This is Episode Five of the Ask Dad Labs podcast recorded on April 1 2021. It's simple. You ask questions and dads answered. When we need actual answers, we find the experts. Today we have clay from Austin, Texas. He has three kids, one in high school, one in college and one in the Coast Guard. And we have Nick from Louisville, Kentucky. He has two kids age six and 13. And I'm Ben, and I'm in the Detroit River, just south of Detroit, Michigan. And my boys are 11 and 12. Let's get to the show.
So, you know, once again, our town has this big festival and we have this this weird competition. It's called the hat, tightest hat competition. And, and this year, I'm really just hoping that I can pull it off.
Are your friends.
And so
we're here because we love you.
And you think it's important to talk to you about these jokes.
I mean, there are dead jokes. And there are bad dad jokes.
And neither of those are what we are experiencing.
So where are you guys at on the COVID vaccine. I know for us we've registered the the county is vaccinating everybody at Ford field where the the Tigers normally lose football games or not the Tigers the lions normally lose their football. But but so you know, they they do say that they're organized like like a military vaccination line. So they get you in they they get you stuck and you move. But the the getting signed up for it is you're just not sure when it's gonna happen. And that's another that's 45 minutes away from me. So it's, it's probably a two three hour commitment for me to go do that. So I'm just waiting for that text to come back around that says it's time. But how's everybody else doing with us?
I am half huggable, my get my second shot on Monday. So 10 days after that I will be huggable I got on a waiting list. I'm not even eligible yet. But the university has a waiting list for what they call, no call no shows. So basically, so that a vaccine dose does not go to waste. If you're on this list, they will call you. And then you have 30 to 40 minutes to get down there to get your first dose and then they go ahead and schedule you for the next dose I had on that list and thinking I'll just get on it. They're never going to call me before I'm eligible and I get it through whatever else. Three days later, they called me I was like, Oh yeah, I'll be down there in 10 minutes. I'm not far and that was awesome. I was not expecting that at all. It was all drive thru, fill out a form. Get stuck, sit there for 10 minutes to make sure you're not having any crazy reactions came home. No big deal. My wife has gotten her first dose through her job. She works for the water company in the city. And she got COVID arm, which is where you get this weird red patch on your arm like 10 days after you you get the shot. It's no reaction or anything like that. Until this just shows up. And it It kind of looks like a rash. But it's just this red patch of skin. And it's hot. Like it's dramatically different in the temperature between that patch of red and the rest of her arm. It is bizarre and it doesn't hurt her or anything. It's not uncomfortable or anything. It's just this weird little reaction. So she went online and looked in and found out it's really common. But we're both all hers is I think next Friday her second dose and mine is on Monday. I'm looking forward to it to be able I can't wait to go up to Indianapolis. I got some friends up in Indianapolis that have helped me with laser cutting stuff and just give them gigantic hugs. You know, gigantic awkward man hugs.
Yeah, Clay how's vaccination going for you?
Well, pretty well, like on my list of people that I was concerned was my parents, my in laws. My wife, I'm like, in our three kids. And so, you know, the the kind of order of operations was that my mom was the first she's at and you know, her cardiologist actually got her an appointment. And I was worried about my dad. Um, so I had a pastor. I was pestering him in the early days, I was like, dead and I should back up and say the first person in our family they got vaccinated was my son was in the Coast Guard through there because he was going underway, you know, so he was one of the first in the country to get immunized. So He, he got his vaccines. And I was like, check one down. Okay, everybody else here we go. And you know, my mom kind of took care of it through a cardiologist, my father in law, bless his heart. It's a bit of a crusty New Englander. And he was frustrated with how the rollout was going. And so he personally continuously wrote emails to like the head of the local hospital. And I mean, he was writing. He wrote letters of complaint of how things are going. And finally, you know, he gets a phone call. And it's like the president of the hospital system saying, Mr. Kerry, I appreciate the letter. I would like these letters. I would like to invite you and your wife to be part of the pilot program that we're running at the hospital to be among the first 20 people on Cape Cod to be immunized. Please show up at this time. And, you know, Massachusetts early on, they kind of blew it like they were they they really were one of the slowest to roll out. So my father in law handled that. Now. I got to deal with my dad. We had a we had a lacrosse game last night. This is the progress that we've had in in COVID. Here in Texas. It was a cold night. I was probably 4550 degrees, breezy. Great, great dive lacrosse. My mom and dad because they've been immunized came out. Dad is wearing shorts. There's a gap. It's 40. Woody. He's like my legs don't get cold. It's freezing cold. You need to have on pants. My legs aren't cold. My top parts pretty cold right now. My legs are cold. So I was worried a little bit about him. So I really had to kind of hide him. And he is like, wow, yeah, I put myself on a list. Where are you on the list? Well, my friend Larry's got a pharmacy and Marble Falls. And I'm like number five on the list. I was like, Dad, where do you think Larry's pharmacy falls in the hierarchy of places that are getting vaccine. Anyway, so finally he got on board, he got vaccine. So I've got the parents all taken care of Kim, because she's a teacher was able to get vaccines in Texas. So she's now fully vaccinated to both shots.
Texas opened up for 50 year olds. I know I had my first Pfizer vaccine shot had my second one on Monday. And I have to say it kicked my butthole. I mean, I got that second shot and in the afternoon, and woke up at four in the morning with chills and fever. And you know, I don't get sick very often. I was like, What is her and I was I felt pretty bad The next day, Tuesday, I felt fine. It's still worth it, go get your vaccine. So my wife worked hard once they open it up to 16 year old plus. And so I took my youngest son Cooper to get his first vaccine just yesterday. And that's really exciting because man that Pfizer vaccine is shown to be so effective with that, like 100% effective in that adolescent age group, and he's just 16. And the big outlier. The thing that was making me terrified, is a lot of these New England states. My daughter is a college student in Connecticut, a lot of New England states, were saying that college students from out of state we're not going to be eligible for vaccination, that they were only going to vaccinate in state young people. And that made me really frustrated angry, I put up some angry Facebook posts like what kind of craziness is this? It's in your own interest, northeastern states to vaccinate the kids that are resident there and there are lots of colleges there. Yeah, lots of colleges. Well, reverse themselves. They announced this early on, they reverse themselves to say yes, we're going to immunize college kids and I challenged my daughter. I said, Look, she's a she's an athlete. She plays on a field hockey team. As I get the teammates together. You need to get all those girls immunized. And you do it as a group, make it a party. And you guys sit around and hit those sites and hit refresh and do whatever you have to do stamp align whatever, make it again, drink some white claw, you know, and sure enough, it was one of the rare occasions they take my advice that my daughter and her teammates sat around and and you know A beautiful example of kids actually adulting trying to navigate this incredibly weird system that we've developed this thing. She got on the CBS site and faded out and hit refresh. And she got herself an appointment for Easter Sunday.
Well,
I mean, how beautiful is that? Yeah. So Sunday, as of Sunday, my whole worry group, my whole worry group will have at least one shot. There you go. And two weeks from then that whole worry group, we immunized and just a year, a year of having that whole bunch on my mind every day, you know, finally come to some kind of conclusion.
Well, you reminded me my my folks just turned 70 my mom just turned 70 and in February and dead last year, and so they've they've been eligible, but it's been really difficult for them to get the vaccination in the county. They were in there in the county, north of Columbus, Ohio, and Delaware County, and they were having a hard time getting on a list there. But somebody in their condo group they live in a condo association, that's all elderly people. And somebody in the condo group that they play peanut go with, said I just got my vaccination down in Columbus, God,
I mean, in everybody more fulsome than old people playing
Exactly. I bet it was actually. almost too much for some for one. Sorry, I'm pretty sure they were playing strip poker and they just wanted to, they're quiet enough. Anyway, they. So they say that this this woman sheet. So everybody, you can imagine all these people, you know, how'd you get it? How'd you get it? Because they're supposed to stay in their counties? And she said, Well, I'll give you the phone number. And so mom and dad started calling the phone number. And so Mom, I don't think it took more than once. She said they called it. And nobody, they just answered the phone and said something like hello. And Mom said, You know, I hear I can register to get the vaccine. And I said, Yes, let me have your number. And then and then she says, Is there anything else I can do for you? And mom says, Well, my husband, he's with me. He's a year older than me Can Can he get it too? And, and she's like, okay, yeah, I'll write it down. And so they don't know who they called. But they were given a date and a time to show up at the schottenstein Center at Ohio State. And they got in the line in their cars. And I think it was a drive thru things. So you drove your car through, you got the shot, stayed in your car, and, and just waited in your car. But so they did the two shots at schottenstein Center. They weren't supposed to be able to go there. And they still don't know what health organization allowed them to do it. But this is a huge it's a huge arena. And there are all sorts of people getting vaccine, you know, getting vaccinated, they're getting shots there whether or not they're getting vaccinated. You don't know yet well, well, but it's you know, it's a big public thing with the health department's running along with the hospital systems and all this but there are so many organizations involved that they have no idea who they called, you know, it was probably just some lady sitting at a desk who had like a backdoor into the into the the scheduling system or something. But so they got they got scheduled that way. And it's like my parents doing this Here they go from playing Pinnacle with their neighbors, you know, probably drinking drinking Kool Aid or you know, Ginger Ale sasp. Birla, and like market vaccines, even triscuits. Yeah, to to, you know, black market, black market. vaccinations. So, that's it. But of course, this is this is my mother who likes to go around and tell everybody that she got out of prison when she retired. So, because she taught in prison, so nice. So black markets, probably about the right way to get a vaccination for her.
Boy, we're moving in those kind of That's right.
Semi related. We haven't been sick, all you know, for a year. And I chalk that up 100% to the kids have not been to school. The girl started kindergarten in person, two days a week. And she has been three days. And then this week has been spring break. But yeah, she'd been three days. And two days after that third day, she's like, My throat hurts. I guys gradually throw and she felt miserable for I mean, an evening It wasn't long. But it was evening and a little she felt a little bad. The next day, she complained. Little bit. And then the next day, Alice was sick. And then the next day, her brother, kind of like, my throat doesn't feel good. So, three days in person school, one child, everybody got sick, not bad. Again, it was, you know, every for everybody, it was a six to eight hour cold was nothing. But still, I have not missed that, that we haven't had that for a year. And it's amazing how much you realize that that we still have, you know, we have a whole box a day quill?
How do we have a whole box of a quill and a whole bottle of children's Tylenol that we haven't used all year? But do you remember a year ago? Because a year ago, I was playing this game every single day? And I called it allergies or COVID. Right? Right. Because this tree pollen puts me under no matter what, you know, for years, you know, probably since I was 25. and shoot, it was probably affected me in high school, I just didn't realize it. But you know, last year, it like took that game of avoiding pollen and allergens up a notch. Because I was I was doing stuff with the public, I was doing food delivery. And you do not want to look like you're sick, which when you have allergies, you just look like you're sick, your eyes swell up, you get, you know, you do not want to look like that when you're trying to make money delivering food. And, and so I was doing my best. But that was always in the back of my mind. And I think half of the stress of my life at that time was Did I get it? You know, Did I get it? Am I gonna bring it home? Or are these the allergies that I've had this whole time, because we're still in that stupid meth state where you can't buy decent allergy drugs to make that go away. And it got even worse when you couldn't see when you couldn't see a doctor for a prescription. And so so I'm just so glad we're beyond that state now, that very soon we're going to be able to go back and do that. Maybe I doubt we don't have math. I doubt that we've gotten rid of math in this last year. God, let's hope so. But you know, it's a, I don't want I don't ever want to experience that fearful that my allergies are actually something much worse that can kill my family.
Yep. I can't imagine if we never had that, you know, an episode where like, Oh, crap, do I have it? Oh, crap. I mean, I worried about it every time I would go out. I mean, I always messed up and everything and had the hand sanitizer in the car and all that stuff. But every time I went out like the next day, I'm like, am I okay? And can I smell that? You know, it's? Yeah, it was, I can't imagine that. I don't have allergies that are very bad. But also, we didn't go out. Even during the summer last year, I think we maybe use the pool 10 times, or I use the pool, maybe 10 times, the kids probably used it five, we just did not go out. And we didn't have you know, their buddies over very often. And, you know, we kind of consider them part of our bubble, but we don't know what's going on at their house. You know, so I was real nervous last year about it. But now since we've made it a year and nobody got sick, and nobody got COVID of their family and us I'm I'm much more you know, hey, you can go over there. You can go in and you can go play games, because we made him go out over there. And like they had to play if they played video games, they had to play on the porch, they would play board games and stuff on the porch. We were just too nervous or I was just too nervous to let them go in the house. And wouldn't let their kids come in our house. Even though we can kind of trust them for the most part. But yeah, we just didn't go outside the house. We stayed in the house.
One of the things that really the this is really just a gift that the COVID year has given me is I can take the earpiece of this these glasses and stick it up my nose into my brain. This pan is to my brain. Any you got any object really I could stick it up my nose and in my brain because I lived in a community where we were required to test twice a week for a year. So there's a testing tent on campus. We had to go up there, you know, I had to go every Tuesday and Friday. And and you could choose whether you want to have the thing shoved up your nose into your brain. And or you could simply have a A swab done of your throat. And of course, 90% of the people which used to do to have their fruit swab in the community, there would be lives of people waiting to get their tests done. And of course, night, I was not part of the 90%. Because here's the thing. When you rub a swab on my throat, I make a shouting, vomiting sound. That's actually, I mean, it could split stones, like I could cause an avalanche with my gag reflex. Like it's the most powerful, guttural sound, I won't, because I've got it. I've got a microphone here close. It's something like that would happen every time they put the thing in my throat. So this was because there's like, students and people in the line, like I cannot do this screen gag every time. So I had and so you know, you'd go and I would sit down, and I would say, throat and I was like, no nose. They're like, Really? Yes. Screen gag guy. And there would be like, Okay, fine. And they would do like a tissue search? Yes. Well, we've had constant surveillance, we never I never had to have that moment where I didn't know.
And now you have a better party trick, you know, throat swab. No big deal. Some do that.
Yeah, I can now look around with stuff hanging out of my nose, and you
got the party trick.
Nice. You've got your Vegas act ready to go.
And I'm really glad they didn't give you the option of the final swab.
I think everybody's glad of that.
Yeah, cuz this would be a very different story.
That might be they do say it's more reliable.
Well, but I imagine that sound would be very similar. Maybe louder even would be for me.
Well, so
like taking all the conversations and just muck them up tonight. I'm sorry. God, I gotta get out more.
here yet.
I don't know how to be around people. I'm feral. I don't know.
What what could possibly be inappropriate about anal swab?
Because nobody else brought it up.
It's right. To be fair, but you know, we'd start talking about like, the balloons they have at Dollar Tree. And Nick would say, oh, man, I love to go in and pop all those
big gigantic, it's been, it has been determined that Knicks are assholes. That's just, you know, it's like cats. It's, it's well known fact. So, you know,
you work hard for it, though.
I do.
But seriously, I, I gotta look for a job now. You know, by the grace of God, you know, all of our bills are paid and unemployment has come through and, and, and work like it's supposed to, I mean, it's not like I'm taking advantage or gaming the system in any way, shape, or form, my shoulder is getting better. But I got to get a job now. And getting going through the job application process, and the interviews and all of that, after not having done that for 10 years, and they've been at me been at one career job location for 18. Doing that at 48 is fucked up. But then also, when you had a year, of not being in an office, or a shop, or any, you know, being at home with a 13 year old and a six year old, and your wife, and those are the people that you speak to, and the only people you really talk to for any amount of physical interaction for a year, and I had to go be like with other people now and that's, I'm terrified at all that well.
Have you thought about getting a job at maybe a university or school?
Yeah, that'd be great. But they still don't have any events going on yet. So. So let's just solve this real quick. We're gonna put Nick's LinkedIn in the upsell. And so if i Nick a job,
Oh, great. Now I got to get a LinkedIn get off my lawn. Well, that's the problem. I know God, everything is online. And it's really irritating on some of these job applications that are online. Well, but some of these, the these application processes, yeah, you have to go through and you put in all of your history and everything, right? And then they want your resume. No, I just typed in my resume into all of this crap. Either you get this already produced PDF that I don't have to type for you get that? Come on. I didn't fill out one the other day, that was very, very, very straightforward. Four or five things about where you are and what job you're applying for. And, you know, put your cover letters here, you know, you don't even have to do a cover letter, but you tell us here why we should hire you. And give us your PDF. resume. So that was really nice. I haven't heard from them yet. But that was part time. And I really want that one. But you know, like I said, it's just messed up searching for a job when you're 48. If you've had a long career in one position at one location, yeah. And you've had a year of pandemic isolation. It's just insane. Plus, you have to find something that's going to work with the mucked up situation with school with the kids only going two days a week. And they're only going to do that for two months, and then they're going to be on summer break. So Fine. You know, luckily, the wife works from home all but one day, so it's going to be that's all going to be a challenge. So hats off to everyone out there. struggling with this. You're not alone. Just keep plugging away. Don't give up. We'll make it. We'll figure it out.
Well, that is for sure.
Best of luck, Nick. I think there's there's there's good things trying to find you.
I hope so.
Yep. But obviously anybody that needs a designer that does great layouts. I've used him. He hasn't charged me enough.
I'll do it. I charge you plenty of pizza. Good stuff. That I love man. I miss. I miss your pizza truck.
You think that pizza truck? He's right here. Yeah,
yeah, it was good pizza though.
He flew in from freakin Texas. Or pizza.
I know. Well, you know, my my, my my mantra on pizza is any pizza that somebody somebody makes for me is better than pizza make for myself.
Oh, yeah, that that goes for just about any meal. Yep. any food at all on your fries tastes better than mine. You're I'm making pretty good goulash. But that stuff he made for me is good. Yeah, yeah, I
got Nick to eat vegetables. Right? I don't know clay. Where are we doing any of those pizzas? When when you were were there? We did a summer second to ash with with corn and tomatoes and peppers, and good
pizza that my mind was pretty traditional band. But it was so good. I mean, it was I think it was a I think it really was it was a some kind of you know, cured pepperoni style and just the perfect crust. And you know that you know, great you know, fresh mozzarella and right out of the oven and just couldn't be better.
I would have never eaten that pizza if you hadn't made it been if I hadn't felt obligated that you know what been made this cool pizza. I would Dude, I was so surprised that that pizza was so yeah, I couldn't I that I liked it. It was like, there's no way I'll try it. But I'm not gonna like this. Well, Deborah, Deborah was the same way.
My wife was the same way. So the Yeah, I surprised people with some of those but we'll get back to it. Once we get the pool done where we'll put a pizza oven in so not on a trailer. I'm not charging money for it. So.
So what's it What's it like to pick up your son after he's been on tour in the Coast Guard?
Well, you haven't seen him forever.
It's sort of funny, you know, to have an adult military. It is a very different world and you know, car seats and but I I made this I made this commitment that I felt like anytime my son deployed, he should have somebody on the pier waiting for him when he got home. It just seemed like like the right thing to do, and because they they sacrifice a lot and that that underway time is I'm learning is an extraordinary arduous tough time. And and our servicemembers do incredible work on our behalf. So I forget the very least I could do is like somebody should be there. The funny thing is, is like, the 22 year old guy, like his dream of coming into port is not seeing his middle aged dad holding a sign, you know, like you're writing a sign that I always carry it, I embarrass him. And I know that all these shipmates are just like, hey, Wilson, actually, Mr. Nichols, and son Nichols, I think your dad is here, and he'll come out on the, you know, the out on the bridge wing, and he'll see me and he'll be like, Hey, Dad. But it's just a little, it's something that I I committed to doing, seeing a 400 foot Coast Guard Cutter come in, you know, when you sign on the bridge, is something that I highly recommend, I think it's a very moving thing, it is impressive, when your adult kids, you know, start to do these kinds of things. And, you know, ultimately, I'll just say this, that I spend some time with young people that are, you know, 22 and 23 years old, and young officers that that serve in that capacity in our armed services. And these are good, good people. And it will renew your faith in, in in young people, and what patriotism can mean, and the work that they're willing to do and do on our behalf every day. Not necessarily going to war but serving as guardians. And it made me happy and hopeful. And I was glad to buy a beer and listen to their goofy stories, because they're pretty funny and cute, young people.
Yeah, but you know, dude, I'm sure it embarrasses the shit out of him and his his buddies, give him hell for it. But Dude, that's fucking awesome. That is a great commitment from you know, that's something he is going to tell his kids and his grandkids. You know, your grandfather met me. Every time I came home. You know, every time I was out, when I came back to port, he was there with this stupid sign. And I caught hell for it every time but he was there every time. That is fantastic, too. Don't you dare let him guilt you into his embarrassment Do
not wait way too nice. He's too nice a guy. He's too good a kid to to ever, you know, he, he lets me know that some of my Instagram and social posts are a little bit much, but it's fine. But really, it's incredibly gracious. And, you know, it's the things I'm lucky to be able to do it. I'm grateful that it's worked, even in the middle of a pandemic, because we've been lucky to also get immunized. But I don't I don't regret that choice. I feel good about it. And, you know, there are times when you there's stuff that you just decide that you're just gonna do you know, yeah. And I could tell I wouldn't want to embarrass him. But I could tell there was a moment where he was appreciating that there was someone there. Yep. For him that day.
And there will come a time when you will not be able to be there because you are gone and dead. And when he comes back into port again, here, here I go taken into a dark turn. But there will be a time when he comes back to port where somewhere where you have been before and you've been standing there with that damn sign. And that is going to be heartbreaking for him because he is he's going to remember that he's going to have a love that every time now.
I think my command is that someone will be there. It will be me until there's someone that he would like to see better than there are and I have to say there are some beautifully heartwarming moments. And you see you know, a lot of people have seen these on social media where it's the families, but this is much more mundane. This is just like the average patrol. They were gone for 71 straight days a lot you know Wilson's a young single guy, there are a lot of people on that boat that are family folks coming home and their wives and kids, their their parents, their friends are waiting for him there. And I just I wish that every single person on that boat had that experience and I wish you know, it's it's cool to see unfold and I wish it was I wish it was true for every service member.
Yeah, that's an awesome commitment. Keep doing that. Keep embarrassing the hell out of them. I plan on Yeah,
being weird. It's weird. I thought it would be so hard, because I'm so cool. But really, right, right. It's actually comes quite, quite naturally. To be
I don't have to do anything. All I have to do is Yeah, amazing. We just have to be there and we will embarrass
you next time you should show up with 30 babies. That would do
show you my sign you want to
thanks to Nick Dawson and Clay Nichols and their awesome families for sharing them with us today. Ask Dad Labs is produced and edited by me Ben fote, and float media productions LLC. Like follow subscribe and share across the social media landscape. Wherever you find dead laps. Talk to you next time.
