there's gonna be a hill
Brandon is leading the charge in the latest breakfast craze sweeping the nation. We bring to you a Cinema Cat’s Update. Collin is living in 1997 with his headphone splitter. We discuss the likelihood of buying a ghost town and are pretty sure we both suffer from agoraphobia. Plus, it’s that time of year again when Brandon is building and breaking things.
Breakfast craze!
Another great disappointment
Conflicted about that museum
How does one become a judger of cats?
Collin bought a headphone splitter….like it’s 1997
Brandon ensconced by….a man living in ghost town
Brandon’s honeymoon
Unnerving desert living
Brandon really likes trees
At least there are green things in the Badlands
I will become dead...immediately
Staring at the night sky- the roundness of the earth
Collin is hiring again
Office space!
Brandon is building and breaking things
And surviving play practice week
Paper airplane tournament bracket
Doubting it’s possible
Check out our other episodes: ohbrotherpodcast.com
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
PROVIDED BY OTTER.AI
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
cat, people, bought, building, co working space, feel, trees, springfield, literally, weird, paper airplane, called, hear, megan, arizona, town, headphones, watched, good, horizon line
Brandon 00:04
Welcome to Oh, brother, a podcast of three brothers. Trying to figure it all out with your host, Brandon, Cullen. And Aaron. On this week's show, there's gonna be a hill I realized that I don't feel like I gave you a chance to tell us your final verdict. Or the outsider's book, and what rating you would give it on a scale of zero to 10? I gave it a six. Last time. I'm curious to know what yours is. Hey, did I talked about it? I did. Yeah, I think I gave it a seven. Seven. Okay. Yes, I totally missed that entirely. Sorry. Cut me out of the episodes. Oh, no. Yeah, I think I'm gonna go with seven again. For those who also didn't listen to me this gig I, I was going to give a lower rating. However, apparently, the revelation that I was reading a basically pony boys memoir here is I guess, in high school parlance. This was pony boys personal narrative
01:21
paper. I based on that,
Brandon 01:28
and just how creative that kind of is and how, what an interesting way to tell the story, I guess. And it made a lot of the things that annoyed me make a lot more sense in my brain. I bumped it up to seven. Okay, definitely not my favorite book. But I did appreciate it. And I respected it a lot more at the end. Because in the middle as you know, I was like, Oh my God, why is happening? Why is this book are we? Where are we going with this? Yes.
02:04
Okay, so there we go. i
Brandon 02:07
Okay. That makes sense. I get that. Okay, cool. I just, I was I was sitting down I was like, Ah, okay, cool. Anyway. Yeah. I feel exalted magilton. Yes. You're good. So yes, seven, along with the new egg sandwich meme. We're good to go. So we have okay, I mean, that was a bonus to come out of it. At least. I was trying to explain that to one of my friends the other
02:34
day, and they were like, you're very strange. There's
Brandon 02:38
like, everyone knows that. It's fine. Look, would you say egg sandwich and they're like, Well, no, actually, I guess I wouldn't like hot. Yes. See that? Because it's not abstaining. Soda. Why are you doing why? Starting a movement?
02:56
Breakfast craze? Yeah, I
Brandon 02:58
legitimately never considered eggs on a sandwich. Like one of my favorite my favorite fast food. Breakfast.
03:08
are legitimately the
Brandon 03:12
sausage, egg and cheese muffin things. Right? That whatever, wherever fast food place has those, right? Like the McDonald's one obviously is just great. But like, yeah, the sausage egg and cheese muffin deal. Oh,
03:28
it's my favorite thing.
Brandon 03:30
It's my favorite fast food breakfast. If I have to have breakfast like that, which I don't usually right. It's like a very rare
03:35
event. That I will do that.
Brandon 03:39
So every once in a great while. On Saturday, Susan, just like we need breakfast sandwiches. And I'm like, yes. Yes, we do. You're right. Yes, but I think the sausage cheese is like my favorite breakfast sandwich.
03:56
From a fast food restaurant.
Brandon 03:58
I've grown just to really like the sausage biscuit. Just the plain, with nothing else on Yeah, no, those are good too. Not only is it $1 From McDonald trill also, there's not as like, there's not as much they're like, I was like, Oh, this is really filling. Yeah, anyway. I don't like the again I prefer the little muffin the English muffin thing over the biscuit. Okay, because the biscuit sometimes is very dry. Right or sometimes it's been in there for a little while. It's very hard rubber. This is rubber or just like this is rubber. This is That's true. Well in in again, fast food breakfast you run this risk. Like sometimes the muffin is a bit chewy.
04:37
Yeah, right. But
Brandon 04:41
I find that slightly more easy to deal with than
04:47
raw hard biscuit. So yeah, that makes sense. But in a pinch, I will
Brandon 04:53
do the sausage egg and cheese biscuits. Right, whatever. Yeah, I think Burger King does one that's unlike a croissant. Right, which is also shockingly good. Like, I don't usually think Yeah, well, usually I don't think the phrase Yes, I want to eat that and Burger King in the same sense.
05:13
But no,
Brandon 05:16
I don't think most people would, but I don't. But I don't. I don't really know. I want another great disappointment in my life as I wanted. I just never got around to it when I was in Australia, they don't have they called Burger King Hungry Jack's because of trademark infringement issues because there's already an Australian chain called Burger King. So the Burger King is actually called Hungry Jack's in Australia. And I wanted to go there. And just to scope it out and see what it was about because I hear it's better. Yeah, shots fired. I hear Australia, Burger King is good Australian listeners. Let us know if that's true. Yeah, oh, you're feeling hungry, Jack's? I imagine that the Australian Burger King is probably better than that. But I don't know. I did not get a chance to do that. Every time I saw one, I was like driving by like, no, they're okay. Well, anyway. Right? Well, we've got a world tour that we're putting out, we've got to go see the museum over in Egypt that they just opened up. And then we got to go through Redax. And we'll parse it out and get the legs put together for life. I'm so conflicted about that museum. Right. Just like on a personal level,
06:35
because it's really cool. Right?
Brandon 06:39
It's really awesome. And it's really interesting. And they did a lot to bring all that new stuff in there to showcase like the Egyptian history, but it is also 100% propaganda
06:50
for the Egyptian government. So like.
Brandon 06:57
Yeah, right. Like, I'm conflicted by that. Like,
07:00
it's really cool.
Brandon 07:03
And I really love Egyptian history, right as you do.
07:07
Yeah. But like ah
Brandon 07:14
when I watched the ceremony and saw like the president of Egypt and like, all this stuff was like, oh, glorious president. He's so wonderful. Look at how awesome he is. He's just the best ever
07:25
like, huh,
Brandon 07:28
kale. Now I understand why we open this music. Oh, all coming together. It's all becoming clear.
07:37
Right. So there's that but yeah, that's fine. I saw how I got to be sweet.
Brandon 07:57
I, here's a random thing for you today. I got to be on the cat fanciers Association. Me hour. Not too long ago. Wow. Just way to toot your own horn there. I bring this up. Now. I can't believe that. That's what it's called. It's called me out. We are for an hour and it's at five o'clock. And art. Arden. Moore is the host with her friend Kathy. Art art more is like, she's an educator. She's a writer. She published like tons and tons of books. He's also a Yeah, a licensed bartender. And so each with a diverse skill set. Oh, yes, she's passe. She puts together a bespoke cocktail that she makes over the course of it. And then she drinks it at the end. Anyway, all this to say I was her co host. His name is Kathy black. And she is a certified cat fancier judge. Wow, she Yeah, so she does when you go to a cat show, and there's that person walking around or judging the breeds? Yes. Because I've been to so many cat shows mine. Like a dog. Yes. I know. I saw one on TV ones. But it wasn't like, they don't air the cat show. Right? I've never seen a televised cat show. It was like a television episode of something. And they just happen to be at a cat show. happened to catch one. Yeah. Yeah, I've never seen a televised one either. And I'm sure she would have opinions about that. But it brought to mind. She, her job is to travel around to these cat shows. And Judge cats. And I just was fascinated by this to think like I really want to ask a lot of questions. At what point did you know you want to be a cat died? I don't even know what her official title is or whatever. But like that seems a very nice catch edge. It's catch Okay. I'm sure I'm sure she has opinions about that too. But it's like, what point did that become? What you wanted to do? And how do you how does one become a judger? of cat? Yeah. Or do they just like fall into you're like, Well, I guess I'm judging cats now. Yeah, boo, because something else I learned over the course of this is that they have something called a civilian cat world or CCW, I think that's what it's called. Anyway, you can go and do a, you can show just your like, mutt cat at a cat show. And you take a picture of your cat, and you upload it, and it gets registered in this association. And then you can start taking them to cap those and you just start showing your household There you go. That's the most amazing thing ever. That's kind of wild, right? Like, anyway, I was just we have a history of talking about things, cats. And there's I forget the name of the website that that's true. I was just thinking about that too, as good big cats and movies. Which just Oh, still this day. I was thinking about that earlier. I was like, That is so funny. But like, what was that lady's name? Was it Linda? I don't remember. I got to look that up. That lady, man.
11:13
That's a trooper right
Brandon 11:14
there. That that's fantastic stuff.
11:17
Where's where's my
Brandon 11:23
art we're, we are really good at anyway. It was just one of those things of like, I love finding out that kind of Oh, cinema cats reviews Milo and Otis. Yeah, yeah, cinema, cats reviews, cinema cat reviews. And who was that person? Anyway, it was one of those things of like, I love finding out about the things that people do in their lives. And more importantly, like, how they get there to do that. And I just, it just hit me when I was talking to this lady Kathy of like, man, like what roads and it how did you come to this point? Because that
12:05
that's really fascinating to me. Yeah, that. That's I have a lot of questions about literally everything that you just said. Oh, I
Brandon 12:15
lady's name is Linda, by the way. Yeah, red.
12:19
Bull. Look at that. Boom. Linda. Shout out, Linda, for running a great website. Right. Let's just beautiful stuff. I'd love to see it. This is the why the internet was created. For
Brandon 12:32
people like Linda. T has been really active also to do, they will send I will send a copy of the show notes. Right. Yeah. Okay. Just on the glorious thing that is the her site is fantastic. And you won't see it. Yeah, I have a lot of questions about these other people and their strange occupations like first question. Yeah, I would agree. Like how does one just
12:57
like animal judging
Brandon 13:01
in general is very
13:05
odd. Right? Like,
Brandon 13:08
because you're always judging to like a breed standard. That means that you have to have memorized like, dozens, possibly hundreds of breeds and all the standards that they are. I know, there's like specialties Right? Like, not to rub it in. But all the doctors I've watched they have dudes that are like, Yes, I am the hunting dog guy. Yeah, right. So that narrows down your niche even further. Right? Like, I know everything there is to know about these 15 Dogs also wants to know How do they or do they organize cats into groups are because cats don't have jobs like hunting? I guess my breed work is by only by breed. Oh, or is it short hair? Long hair? I don't know. Yeah. See? That would be my thing. Because like dogs, you have the like, the working group, the Hound Dog, the
14:05
toy. The other ones
Brandon 14:10
I can't remember for like, you know, like, they're broken down into something like that. And then there's like, I don't know how you do cats. Yeah. Long Haired cats. Short faced cats. I don't really know. I also don't know cat breeds at all? I don't know. And that was the other thing is that the other the other lady who was honest shows. She has been breeding Japanese bobtails for over 30 years. And this is literally the first time I've ever heard of a Japanese Bobtail cat. I just want that to be good every time. Every time I hear of a cat breed almost like it's the first time I've ever heard of it. Because I'm just so like, not plugged into how cats work. I'm just like, Oh, it's a cat right? So I know about like five. I don't really know. Like just the ones you hear about like Siamese bang Khun, right like, but I can't really give you like list of characteristics. Like I know command queued equals big. Right? That's all I got. That's it same. Eyes watch shows. Sometimes they're like, oh, yeah, this blah, blah, blah, cat like the, the watch. No, I'm literally on the cat. Fancier associations recognized breeds list. And I'm only in the bees. And they're all like, basically all new like. Yeah, it's literally every time like, oh, have you heard of this? And I'm like, no, like, how did you end up on their show again? No. Why am I here? Talking about art, art and art and more. We reached out to her to be interviewed on our show. And then she's like, Oh, I do this thing. You got to be on it. And I was like, and I was like, Sure. And she's like, tell me about your cat. I was like, Okay. And she was like, tell me about Kathy worked with and I was okay, I talked about that. I got lots of those. Lots. I sit
16:09
lots of cats. Yeah, that was Tuesday. Gotcha. She was able to, but, you know, I felt totally out of
Brandon 16:20
I'm not, I mean, like, I'm a cat person as much as like, care for them lovingly. And we, you know, I enjoy them. But like, Cat people are a whole nother way. But I mean, that's a good perspective to have like, Oh, here's just your average person. How do they feel about cats? What are their interactions with them? And like, you know, that's, that's also valuable information. Probably. I am happy to represent the average person. I also want to know about this other cocktail mixing lady. I want to know that she like plan it out, or does she like totally winging it? And then at the end, like now we're gonna Oh, never mind. No, she, she plans it out. That would be way cooler. If she just did it on the fly. That would be much more exciting. Like, I think we'll do this now. And then by the end, it's just like a surprise of, is it good? Or just like, let's drink anyway? No, because they they produce recipe cards that you can download. Yeah, but you could produce it after because you record the show. And then like, but also like, this is actually live. Oh, see? That's even better. That's more exciting. Live history. Exactly. Yeah, we, she makes them and then she has their artists do a bespoke, like, graphic to represent and this was this was something like, like a short hair. Mule. But it was like me you as like a cat. Give? Oh, no, the cat puns were copious. I can only imagine they're fast and
17:58
furious. It's a walk. Welcome.
Brandon 18:06
19 minutes into this. We're done. Oh, yeah. No, it was it was just like constant like every little thing. I was like, oh, like someone was like, Oh, that's a musical. And she's like, No, that's so musical or whatever it is already knew. That changing apparently, anyway, so it was fascinating. And this also wraps around to another topic of I had to shop for a headphone splitter today.
18:36
Whoa.
Brandon 18:39
What year is this?
18:42
Actually, what I
Brandon 18:44
felt like ladies and gentlemen, it's 1997 all over again. Yeah, late 90s early 2000 course are saying that. I'm looking at my desk and I have one like right here that you when did you? When did you buy that? Now? That is a question that cannot really be accurately answered. Because I've had this thing for a long time. Yeah, possibly 1998 or Narottama. Now that was the thing go on long car rides with your friends. Yeah, daisy chain them together. Have to jack the volume really loud because daisy chaining your headphones to the Discman.
19:24
Yeah. Yeah.
Brandon 19:26
And you anyway, so I'm like, because what happened is, is the setup that we have is we have two XLR mics, going into my box here. And I have one output for the headphones, which is usually fine because Negan I don't ever do interviews together. And when we're recording, I just monitor our levels and adjust and negatives really need to hear herself in her cans. She doesn't just need that. Yeah, we've never had a setup where we're both monitoring ourselves at the same time. Well, on Zoom, she cannot hear Are the other people Yeah. And for whatever reason, the way this is set up because it goes to the box to a, an adapter that then plugs into the phone, so it's like two steps removed from the laptop. Yeah. cannot discern where sound is supposed to come out. Oh, first I was like, I'll just have sound come into our microphones and out to the computer speakers. That functionality is broken with zoom on our setup. It just does not work. Oh, I so I had to get away to do this. So yeah, I went to Walmart. And I bought the one because they say they have one because I saw it when I was buying a I was trying to buy just a stereo cable. Because my I broke mine like I yanked it or something because my I use these are like, technically able to be wireless headphones. But I plugged it, I plugged them in. And so I had to buy the doubles, quarter inch cable, whatever, to plug it into my thing. And I think I saw one there. No, it is it is the one and it took me back to means it's the same brand is my cable then it's exact same. Yeah. Their whatever their their brain. Yeah, I was like, Oh my gosh, like I remember the last time I bought one of these, like, there was that Best Buy. There were like 40 different varieties of different lengths. That's true brands and different thicknesses and different. Like, there were so many different kinds. And I bought this one it was $4.30 and it's like the cheapest thing. Yeah. But I come in, I slap it in and wallah, we have audio to headphones, currently, so yeah, I will I believe really the time that I bought it specifically to go to Boy Scout summer camp.
21:50
That was the reason that I purchased the headphone thing so that we could share music in the car with people. Right? Like just whoever.
Brandon 22:06
And then we also one time I do remember we daisy chain multiple splitters together and so you could like barely hear it at the end. But we did it anyway. No, I just I had like, all of these things came rushing back where I was like, I I need this thing. Do the first I panic because I was like, is it is there even one available in my town? Yeah, true. Like if I if I don't like this is gonna be really awkward trying to do this thing live over like one microphone and computers.
22:43
But they're working just fine. And
Brandon 22:48
they had like a one. And it was like they didn't even have a good like backstock of them. You could tell this to have like, well, here's the three that we dust off. Yeah, here's the three of them who's on the hook. And then yeah, so I'm they're going to be stalking people. You'll be really shocked tonight when that one moved. And like where that go? Who bought that? What to talk to that person? And how many think and I don't know, it was just one of those another sense memory of like, wow, this is really taking me back a lot. Oh, yeah. Man, I'm envision I can visualize the inside of the van down.
23:26
Right. Like it's all there. Literally. It is.
Brandon 23:33
I can see it. My Panasonic portable
23:37
CD player. Right. My really bad headphones.
Brandon 23:47
on ear headphones, right? Yeah, with the foam. Oh, it's the worst foam ever. That's right. Everything was covered in foam in the 90s Apparently,
23:55
yes.
Brandon 23:57
It was foam. And they barely worked. I mean, they're fine. But like they were great. But I never liked earbuds really.
24:07
And I yeah,
Brandon 24:10
like and even the even the earbuds then at the foam that they removed say sponges ear the ear buds I think maybe here's what it might be right I might have just had such a traumatic experience with ear buds from the late 90s Because they were so bad right like novel either just like straight up like here's some hard plastic to shove into here like no thank you. So like fall out all the time and do all this stuff right so like maybe there's that maybe that's one of the reasons I still like them because they were terrible when I was younger. Like now going on here or around here so I can go for them. Yeah, oh, that's good thing is so funny because I at first I was going to sell my old at Bones. We went through a long test about this, but I kept the backup and good plan. Good backup, because headphones are the thing that just like, one day, they're just not working now and you're like, what? Yeah, or something snaps or whatever, you know, it's just like, well, I've had that before, like I used you yesterday. And now you don't work. Why? Yeah. And well, most of the time, some of those things are pretty easy repairs, or you can be sawed whatever. Like, it's like, that's not something you can do. Right when you sit down. Yeah, I mean, I can't do I mean, I probably could, if I but I wouldn't really get back together again. Lots of duct tape, I could rip this side off and solder that wire, but in doing it in a manner that it will become functional again.
25:47
And I can wear it might be a problem.
Brandon 25:51
Right? These are my old pair art like Tascam? Eh, oh, twos, like they're cheap, but rugged, standardize, whatever. The reason I had to get rid of those because they were literally breaking my ears when I would have to record for a long time because they sit right. Oh, yeah. Not around in their, in their heart. And so I talked to mega for a long time about them. I was like, I need to replace these they hurt is like I don't know. And so I finally bought mine. But the old ones in the drawers about Megan had to use the old ones tonight. And then recording, she pulled them off. And she's like, those hurt my ears. Oh my god.
26:35
Do you think I was joking? What is I still I
Brandon 26:44
put off the search for new headphones for a long time. I abandoned it because I had to do some other things. And then I bought a bicycle, obviously. So like that was the thing. But like, they probably need to pick that search up again.
26:59
Go for some more headphones. See if there's some out there for me. Somewhere on the horizon.
Brandon 27:11
Yeah, it's, it's tough because I
27:15
bought my current ones, you know,
Brandon 27:18
without listening to them, or putting them on my head and just bought them totally based on reviews. And Had this been in the 90s or early 2000s would have gone to Best Buy and tried on a bunch of pairs. But yeah, it would have been 1000s of pairs of headphones on Route. Yeah. Since since none of those exist. But you can't do that anywhere. All you have to go off of is really like reviews and like a good return policy. Yeah, that's true. That's really nice. Because I my head is very large. And it's gonna like do terrible things like what's gonna happen? Yeah, though, I yeah, I bought these I'm happy with them so I was watching, I have become completely ensconced by a YouTube channel. Right. And I doubt it was one of the things was like I was I just, my curiosity was too great.
28:30
I had to click on this thing, right? I had to it was necessary necessity.
28:37
Now, it is a man who has bought a ghost town and is living there. Yes,
Brandon 28:51
right. You see ya see why I had to click on this. Do you understand? Us? Right? It's wild. It's so crazy. First of all, the dude looks like a guy. No, it is. It trips me out like hardcore watching him right? But say he likes the channels called ghost town living for your show notes there. So it's a guy he bought a ghost town. It's in like Southern California, like right off like Death Valley right up in the mountains. And it's like this abandoned silver mining town from like the late 1800s.
29:26
And he just bought it. First of all, I
Brandon 29:29
didn't know you could buy a whole time set. It's very exciting. Right? Like yeah, he's by a doubt. And he's just like,
29:38
living there. Hanging out. Just because. Yeah.
Brandon 29:45
Yeah. He's his ultimate goal was to like fix up some stuff. So people can like come out there like a retreat like you know, vacation or like a. So I've seen some other ones that are like, artists retreats or whatever, you know. Wherever they go, and they are like, really, like the people go out there and they like write their memoirs and stuff or whatever. But like, this dude's just like, hanging out and he's got some goats and some alpacas for reasons I guess and like, just hangs out. He was building a garden in the last video I watched he was and and the part that's really trippy is he's been exploring the mind shafts. Right. So part of me is like, Yo, that's really awesome. And another part of me is like, oh my gosh, that's the most terrifying thing ever.
30:37
Yeah, you know, yeah, now
Brandon 30:41
in the last video, he did have like, a buddy with him. Right? In the when I walked by, he might do it alone, too. So I haven't watched all the videos yet. I just I just found this like, literally, literally yesterday. So, so it's, it's just wild man. And like, he's he was like, just living in this house. And it was like the old you know, he's like, all this all this? It's just so trippy. Because like, there's like furniture from like, the 1870s. Like,
31:11
they're like, it's really wild. How How much did he
Brandon 31:19
did? He does he talked about how much he spent to buy a town? I haven't I haven't heard that part yet. No. But it sounds like a not insubstantial amount of money. Because it's the town and although land around the town, right. So including the mine. So I can't imagine it was like 10s of dollars, you know, dang it. But like, it's really crazy. Because like, there's the town and the kind of over the little ridge. There's all these little, like, scattered in this little valley thing are like, little tiny houses that miners used to live in.
31:56
And they're like,
Brandon 31:57
he was the, you know, one of the videos that I watched was him like, he found one that was in pretty good shape already. And he was starting to fix it up, like practice fixing up so that it could be a place where people could come and stay. Right. And he said, there's there's tons of ease. Some of them are actually like, there's little small caves in the walls of the mountain that people just put a door on.
32:21
And that's where they live. Yeah, right.
Brandon 32:27
Oh my god. You can easily spend like, I mean, just literally years. Yeah. Trying to find it just exploring each every single one of those. Yeah, that's what he does, like something he just like, goes around and looks for stuff. Because it's it's pretty vast. Right? So he's just like, poking around, like all these nooks and crannies. And, and, and, you know, just checking out what's over here. Whoa, like what's over there. But that's what he's doing with the mind. He has some of the old like mind maps of like, where the tunnels should be. Right? And he's sort of like exploring, and so he's just kind of going like what's over here do to do and like just mining equipment, like random stuff, like a pair of Levi's jeans from like the 1870s 1880s. Like, what? Like original Levi's pants just like in the Bible? There's my chat like
33:17
that'd be that'd be pretty sweet. Right? But like, It's wild.
Brandon 33:24
And I And it's, it's interesting, because part of me is like, this is really cool. And then there's another part of my personality that's going this is
33:34
awful. And I don't like it. Right.
Brandon 33:38
And so, the reason I have this reaction storytime here, so this goes back to the our honeymoon that we went on, right? So we took our honeymoon to Arizona. Okay, and so we were in we went to the we did like the Sedona thing, right? And like the Flagstaff area, right? So we went and then we did like the Grand Canyon and all that stuff, right? But like
34:08
we, we were down. And we went to like,
Brandon 34:14
I know we kind of can't remember what it's called. We were going around we're just like checking all these like small towns and stuff, you know, and then we went to
34:21
this it's called Jerome, Arizona. Right?
Brandon 34:26
And it's like it's kind of like this but it's like it's a lot closer to like other things now but it has a history of being an abandoned town. And there's it's weird there you just get these I got just like weird vibes from the whole town. Right? I got it just made me feel weird. Like I don't know if it's like spooky weird or like what but I felt really uncomfortable being like, in the middle of the desert, like in this town and then I saw a sign of like the list of inhabitants of this like town like this little encampment that was outside of Jerome right? And it had over time the population list and for like 30 years the population said one and I just like it made me uncomfortable and I like kind of like the like the heebie jeebies, right? Like, you know, gathers like these weird sensations of like, anxiety mixed with like, you know, discomfort and it was just it made me feel weird being there looking around and all the stuff like the abandoned ness of everything and and this was even like real close to another town so like, you could like see the other town like there it is over there. Yeah, so like, just gave me these super weird i don't know if it's because I was playing like way too much Red Dead Redemption back in the day right being out the middle of the desert had bad connotations for me, are like the fact that on our drive there our car like blew up, right? I was already like in a very depressed mental state. Because of that, right? Like a combination of all of these factors played on my mind, and I just did not like to roam the Jerome Arizona experience at all. You know, it sounds like you're not alone. Because according to only in your state.com Jerome is known as the creepiest ghost town in Arizona. It's just weird, man. Like, there's something about being out in the desert and seeing rundown stuff. And then like being like, Man, how could anybody live there? And then seeing somebody live there? It's like, it's like, depressing. Yeah. Right. It's like, yeah, it took me it definitely feeling like yeah, to see that's been like, just one person. And human being. Yeah, you have like, it just it that to me, that is extremely unnerving. A feel like, what was that person going through in their life? That made them want to live out here all by themselves? Not to mention, yeah, like, all the creepy things that surround that kind of thing of like, in my mind, like, you start saying, like one person limited there for 30 years? Like, that's the start of a horror film. Yeah. Well, and then, like, you're out
37:18
alone in the desert. Right? Yeah. And like, I've seen other stuff about people that
Brandon 37:28
do that. And like, you know, they're just like, I'd have to carry a gun all the time.
37:34
Because there's weird people out here. Right? They're just like, you know,
Brandon 37:42
there's like, No, I always carry a gun. Because there's just people out there that are just like, odd and he know who knows what to do. And it's like, you're all alone. And like, mess. And there's like this weird paranoia that sinks into your brain, right? Like,
38:00
yeah, it's one of those things like, I'm all alone. Or am I? Or Yeah, right. Or, I'm all alone. What happens when I just stop becoming alone?
Brandon 38:12
Yeah, like, I'm all alone. I'm all alone. Right? Like, there's a lag. Exactly. And then again, there's the fact that you're like, a ghost town, where, like, just sort of the connotations of that are just slightly unnerving. Like, regardless of your belief in spooks or not, like, there's always there's gonna be some, like, if you're in the middle of a ghost town in the desert at night, part of my brain is going what was that? Just right, like, there's gonna be some definitely some noises you can't explain. Yeah. And that
38:47
was that was was that well moved over there.
Brandon 38:50
What am I like, I'm not handling that well, right. Because my imagination is just, it's so crazy. Like, because again, like, kind of like the guy who's living who's got the YouTube channel and even in Jerome like, there are a lot of nooks and crannies. There are a lot of hiding places, a lot of secret places. A lot of places that you can't have eyes on all the time. Yeah, suddenly, like, there's like, so you again, you're in one corner of the town. What you have no idea what's going on in the corner. Even though it could only be like 20 buildings or whatever. It's like, that's still so much space. And and it's just not to mention all the like, just straight up critters and things that are out in the desert that are moving around. It's like, yeah, yeah, it's just like, you're not like you're alone. But you're not. But you might be which might not be Yeah, right away to know and until you're not right, like, you're like oh, there's hear you. Well, and then like there's the sort of the mythological aspect of like the deserts in the southwest of United States have a long history of doing very strange things people, right, like very weird things happen. In the deserts in the southwest, like, there's all kinds of people live out there by themselves. And they're like, well, in that nowadays, I mean, maybe nowadays, but like, in the past, you know, like crazy people live out there. And like, they just like, you know, back in the day like the quote, wild west days, right? They were just like, straight up, like kill some dude and like, throwing a hole and be like, what nothing happened anyway, like, go like, you know what I mean? Like? So there's that like places, and there's like a mythological aspect of the American desert. Right, that just sort of, there's certain aspects of that that are also unnerving. I guess. They just, I don't know they don't sit well with me. And I learned on our honeymoon to Arizona that I just really like trees. Just in so bright, maybe I developed a slight, agoraphobic tendency, maybe I don't know, but you just like in this vast, empty expanse of nothing is
41:02
like unsettled. Right.
Brandon 41:05
I don't like it on a tree. You know, that's very interesting. observation about that, because I definitely feel like I maybe it's not a agoraphobia, but the lack of trees in an environment tells me like, that's not a place I need to live or like you should be living. Like, when we went out, just as an example, when we went out to Lubbock. And it's not nearly as bad as further like, actual desert Southwest. But when I learned that there were no native trees in Lubbock, and every tree in Lubbock
41:45
was planted. Um, that,
Brandon 41:49
that, that made me start questioning a lot of Yeah, or it was actually a scrub brush, right? Yeah, exactly. It was like, okay, there were no trees. But this is a scrub brush, and it's gonna bring us and slam into your car, or this quote, unquote, tree. That's three and a half feet tall. And yeah, but it's like, oh, look at these beautiful oaks. Yeah, let's look at those for a second. Where did those come from? Not here as? Yeah. Growing up, like, just like a city. I think of Springfield. I think of like, where we live now is like, you can't see you driving along. You can't see the rest of the city because of all of the trees. Yeah, we have that here, too. I've noticed that last week when they all finally decided to be fall colors, like, whoa, but you can see on the highway, you look out a route where the city is, and it's just like, Tree City, right? It's nice. Yeah. And then, and then you go to someplace for that, like, well, I am at an intersection. And I can see 365 degrees, I can see all the houses and I can see their neighbors and I can see down the road. This is very weird. Why? Like, what what is this? It is, I think it's just the fact that you can all of a sudden, just see everything. And I think it is that like, wow, there's a lot. Oh, yeah, I think that like part of it. Right? Like because generally in Missouri, in this in the southwestern part of Missouri, right, like your horizon isn't not very far away. Right. It's fair, it's like over there. Because there's gonna be a hill and full of trees and like, it all feels relatively close, I guess. Like in relatives, relatives speaking night. So like, when I'm talking about like, relatively close, I'm talking like, oh, I can see a couple miles.
43:34
Right? When you end up in Arizona, and you can see 10s and 10s of miles you're like, Whoa,
Brandon 43:48
so weird. And, and it's weird, because, again, I don't know if there were other factors, like our car problems and all this stuff, right? But like,
43:56
oh, when I've been places like
Brandon 43:59
I don't know, other places where there's not as much tree cover. I never had that same feeling. I mean, like, the Badlands in South Dakota. You know, sorry prairie II like the northern plains. Kind of I mean, maybe North Dakota does it a little bit right. But that's just cuz you're like I've never seen so much nothing in my life like it's just
44:21
field forever
Brandon 44:25
at least green right? He's like a familiar something to your eye. Because you like there's that interest but
44:30
this grass. That's good. Right like
Brandon 44:35
other things are living here. chance Yeah, right like and so like in the Badlands and like up there like at least there are green things.
44:42
And there's like I don't know, kills maybe but when you're like, pan for when
Brandon 44:52
you're like on a slight elevation and you can just see just miles and miles and miles and miles of bear Rock, and nothing, you're just like, wow. It's kind of an overwhelming. Yeah.
45:09
Experience, right?
Brandon 45:09
It kind of overwhelms us can overwhelm you and make you like, um, it made me uncomfortable sometimes. Right? Just because it was so the geography is so much different than Hills valleys really tall oaks and maples and like trees, right, like,
45:27
in my face that it was like unsettling.
Brandon 45:34
You know, I think I have experienced that. In another context of laying out in a field at nighttime, where it clear skies, you lay down, and you just stare up at the sky, right and in everything in your peripheral vision is night sky. You don't see the trees around the corner. Oh, yeah, tearing you down. And all of a sudden, you're just feel like you're kind of staring off into the abyss. And realizing like, that goes on for infinity. And and here I am. I don't think it's quite as tangible as standing out on a VISTA in Arizona being like, Oh, my there's no cover here. I feel like really exposed. I think it also might be part of it in Arizona too. You're like, there's literally a water here. Like, what are you gonna, like? I'm just gonna straight up die if I'm out here, right? Like I can't. Maybe it's just like a familiarity thing. Like, I'm familiar with Missouri. If I'm lost in Missouri wilderness, I'll be fine. Right? I'm lost in the Arizona desert I'm done for I will become dead. Immediately. I think that feeling sort of creeps in the back of your mind to some extent. And like,
46:53
yeah, takes over just
Brandon 46:55
recognizing like, this is this is not just like big expansive, but like this is actively hostile towards life. Yeah. And I imagine that if somebody from Arizona came to sell us, Missouri, they'd be like, Why is everything so closed in and feel like very claustrophobic, right? Like, you know, if they were in like a valley in Missouri, they might be like, Ah, I gotta get out of here. I have to escape. You know, it's just, it's sort of what you become
47:21
accustomed to? Obviously. Yeah. Right. So, it's very weird. Side note, when you were laying in the field. Uh huh.
Brandon 47:34
Okay, so Susan has Susan used to do this with her best friend, when she was younger, they would do that they were just like, lay in the field and like, stare up and whatever. They also used to, like lay on the road, which I questioned greatly until I remembered what county and what part of Missouri were. And I was like, Oh, you're, you're fine. And it's a no, but nobody's coming. But she describes, she describes
47:57
feeling the roundness of the earth. Right? When she does that.
Brandon 48:04
She was trying to explain it. And I always look at her like, She's insane. Right? Like, what are you talking about? Do you feel the roundness
48:13
when you lay like that?
Brandon 48:15
I think I think it depends on your on the context of what's around you, like if you're laying in a field that's been flanked by trees, I think it depends on how wide your your peripheral vision is allowed to go out. doing, like, when I would do that out in like West Texas. Yeah, you really do get to get the roundness because basically, your entire horizon line is even just flat. Yeah, there's not a whole lot going on. And so you do get a very sense of, of, at least a dome. So it's a two sided dome. Yeah, that's what I mean, right? That's yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think it does have to do with the horizon line, and where you're able to pick up on that, you know, in Missouri, it can be a little harder to find spots like that, where you're not like, oh, there's a hill on one side. And, you know, planes are here, or trees, whatever. But, yeah, I mean, if you're in Missouri, you could be on top of the hill that might help you. Right, exactly. Yeah. So if you're on the top of an Hill, but yeah, I definitely had that have had that feeling of outlet on West Texas. A really good example of like, it starts to feel round. Just because of again, that horizon line that you have access to and nothing's alright. Yeah, I think plus to have when you are staring up at the sky. And if you have that clear horizon line around your peripheral vision. The stars wrapped around you, right, like they start. That's true. Yeah, on either side, like I'm staring up. Stars are now coming down on my left and right and down towards my toes and out over towards the back of my head. So you feel like they're kind of being draped over you. And that does that. Again give the sense of
50:07
of rounded. Interesting.
Brandon 50:11
I will she will be very pleased with your answer. I I have no doubt she will feel vindicated. And she will say to me, haha, I told you so. So that's great. Well just tell her to fast over to minute 50 And you can just she's gonna clip this and just play it on repeat like all the time like, Oh, yes. My favorite part ever. Tell me how about how right that was? This day
50:48
Oh lovely. Yeah.
Brandon 50:55
Are you doing anything else other than being on all the cat network? A poster child, right? Isn't it my calendar? We've been in really, I mean, this to this weekend, obviously we're taking off. And in this industry in business, if there's one if you if you want to boost business, take a weekend off. I cannot I've we've turned away probably 10 people, literally 10 People who have reached out to us who wanted us to care for their pets or go to their homes over this weekend. I'm like, what? Where were you last weekend? Where were you? This weekend? Why? But it's everybody who was like, Oh, we're gonna travel for Thanksgiving the weekend before and we're just gonna have Thanksgiving at home and celebrate at home? Yeah, I totally get it. Ditto. Yeah, me too. So there are people away, and it may look to Megan as like Megan. We're kind of to the point now, where we've hired down in Springfield, we need to hire here in town. Because if we need to go away, we still need to service pets, or we need to have people take care of this. So it's like me, yeah, posted our job ads to hire. And then we're going through that process. And which is fine. If it's all part of it. Like I definitely have more business for people here. So we are starting to parse through and
52:39
the applicant pool is more interesting. Here, I bet.
Brandon 52:52
A lady called me and said, Hey, I want to talk to you about your position you posted. I was like sweet, the lat in my head. I then said the last person who did this ended up telling me how their last reason they were fired from their last job is because they the person on the phone enjoyed marijuana more than the employer. So that was a good start. I was like great this. Yeah, really well, this lady and she was like so my friend and I work together at a hotel here in town. And we really, she's really interested in your position. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a driver's license. So if we both apply, I would she's like, then I would drive her around to do the work.
53:40
Would that be okay?
Brandon 53:42
That's not how this works. I'm sorry. I'm like, I'm not hiring both of you. Like it's not like a What?
53:48
What world?
Brandon 53:50
Do you even given the job market? We have now? In what world? Would you try and convince an employer who requires you to have a valid driver's license that I can't drive, but I'm not even the one calling you, my friend will call you and try and convince you to hire both of us. So that we as I can work with you know, in what way what?
54:17
Oh, ah, so I said, you know, I said, that's the one that I know,
Brandon 54:26
I just, I can't wrap my brain around that. So I responded with you know, put that in the notes field of your application and we'll review it and it's gonna be a no like it's just straight up going to be no like I can't I'm not hiring two people to do the job and just reliability wise. A bad weather a weird schedules. It's like it's not like it's a I have an eight to five or a nine to five job where people could come in are making deliveries. That's one thing. I know people do that here in town with like DoorDash. They'll partner with their friend and they'll split the profits or Whatever. Like, I'm not doing that. And sometimes you may be out for 11 hours a day. Go in. And anyway, I just I was, I was really interesting. Okay. And it's one of those things, and I just lost Yeah, sorry about that. Anyway. Yeah. Just the it's not happening. And I don't really know why someone would think that was okay. Do you have a bicycle? Right? That work? Except it can't in the winter, like,
56:05
in winter,
Brandon 56:07
it can work well. Yeah, that's a good point.
56:17
No, it would work. Good. Like, yeah, not goodly, for sure. So we are parsing through that. And we have our first meeting with staff on Friday, and Springfield. That'd be fun to have everybody in the same room. Man, ah, something we're doing
Brandon 56:43
something. I'm not sure what he gives him some of the 95 shirts that you have here. Take a look. We got to go through the annual signs. We have a manual now. Yeah.
56:58
Yeah, have a manual.
Brandon 57:01
We're gonna show them. We're buying supplies and stuff for them of being need to show them like, Hey, this is where they're going to be stored. And this is like everybody sees and gonna feel very, it's gonna feel way way too official is way too official. You have like a storage building. Like, here's all this stuff. Just in here. So I know it's a it's a it's a. So in order to have a Google listing, you have to have an actual physical address. Right? Okay. It has to be able to receive mail. And it cannot be a shared space. SP a dedicated like, really? Yes. So you cannot use I mean, you can use like a UPS box, or a P O Box. But you will quickly deny you and remove your listing. Which can be extremely damaging. So they Yeah, that's bad. So a lot of people use like we in town here us is our house. Does our listing. Right, because, yeah. I do not have a house in Springfield. Clearly, clearly. And I don't want to use an employee's house because they will not be with me forever. Most like Yeah. Oh, yes. That's not good planning. Or they have an apartment or whatever. So yeah, I can't have that.
58:29
I need office space. Yeah. Ah,
Brandon 58:34
con. Got to learn an awful lot about office space. Oh, exciting. Oh, exciting. It's expensive. It's annoying. And so I found it that is what they will accept again. You have to be basically on like, this is my dedicated space in a directory. You know what? Yeah, bills, you know, fulfills that. A, like, mid to lower tier at a co working space. Really? Yeah. So you can't use their like to we have I have it, it annoys me to no end because I can't use it. But I have right now a dedicated desk at a co working space in Springfield, that has like, Funky Bunch on it. No one will ever use ever. I mean, he's got on Friday, just like sit in it. That's what we're gonna do. We're gonna go to the conference to grab it up. Blam. We're gonna go to the conference room at the at the at the co working space, we're going to use that. But with the desk comes a little storage locker and stuff. And that's where we're going to put all of the supplies and like, we're going to have a key cabinet for client keys that we're going to keep there so that the staff are not having to hold on to the keys. They all go Yeah, one centralized location that they're checking in and checking out. That's a good idea. Yeah, they'll get restocked with like poop bags. They'll be extra leashes there. It'll be a place for them to kind They go and hang out. And because it's a co working space, I don't have to buy furniture. And they, you know, they get free like coffee and snacks. And there's no, and there's like a kitchen there where they can go and like legit eat lunch. And so like, well, that's actually kind of cool. That's a good idea, I actually it kind of becomes this like extra perk as a way for them to a place for them to kind of go and hang out as opposed to going home and wherever they live in town. Or you have to have like, if they have a walker, or if they have like an appointment at like two and then they'd have another one till three, they could go there potentially, right? Like yes, and go like, Okay, go use the desk, go work on the other thing, that the only thing that I need to figure out is if we are if I can somehow swing, so having a computer there to have them work on admin stuff and design. So yeah, post, or if I could ask them to just bring it anyway, I've got to work on that. But it's like, that's where everything, all the extras and refills are going to be there. And the cool part is, is that I can actually ship things there. I just have my staff go and put it away. Right? So yeah, it's gonna work out, it's gonna be great. It's just a
1:01:13
one, I think you could like, you know,
Brandon 1:01:17
not immediately, but then in a month or two, like, see how it's going and then just get like, a laptop. Right? Not like a super crazy one or something like that. And like, have that stay there. You know, like, that could be the thing. Like just like a
1:01:32
yes, the company. Random laptop
Brandon 1:01:35
is also what I'm thinking what I'm thinking is, Megan has a laptop that I have been eyeing to replace for a little while. Okay, I'm kind of thinking about having the company quote unquote, buy it from her for like, and dollar. Yeah. And then just buying a new one for her. That would work too. Yeah. Yeah. So to kind of re appropriating it to the Yeah, that's a better idea. And then that way, because they don't, it doesn't need to be anything huge or fancy or whatever. And it's, yeah, it's older, but for what the work they're doing his email is fine. Yeah, a couple programs, like it'd be perfect for them. And then I can remote manage it from some stuff, but it's been, that whole process has just been, again, absolutely wild. And again, that's way too official for anything that I'm actually doing. Because I'm very visual. I'm not actually a business owner, right. I'm just, I just walked dog. And then all of a sudden, it's like, oh, but I also have two employees who are like actively logging hours right now.
1:02:33
And it's true. You are officially a business owner.
Brandon 1:02:37
So I'm officially a business are weird, like, I don't know. But that's been kind of been kind of wild. And it was neat. I went on a meet and greet here yesterday. And the guy who was using us is also a, he's a he's a business owner. And he was asking me about my business. And so like, in the middle of talking to him about his dogs and how they don't like thunderstorms. He's like, we're just talking business all of a sudden. And he's like, Yeah, you got to make sure you do this and like, do this thing. And don't don't do that thing. Isn't a lot fun, blah, blah. We've been doing this for 40 years, whatever. And, yeah, when I was telling about, you know, we have staff and employees, you know, this is weird. I it's a very weird, surreal thing to be going through because a lot of it has just been very, like paperwork, like that's all I've been doing the past month is like, battling worker's comp, in battling through insurance, and like getting HR setup and getting payroll done. And like, all these little procedural things are like, I've just been kind of chunking away at and like, just today, I finished putting the finishing touches on the employee handbook, which is a word that I never thought I would say is that I have again, it's all so it'll be very, I think, I don't think it'll hit me until I'm sitting there. With Megan talking to our to the two people that we hired. Yeah, it's gonna be like, Oh,
1:04:02
this is actually Wow. Okay. Yeah, that's also
Brandon 1:04:07
really weird to think about, because, like, for the longest for, for literally, forever, it just made you and Megan, right, like it. So it's not really, it's not really a business. I guess it's, you know, when it's just you too, you know, right. That's how your brain probably processes it. Like, it's just this other thing that we do, right? Just like, you know, whatever. But now, yeah, you were like, the bosses that you hired people. It's like, oh, wait, wait. Yeah, like I'm going through the, the, the manual and it's kind of like a, like a template and like, shoving stuff in and filling it in to make it your own and what and stuff so, you know, kept on through this word of like, before you do this. Make sure you check with management. I had to look at that word. I was like, oh, that's me. I'm I'm the management team. Oh, I'm the when you call for emergency Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's me. Oh, no, that's me, right. And then weirdly, we had a post in Springfield today
1:05:10
that Megan had posted. And the lady was like, Oh, so it's not actually YouTube doing
Brandon 1:05:20
here in Springfield. And I was a little like, Well, no, but I've got these two awesome people that I've hired, that are going to kick butt. And like, I felt a little offended that this person was like, disappointed that Megan and I weren't going to be the ones doing it. And I have never encountered that before, where somebody was a little like, oh, I don't want I want you I don't want these other people. It's like, okay, that's nice and flattering or whatever. But like, I hired these people. They agreed to my policies. I've a background check. They're insured bonded. I'm training them. So yeah, they're gonna be just as good. If not most likely, better than I am. Get over it. I don't know. It's just it was a weird like, Oh, yeah. Now in Springville is gonna be different because they will have never, they're gonna do meet and greets and stuff without ever seeing Megan and I like that. Nobody will know really? That. Yeah. involved? Yeah, here in town as we start to transition our current people to whoever we hire, like, that'll be a little interesting to try and navigate that. Well, that people feel like they're getting second rate or, or whatever.
1:06:35
Yeah. Yeah, that's a good point. Like, yeah, that
Brandon 1:06:41
assurance is like, no, no, that I hired them for a reason. Right. Like, exactly, exactly.
1:06:49
And, you know,
Brandon 1:06:50
is this but that's just that's just part of it. And I've heard, I've heard those things like, Oh, I've heard people talk about this. Now. I'm experienced. But yeah. So crazy. Yeah. So that'll be that'd be weird. On Friday, I'm looking forward to it. You know, also nervous, just see how it goes again, like I, Megan, I have to be honest with them. And we have been in throughout this entire thing of like, this is our first time doing this. We are actually relying on you for a lot of help with this. That's why you're getting paid more than what we probably would be paying for somebody if they were just taking over our walks, which is like we're doing here in Sedalia, like that person could be hired at a lower rate. Because the first people in Springfield are effectively like the branch managers, branch managers. Exactly. Yeah. Right. Like, they're doing a lot of leg work and groundwork and I'm relying on them a lot more than I am here. Yeah. And they, they're aware of that. And they're both like really on board with like, wanting to be a part of that. And to help make it something and I'm very excited about that. They both kind of took a little bit of ownership in what we're doing through that so it's just gonna be it's now it's still up to Megan and I ultimately to make sure it seeds and whatever, but it's good. We've got the people backing us so it's all again all surreal. It's not real yet until Friday.
1:08:25
Yeah. But that's that's great. And I had
Brandon 1:08:32
I this is this this office space has a lot. The first thing I thought of when you said we had to find an office in Springfield, that was the dad's old office, right. That's that random hallway.
1:08:44
They had untold number
Brandon 1:08:48
of just read the doors. Yeah, I never tell like how big any one office was like, I guess I'm pretty sure there are a few office quote unquote, offices that were literally broom closet. Yeah. Right. That's what I was envisioning. Like. Those ones just like something in the back of that building, right. Like that's the that just brown hallway, which is vast, endless doors that
1:09:14
I only ever saw two of them
Brandon 1:09:17
open ever and that was dad's and then the accounting guy who like never actually closed his door like it was. Exactly, yeah, his his door just
1:09:28
open. And then dad's door.
Brandon 1:09:32
Because I went in that one. Yeah, the rest of them. Some of them had names on the door. There was a vast number of them that did not. And then yeah, they were just down there.
1:09:43
And I always like
Brandon 1:09:45
wanted to know what was behind all those doors. Were all offices the same? Because the answer was no, based on John's and Dad, it's those two rooms were extraordinarily different inside. I was like, huh, and even the old member and dad's was down the hallway. Yeah, that one was like way different to like what that would have had like, you could definitely have that too. It was two stages. Well, he filled the first room with the microfiche. Yeah. And there was like so BUSA chair and some junk, excellent cabinets in there or whatever. And then the door on the right hand side that went back into his task was yes. Versus his front one, which is by the window, which is just one big room. Yes. Which is also right. So,
1:10:28
yeah. And so like
Brandon 1:10:30
John's had like that entry. And then there was like, a door on the both sides. It went to two different offices and what, what is the layout of this building? Here? Oh, different. He walked in, and Teresa was his assistant. I don't know why, yeah, I know that name. But, um, yeah, I just like, just, office space in general is insane. If you want, like, I want a room, it is so expensive, and just obscene. And the part of the part that called me was if I'm just trying to do this for an address. I don't want I really want to be viewed. I don't want to just get a room that's not gonna have anything in it. That's Oh, yeah, it's gonna be utilized or help helpful to anybody. So that's why when I found out I could go this route with a co working space, I was like, Okay, this makes a lot more sense, like, financial sense, because it's cheaper. But also like, just utilitarian wise, it can help you there's more stuff in it. Use things and not just have like, a floor layoffs. Yes. So yeah, I again, this has been nothing but continually learning like, brand new thing. Oh, brand new thing. thing. But there we go. So when we have to open the Oh, official Oh, brother offices, they will no, oh, no co working space, all the way. So now it's gonna be a studio, right? I'm thinking second tier, right? Like your studio. Right? Like, it'd be great. I'm all for this. I'm all for this. They actually have in this co working space, a quote unquote, phone booth, where you can go and take your call. It's a it's a it's a soundproof, like telephone box. Basically, where you get in if you shut the door, and you can't hear anybody talking in there. That's super rad. Super Rad. And so I was like, Oh my gosh, like, of course, I'm like, Oh, you could record like a podcast in there. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm all for, for this. But it's it's good. Oh, yeah. That's what we're looking forward to. And
1:12:52
that's, that's our week. That's crazy.
Brandon 1:13:00
You guys still doing a
1:13:03
earthquakes? And yeah,
Brandon 1:13:06
we're building our buildings. And we're breaking them on Friday. So it's gonna be exciting.
1:13:12
Yeah. And they were just trying to get to this week of play practice. Right. So like, there's
Brandon 1:13:20
sixth grade. So for some strange reason, our choir teacher is doing a
1:13:25
fourth and sixth grade concert. What? Not fourth through sixth, fourth, and sixth. I don't really understand why that is.
Brandon 1:13:39
I don't know why she didn't do I don't understand real mostly why it's not fifth and sixth. That would make so much more sense. It might be because so the theory that I'm going with is if you do fifth and sixth, right, like fifth grade is when they start band. And you do band or choir. Oh, right. So you're going to have if you do fifth and sixth, you will have less people. Right? So if you do fourth, and sixth, do you have more people more of them are fourth graders but like
1:14:22
there's more people on stage.
Brandon 1:14:23
But it's been hilarious because like the sixth graders are just like infinitely annoyed by fourth graders at this point. They're like, Oh my God, they're so awful. Why are they so? Because as we know, sixth graders are over like literally everything. They're just like, whatever. But definitely not even interested in being remotely near a fourth grade.
1:14:47
Yeah. Oh, that's a big leap.
Brandon 1:14:49
It's a it's a huge difference. Right? Like that's that's why it's weird to me that she like just stuck with this. Like, why don't you just do four or five, six. That would be fine. Yeah, right. But just the fourth Ed six, the difference between those age groups is enormous. So she's been practicing with them every day, like 123 o'clock.
1:15:11
Right? Yeah.
Brandon 1:15:15
That's rough. Right? Goodbye class time. Basically what that means.
1:15:20
And so I have just to get through tomorrow, because the program is tomorrow night. Yes.
Brandon 1:15:27
Survive one literally one more day. Yeah. So we've had this
1:15:31
practice schedule.
Brandon 1:15:34
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, except for Tuesday, she was like, no, no, it's gonna be 830 to 1030 in the morning. Oh, and then Monday was a Thursday, it's gonna be one o'clock to three o'clock. And I'm like, What?
1:15:47
What? Why?
Brandon 1:15:50
Literally, why are you taking all my science time stuff?
1:15:55
Interrupting every fit out.
Brandon 1:15:58
Right. So we had, we didn't do anything.
1:16:02
Tuesday. And then, like, I've just
Brandon 1:16:05
because, well, Tuesday, it was like, Oh, you're going to come to my classroom minute, you're going to go to your special classes, you're going to come back from my class for like 30 minutes, and then everyone will be back. And we'll just do something else. So we just sort of like, sat around and like, had free time on Tuesday. It wasn't that bad. But Monday, and today, I had to, like entertain them and like, do things and like schedule stuff. But it can't be like, it has to be like random stuff. Right? Because like, we can't like learn things with a third of the class. Yeah, that's not helpful. Yeah, you can't make any progress. Right?
1:16:49
Yeah. So our options are, because
Brandon 1:16:55
not all of the sixth graders are in the program, we have two choices. Choice number one, everybody goes to the building. And all the choir kids go on stage, and everybody else has to sit in the seats in the
1:17:09
auditorium. That is,
Brandon 1:17:13
is not acceptable Choice. Choice. Number two is all of the choir kids go to the auditorium. And I keep all the band kids in my classroom.
1:17:24
So this way, at least,
Brandon 1:17:26
is more manageable.
1:17:29
Do stuff.
Brandon 1:17:31
Yeah, you can do something you can occupy them as opposed to just playing the stick, fight and survive. Yes, good. Let's do that one more time. Let's go ahead and go back over that one more time? No. Well, no, today, we did like that we did a what we do. So we started off with just like a little bit of reading time, like so we had some reading time. And then we had some, like, free time where they could do whatever they want on their iPads and mess around. And then we had a paper airplane, tournament bracket.
1:18:04
Boom. Where I gave them
Brandon 1:18:11
15 minutes to make the best paper airplane they could. And then I made a tournament bracket with a randomized named randomizer. And we went out into the hallway and had the ultimate paper airplane. Like who could throw it the furthest? Right? And love this so much. It was so great. Of the so much. I did it with sixth graders. You don't ever really know how these things are gonna go. I said, we're gonna have a paper airplane tournament. And just about 80% of classes like, yeah, like, Okay, I was not expecting that result. But I'm going with it. So. Yeah. Okay, cool. Glad we're at cover all on board. Let's do this thing. Yeah. So I gave him some time. I told him I could look up because some of them were like, I don't know how to make paper airplane, which was really confusing to me, because I did a lot of that when I was young. But again, simpler time, right? Ah, the 90s. But so I was like, you can look
1:19:07
up, you know, way any directions you
Brandon 1:19:12
want to make a paper airplane. So we had a very vast array of different styles, very excited. So they looked up directions on their iPad, they follow those directions. They made an airplane. The ones that already knew how to make an airplane they made they just made the airline right but like the other ones, they looked up the steps. They made it they might have some of the like watched videos on how to make paper airplanes and then they did it. And then we went outside and we like put a starting line down in the hallway and we went through pairs and through paper airplanes down the hallway. It was kind of awesome. Amazing. They were like weirdly into it. I was just like, which skincare for the EU because it's good to know if they're I mean, yeah, if they're all on board with it. Yeah, don't Don't stop. Keep it going. Yeah, it's like, no, there's going to be great. Well, I'm glad you did you only have to survive one more day. And then I don't really know what I'm gonna do tomorrow by.
1:20:25
We'll figure it out. Yeah, I have like,
Brandon 1:20:30
a bunch of just random things in my closet. So I might do the thing where it's like, Alright,
1:20:36
here's a Kleenex. Your job is to
Brandon 1:20:38
not make it get wet. Build the thing to keep it dry. And then like, you have 10 minutes go and probably get longer than that, and then see how they piece it together? And then go from there. Yeah, I might do that one. I did that last year to work pretty good. We're just gonna dig right. Like, here's a cup, and some string and a paperclip. And a piece of paper, like, Here you go. Do something with this. You don't have to use all the materials, but go by anyway. But you might need to have just saying I don't know.
1:21:28
That, but I
Brandon 1:21:29
think those are, I think those are those kind of things are invaluable for critical thinking and designing. And I just seeing how, for me, when I was presented with those, it was always interesting to see what everybody else came up with, you know, when you finally come back together and go, Oh, that's I you know, I didn't think of that. Or huh, we'll see how that one turns out. I learned a lot from just seeing what other people tried. Then what I brought together. Yeah, and we talked about that today with our building our buildings for earthquake testing. Like, they were like, they get older, they all start working on their own project, right. And then they there's that time after a minute when there's a lull, and they kind of look around. And they'll be like, they copied us. Like you do know, there's only a certain number of ways that this can actually be achieved. Yeah, right.
1:22:25
Have you ever been to a city and seen buildings that look similar? Yeah, yes. Yeah. So is everyone
Brandon 1:22:33
else? So like?
1:22:37
Yeah, it's really
Brandon 1:22:38
funny, cuz they're, like, they copied us and like,
1:22:42
or,
Brandon 1:22:44
you both are just sort of doing the most efficient way to make this building? Right. Like, I've seen a lot of these and life experiences. Yeah. Yeah. I've seen a lot of these and like our schema about like, how do I build a house or a structure? It's very similar, right? Squares rectangles put together, which makes sense. That's what you would expect, right? I had one group one time, they built this tower. And it was like, layer. So like, they would build a level. And they built it like a skyscraper. They'd built a level, then they just built the same level on top of it. And the same level on top right, like that. They did a hexagonal building. And it was amazing. It was so tall.
1:23:34
Wow. It was the coolest thing. By
Brandon 1:23:40
the I don't know how they really decided on this. But they built a giant hexagon. This this hexagonal building. And it was like it was the tallest one I've ever had. And it like totally worked like, fine. Like crazy. The best part about that?
1:24:04
Yeah, it's like, Whoa.
Brandon 1:24:12
Yeah, you just start, as you said, like kind of being like, huh, like, what about either like, these, like, this combination of students? Or, you know, experience? Yeah, one or two of them have or just teamwork? Make this thing worked like Yeah, cuz most of them are pretty similar. They're like big giant rectangles. Right? Some of them look like rectangles that are slightly falling over. Because that's, you know, that's just to be expected, right? You're using toothpicks and marshmallows. So like, not exactly
1:24:45
the firmness of building structure. But like,
Brandon 1:24:50
you know, and there's only so many ways you can combine those ingredients because they're only two ingredients and the most efficient way is to make a block right and Some of them are more successful than others than making the block section. But God, that big giant hexagonal tower was like, whoa. I love it. It was great, man, it was the best Oh, well, I'm interested to see how those turn out this year. And what
1:25:27
Phil will do. It sounds really fun.
Brandon 1:25:31
So I'm looking forward to it. See how it goes. There's, we're in the stage where they're doubting that it's possible, right? I only I only require it to be 30 centimeters tall. Right, which is really not very tall. It's like a foot, like a foot tall. Right? Some of them are like, it's it can't be done. They're looking at what they got done, because we build it over the course of two days, right? Yeah, just for time constraints for designing and prepping and all that stuff. And they're like, they're like, it's impossible. I can't do it. Like this. Undo. Yeah, like I can't do it. I'm at 12. I'm only 12 centimeters. I can't get any taller. It's not possible. Like. Yeah, that's what we have to have these conversations like, Are you sure? Yeah. Yeah. Hmm. I think we can go. Yeah.
1:26:24
Here's some thoughts.
Brandon 1:26:26
Yeah, well, that's one of the things of, of going okay. Of, of taking some somebody a student, and part of that process is, is going kind of like, okay, you've reached your, your theoretical limit of your understanding of what's going to happen now. And it's amazing how it's just like a little push or a little encouragement. How quickly they expand beyond that. We Yeah, and that's the that's the whole part of like, the engineering process, right? Yeah. The getting somebody to look at something and be like,
1:26:58
Huh, what's wrong with this? Uh huh.
Brandon 1:27:03
Right. That's basically it. Right? That's for your, your engineering, problem solving sort of skill, it's being able to look at a thing and then be like, What can I do different about this thing? Right. And that's really, really hard for a lot of people. They don't like it. No, right. Especially kids in elementary school are like, you know, it's still like, they still get really stuck into I have to do things this way. Yeah. Right. And sometimes that's the student and sometimes that's other teachers I've had in the past, right? If, like, there's a way to do this, only, and I just want to find the way. I want to find how I do it. And I just want to know the one way that this works. And then they get mad at me, because I'm like, I'm not gonna tell you anything. I say, I'm gonna put a pile of toothpicks in front of you. You'd say make me a building go? Yeah. Like, what? Can we look up stuff? No, no,
1:28:04
no. Can I get no? Can I use? No.
Brandon 1:28:08
This is all you Yeah, this is all you get? Yeah, that's how do I get extra marks? But no, oh, I counted these out for you. This is how many get
1:28:21
this bag?
Brandon 1:28:22
That is it? Well, in part in that to have of adding that layer of the constraints. Again, continuing to stretch that what's possible, or they really hate it. Sometimes. It's really great like, cuz I am super on some of them. I'm super stingy with like the tape I'm gonna give you Oh, and other projects we do. I'm like, you get this much tape. And I measure it out on my meter stick. And I give it to them. Like this is it? That's all you get to use it wisely. And then there's always somebody like, can I get just a little more? Nope. Sorry. You cannot. Like Well, I broke this and I can't let well shouldn't have done it. Where we are witness right. Yeah. Like maybe when I said to do this, you should have listened to that because now I can't give you a just so I am it's fine. Very good. That. That's exciting. And to hear more about that. Yes. It's always been fun. So I'm looking forward to that. It doesn't make the day's really long though. Because the morning is me watching them build stuff. And then the afternoon today was me watching They make stuff so I was like not very active day. Just sort of wandering around looking good naked okay now okay. Okay no okay well
1:30:14
head nod yes well,
Brandon 1:30:24
that sounds good okay. All right well see you soon Lee bands
1:30:31
you