don't know if they'll like how long will this be? I think that's a good question. I don't know how many days you'll need. I don't know what this looks like. I don't know how many days it will take us to present because we can't debate my class time. In the afternoon is only like 30 minutes. Right? So we cannot debate three topics in one class time. Right? So I I'm not really sure. I think we might we'll probably do one topic per day. Right? It's what I'm sort of envisioning because I was gonna give them time between rounds to prepare responses where they can like work with their team and prepare responses like they're prepared their rebuttals, you know, yeah. I'll probably give them some time at the beginning. I'll give them time. Between the first and second round. I'll probably give them a little bit of time between the second and third round. So they can do like us like hybridised, like second rebuttal closing argument, right. And then whatever time we have left, we might just talk about how it went and then like, prepare for the next day. Because I feel like yeah, I feel like that might work. So we get there.

Collin 51:22

I think doing the recap will be really important, too. Yeah.

Brandon 51:25

Because we can't like wait, the class involved with what they thought about their points, right? Yes. Like everybody else can like share. Maybe there's some of their thoughts about like how they thought it went because because the only those two like teams are going to be going and like everyone else is just going to be the audience kind of so they can we can get some audience feedback. Maybe or something like that. Because that might be useful. And just again, because that I don't want to like I don't want to rush it because I want to make sure they have time to like think about stuff and prepare responses a little bit. So I don't know how that'll go. Cuz we've been talking about that. Well, I've been talking about like how it kind of should work and like what to be expected, like, kind of the thoughts and plans when I've been meeting like what I say like to everybody then I go around to like the groups and talk to them like individually. So I don't know well, and especially since you're doing the creative aspect of that of the of the real time feedback, the real time loop like that, that is going to take up quite a bit of time. Yeah, but and I was aware, like, a lot of learning is going to take place too. So yeah, because they can look up stuff into so I was thinking like I'm gonna move the desks and stuff them and put them in like their teams. So like, like I said before, there's like two teams of seven. And then each of those teams is broken down into three sections. Right? Oh, cool. A sub group like a subcommittee kind of thing. Right? When they're doing like rebuttal responses, they can talk to their whole rest of their team maybe we might do that. Oh, like that involve? Everybody involved everybody else. So it's not just like them say talking to one person and everyone else is just like sitting there, because that is when the danger happens with 12 year olds. Just let it sit there. That's when that's when things go awry. So it's just weird stuff happens. Is that like bad, right? He's like, very weird things happen. Like they'll just like say some stuff like what? What's that even mean? What are you talking about? Why are you talking about feet so much? I don't understand what's going on. Please be quiet. I don't I'm comfortable right now concerns? Yeah, like what? Yeah, that's what those words don't mean what you think that means that you should probably stop saying that. Oh, no. That happens every once awhile, right. You just read something on the internet. So you just say it again? Like no, no, we'll come here. Hold on.

54:09

What could possibly go wrong?

Brandon 54:16

But I think I think involving the whole team that way we'll help them like involve everybody. Because even since everybody's not presenting that day, they can. Like still be involved. They can be an audience, and they can help them like, give things or what to say. So that might be a good idea. Might be that. Yes. Yes. Live brainstorming. Ladies. Gentlemen. Here we go.

Collin 54:42

See in action, Santa Don's show.

Brandon 54:48

Yeah, the other thing that happened this week. Got really random Dave was sad. He's like pillows in my bathroom. Right? Just pillows. And I you know, and they, you know, our pillows with sixth graders. So they rip a little bit you know, the seams bust or whatever. So I I've seen there and they were all working on their stuff. And so like they were not they were like cooking, you know, so I was like, alright, well, I was wandering around talking to him reviewing stuff, you know, conferencing with a little bit. And I was like, Sure. This pillow got a hole in it. I have some thread. I'm gonna fix this hole. So I was just sitting my desk, and I just like whipped out the steak and I started saying, so they were like somebody else that goes, Hey, Miss Funkhouser, what do I what do you do? Like I'm selling a pillow, and they were they were all like, everybody stopped or like you can so it's like, well, not well, but well enough to make this whole back away. Yeah,

Collin 56:03

making holes disappear before your very eyes.

Brandon 56:07

What are you doing? Selling me? So yeah, I mean, I'm not trying to toot my horn. It wasn't very good. Okay, it's a little it's pretty rough. All season seems turns. out they're gonna be like, I'm not gonna show you pictures. Okay, because it's bad, but prove prove it. Yeah, it was like right the in the class so they left and the next class came in and they were like, Hello. What are you doing? Like, you may so for and somebody was like, No, I was like, oh, okay, well then come here so you can see it now. Yeah. Well, you can't say that share with you can Yeah.

56:50

No excuses. Right. Yeah.

Brandon 56:54

That was that was the moment the week it was like kind of like, there's like, Hey, I got it. What do you do a wait,

57:05

wait a minute.

Brandon 57:08

This happens every once in a while weird, because I'll like dig through my cabinets and grab something. They're like, what is that? Like? Don't worry about that right now. Okay, you don't need to but it's so funny cuz they're like What? What are you doing? So I want a pillow man.

Collin 57:34

Yeah. So the pillows are back in, in action and pull

Brandon 57:39

back in action. Right. disinfected, sprayed, disinfectant spray, and then no more holes that I can that I've seen. There. My I don't know. I looked on the rest of them. I didn't see any but yeah, I just have some needle thread on my desk because you know, why not? And whipped it out and literally, so it's an pillows back to you. Much to the shock of all the children

58:13

which by witchcraft is that he's

Brandon 58:17

made sure to say like, I don't do this. Well, like this isn't pretty. Your grandmother would be very upset by this right if

Collin 58:29

I get it. I get it. I have to I've had to employ the good old whipstitch for repairing all sorts of stuffed animals and pillows, jackets and all that good stuff. And yes, it's very much like hey, this is not this does not look good. But I can guarantee you this is not coming off anytime soon.

Brandon 58:53

But I did I did the whip on one and then I did the whip. Little three little cross stitch on there. Ha weren't expecting Oh yeah. Put some nice. Oh. It was around the corner. So I figured that would need a little bit of extra on it yeah Yeah, kinda bolster it for ya or something. I don't know. Reasonably that it was off today. What's going on? Who knows? gonna sell this pillow Do you don't need me currently because you're doing good. So I'm gonna tell this pillow. I'm gonna sit right here. And then if you need me, I'll come over there but I'm just gonna

59:33

that's great.

Collin 59:41

Not what to expect. But that's it's anyway, that's that's a good, good good job showing them that. Yeah.

Brandon 59:50

Random skill felt like why did you learn this like well, I learned a long time ago. So I'm pretty bad at it. But we it's gonna be good enough to fix his pillow. And that's all we really need right now. So that's

Collin 1:00:07

yeah. Like that's the important part.

Brandon 1:00:10

Yes, yeah. It's just a little bit. It's fine. That's pretty much it sounds like you got into Oh, good go. We were last Saturday. After the hailstorm, which was fun and exciting. Let me tell you yes. We probably had like, quarter sized hail. Fun. Conveniently the day after, we watched a video in science about hail. So they go all the kids knew about it.