This is Episode 13 of the Ask DadLabs podcast. It was recorded on May 27 2021. It's simple you ask questions and dads answer. When we need actual answers, we find the experts. Today on our panel are the two guys that you're used to hearing all the time. We have Nick from Louisville, Kentucky. He has two kids ages 6 and 13. And we have Clay. He has three kids. One's in high school, one's in college, and one is in the Coast Guard. And I'm Ben, I'm in the Detroit River on an island called Grosse Ile, Michigan, just south of Detroit. My boys are 11 and 13. Let's get to the show. Nick. I'm getting signs made. So this I guess we'll start with an announcement because next weekend is IslandFest on my little island in the Detroit River. And I'm going to be setting up a tent. And if you come by IslandFest for the IslandFest Parade, June 5 at 10am, ou can record your question to Ask DadLabs. So if you're in New Zealand and you want to fly into Detroit, come in and ask your question. And setting that up. I had to do some sign stuff and I was looking up different fonts. And I learned something. Do you know what font they use for the letter noodles? In alphabet soup?
No.
It's Times New Ramen. Wow.
There's really no better humor than font humor.
Especially talking to a graphic designer. Wow.
In recovery.
Yo, right. feel somewhat infantilized by that too?
Well,
don't don't don't think I made it worse.
Don't Don't pile on on that.
All right, well, so how is life in Austin, Texas. Life in Austin, Texas is pretty good. I'll say this. My company, which has a pretty progressive kind of mindset about mental health, you know, was celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month by giving everyone a mental health day off this month. And I had my mental health day today. And I feel like I made the most of it. I crushed my mental health day. All right. I you know, went for a run in a neighborhood I don't usually run in it's beautiful. I went by the local bakery and had a fresh squeezed orange juice and some coffee cake and bought a sourdough love to bring home came back, invited my wife to a lovely lunch at a at a kind of trendy Austin outdoor cafe and went and and did that. And as we were coming back, my wife is like, Well, you know what, you really got it. You ought to go get a facial, oh, boy, and promote but I thought things were amazing. kind of exciting. I don't know. But she was actually inviting me to go to a spa. And she said, You know what the local place is struggling a little bit. They don't have anybody. Right now there are a whole lot of clients. I bet you could get in. And I was like, well, I had a glass of wine. It was all the plates up. I said, Hey, I'm clay. I want I want to come in for a facial guys. Women have been hiding this from us. This is a thing that you need. Do you sit there and all they do is like rub like lotion on your face. And there's five religions and they give you a little rub on your head will shoulder massage. It's like an hour of people just like petting you. Stuff that smells good. And I've always felt like oh, well the ultimate and self care is to go get a massage where some dude takes his thumb and sticks it into my hamstring and time one a week. When I'm screaming in pain like I never understood massage. I finally quit doing it. The reason we're doing guys is going to get a facial. This is this is code for someone petting you with good smelling goop That's all it is. That was that was that was today. Although that made up slightly for how I started the week was which was with a colonoscopy guys. So it's basically the Alpha and Omega of spa experiences. Someone petting your face someone putting a garden hose up your ass. Here's the thing about colonoscopy, you got to do it right. You got you have to go. It's it's not super pleasant. Really the kind of procedure itself, you don't know because they knock you out. It's like one cocktail to cocktail and you're out. The crap is horrendous. You know you you're not supposed to do anything but liquid diet for a day before they give you this kind of yucky tasting stuff that makes up your butt. It's you know, ultimately, you have to do it. You have to do it. I'm 54 I've been putting it off. So am I the whole hour? I might be Oh,
good night, everybody. Yeah.
It might not need to last an hour people might just be dropping off right now. So, yeah, my face. My butt. Okay, so let me say this. This is all I'll say is that I did a popular colon cancer screening test, which is about as unpleasant as a colonoscopy in and of itself, because I was afraid of the procedure. So I said, Doctor, can I please do this test instead of getting a colonoscopy and he said, okay, and you've all seen the ads for this company. And I did the test, which is gross. And they called me up and they said, Oh, we need to talk to you. And they said your test is positive. So I tested positive and freaked out and call my doc and they and and the doctor said, Okay, you've got to go in for a colonoscopy. I got the colonoscopy. Everything's fine. So the story there is, you may actually just get the colonoscopy. I know. I know. Those ads are super cute. The test is actually super gross. And you're better off just getting a colonoscopy and understanding what's really going on in your life. And that's the end of my PSA. Those doctors don't get paid enough. That's all like, they made me a million dollars a year and they still don't get paid enough. I guy, he's the happiest dude, like, I don't understand, like my guy. I'm like, Doctor, he's the happiest guy. He's so nice. And all he does is snake guys bottles all day long. Like they get a butthole factory. Like you go into this place. It's like a machine you're in and out there. That guy is sticking so many tubes of so many assets. And he's just, he's happy as a clam. You walk in there. He's just like, God, I love my life. I take this tube, I put it up guys butts all day long. And I'm just I live in the dream. And he believes it. I was like, okay, Doc, here's mine. All right. All right. So wait, what do you got?
tip your waitresses don't make the great stuff. Yeah, I can't follow that. Oh, my God, dude. My kids are not in school now. So I don't have to fight with them about that shit. My doctor was very happy. I went to see my surgeon and for the last time for my shoulder and all is good. He's super happy. I'm super happy with it last day of pts tomorrow. I'm not at 100% I still got to do shit at home. Keep it going. I'm really happy and I'm working on it. And I'll get there. I'm probably like 85 90% I'm pretty happy. Play think fest is coming up a couple of weeks. Three weeks, I think. Can't wait for that gonna be a blast. And yeah, I just got a new permanent doctor. And she did mention that I need to do the colonoscopy because I'm at that age where I need to do that. But she did not sound that enthusiastic about it. It was man clay. I don't you got to go do it. You got to do it. I know. I gotta do it. I don't want
the prep is terrible. The actual procedure is not a thing. It's it's just, it's just a bit of an ordeal.
Maybe I need to fly to Austin and see your guy cuz. Oh,
he's a cat masl he's just happy. Nothing makes him happier. In the brown. He's just like, Hey, I'm just putting my periscope up your boobs here. giggling all the way to the bank.
Oh my god. I can't wait to see what Ben pulls out for the title of this episode. You have heard the title of this episode in the last five minutes. So
many options. I don't know though. I don't know though. Our second segments gonna have Can I have some fun stuff? Okay, so, you've got you've got the pool open.
I got the pool pretty much prepped. I got to do vacuuming and chemicals tomorrow, and it'll be open. But it's now it's going to be 70s for a few days, and so it's going to be freezing gold. We saved a lot of tadpoles. out of it. We have them in a little tadpole pond. Little bitty container outside. So we have the potential for hundreds of frogs. I was like, What are you going to do if they all survive? And you have a shit ton of frogs in the yard? Dinner? I don't know, birds a week? Well, I guess I don't know. True. But the girl loved saving them and she cried about some of them because they finally said, Alright, these are the last few and some of them would run away from the swim away from the the net. And so I'm like, Alright, guys, you're choosing death. You're gonna die tomorrow. And so she was sad when she went to bed because there were just so many that weren't gonna make it. Okay, they chose we tried to save them. So she was mad at me for
all the poly logs. So you start singing some of the Lion King songs at that point,
we saved hundreds. I mean, literally, we saved hundreds of tadpoles. Anyway, things are good. I'm prepping for the 50th birthday party on Sunday. A cat's already out of the bag, baby. Love you. I know you're listening. Happy birthday.
Yes. Happy birthday, Alice.
Alice till after. This won't be ready until after her birthday. Haven't friends come down from Indianapolis and hang out and play your games? And
don't be surprised when Nick jumps out of the cake. Okay. That's all that's all we care about. Nobody
wants to see. Well, I have been outside a lot the last few days. Last week, and I've got my base burn on my arms. My arms are gonna look really good. My head's gonna be all right. And everything else is fish belly. Wait. Nobody wants to see that. So what do you got going on? Ben? What's going on Ben? Oh, man.
It is it is craziness here on the island. So So I mentioned the island fast. That's coming up next weekend. I've talked about the bridge. So we've got one bridge that connects us it's a toll bridge. And one of the big things about Island fest is that they have a big big Carnival area and a ride operator brings in all their rides and they do Ferris wheel and they do all the spinny rides and the kiddie rides and and all that all of those rides way too much and are too big to cross the toll bridge. And so the the organizer of that event, a guy did a podcast I did an episode with just few weeks ago had to scramble. And so now it's going to be bounce houses. So they've got like a balance Carnival going because they don't waste so much. And so trying to do that. But there's a big parade that happens so so I'm setting up a tent for for the podcasts at the end of that parade. And our church, which I'm the president of is setting up a tent so that will be right next door to each other and we'll be at our dentists out in front of his office passing out candy in front of the dentist. So we're getting getting all set for that and then the week after that I'm starting a farmers market at my church when we've moved over I think I talked about Duncan selling bread at the farmers market in the past he's done it for years this will be fifth and I was hoping he wouldn't actually follow through and want to do Brett again this year but he does and so I'm gonna help help him get that started and then I'm organizing moving this from one from another location into our into our church parking lot. And so all that and we're bringing on a couple new people to be some seminarians are going to take over our role as pastor at church and so I'm trying to bring them in and there's a whole bunch of kerfluffle related to that that that I'm dealing with. And it is it is I'm talking about church so I can't use the word I want to use which is shit show but there it is. Well, you know that seems to be the theme that's the theme of our episode are fire lighting. This is our shit Show episode. So yeah, apparently we started off we started out
we didn't start out anyway that was all well done. Glad working blue, blue. After our
well our second our second segment is a rapid fire round so I asked on Facebook questions for for dads and we're just gonna hit some real quick some of these were supposed to be rapid fire but but they've got some Some long questions, so we'll probably save some of these for other episodes. But let's go with from Jennifer, what fictional dad do you most identify with? actual dad that I identify with? One of the things is, is that there haven't been a whole ton of like really great. Yeah, ads, you know, over the over the years in terms of like popular culture. So I'm trying to think I mean, you know, you might have to go with To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch, that's a pretty fantastic dad role model. I don't know Nick, what do you think?
I you know, this is not a rapid fire question. Think about that. I don't really know. I
mean, I saw I had the opportunity to watch To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway before the before the pandemic hit. And, and so that's definitely for me, Atticus Finch, you know, someone who's trying to stand up, say the right thing. teach the kids you know, have some courage when there's a lot of folks around you, you know, that's a that's a I think that's a that's a pretty easy American model. But I think for a lot of us that are kind of have a progressive mindset. That's he's like the Uber dad, right. Like the model of Pop, pop literature. Yeah, Dad archetype.
You know, I am sure that there are Homer Simpson. I do not have my shit together. There is so many times I do not know what's going on. And I totally got the hair going. But no I
that's Homer Simpson, and Atticus Finch, the Yang and Yang of American fatherhood. I like it. So the one that's that's coming up in my mind right now is is actually Jed Bartlet.
Ah, yeah. Right. From right wing.
Yeah. Because the the way that the way that character is in the West Wing is so much like America's dad, right? Yeah.
And he, and the way he he interacted with his children and with his wife. We quote, The West Wing weekly, something from the West Wing every week. And how long has that show been off here? I mean, that we, yes. Jed Bartlet isn't To be fair,
no show is off the air anymore. Friends
not making new episodes.
All right. So far actually didn't they? Didn't make a big no
they for they made it theirs was a little weird. It was it was a PSA was basically a reading a live reading of a script. And I think it may have even been a previous script from I didn't see it. But it wasn't really a new episode. It wasn't a whole episode. It was a reading table reading basically, from what I remember seeing written about it was almost like a play table reading. Like, you know, it wasn't everybody sitting around doing a table reading. It was these characters come in, do a table read, you know, do their part. The next, you know, seeing changes and next people come in. So again, I didn't see it. I should I need to go. I need to find it. seek it out. But know that Jed Bartlet is an excellent depth. I agree wholeheartedly right
from Ray, take it easy, or to the limit
to the limit. I say that and what am I doing? I'm taking it.
Take it easy.
We're old.
One more time. All right. And which one is your favorite kid and why
are you I? I will I will answer.
I didn't ask the question that comes from keep
I'll answer this question. And it's not a favorite kid favorite person. But the boy my first made me a father. And that transformation from single dude to married dude, to husband to dad was so astronomical that he did that. He made me a father. And the girl made me a dad of a girl. Oh my god. But he got that transformation for me. He created that and so that he will always be the one that made me that some of the things that the girl you know, because she's a girl is just you know, so different but The first time she walked, I have experienced the first time a child walk, alright. And it takes nothing away from her. It really doesn't. It doesn't take any love for her away. But I was prepared for a lot of the things that came along with the second child, I was so unprepared for everything, no matter how many DVDs I watched, how many forums I participated in on DadLabs. The boy made me that that transformation. And I think your first is just, it's always going to be that. And people who say odd, or lie, they say they don't have a favorite kid. But in general, it fluctuates from day to day.
Pass on this one. Now, I think I have an answer for this. So my kids all believe that there is a favorite. And they believe that it's my oldest son. Because in a way, what he's what he's chosen as his path is so culturally, widely appreciate that he's in the military that he's decided to do this thing. In the Coast Guard. It's very exciting. It's very interesting to everybody. It's very interesting to the grandparents. It's very interesting. And so it is a big choice. That is that, that brings incredible pride to the family. And it is a it is a huge sacrifice. It's a big thing, you know, in our family. And so I think it's very easy for the other kids to go, Oh, well, clearly, Wilson's the favorite, because he's off doing doing this big thing is a is a is a hard thing as a parent to kind of deal with because that's true. I am incredibly proud of his sacrifice. I'm incredibly proud of what he's doing for his country. At the same time, I think one of the proudest moments of our family was when my daughter came out to us. And we said, how about that math test tomorrow? Right? Because that was that was more important to my, I'm so proud of her. And my youngest son, who, who is the most honest person, and it's just, it's just beautifully pure in the things that he pursues in the passions that he has. So no, I can't. Although it's a it's a funny, it's like a funny joke. That's sometimes kind of half serious on our family, that everybody thinks that there's a favorite. But, you know, I think I can pretty honestly say, every, every day, you know, one of these kids does something that, you know, I'm so proud of that they're the favorite today. Oh, I'm sorry, guys, you realize these are rapid fire questions. The correct answer is caption kid. And definitely kid, I wrapped my rapid fire questions like 10 minutes long.
All right. So you need much more much and questions with much shorter answers.
It's not the questions problem. Anyway, so. Okay, so So find ways to find a way we just got smoked by the way we just got smoked in a way to spend five minutes answering sandals
socks or not. No, never their sandals. No socks,
guys. I have sweaty feet. So by the way, this question comes from Ray This is another great question. And john Crosby again own Indiana says only went out with the kids. I think that's the perfect game.
That's that's that's fair enough. But I I couldn't handle it. I i would i couldn't look at my I
couldn't I think it depends on the I also think it depends on on the sandals. I would not be able to wear sandals with socks if there's something between the toes.
Oh, no, of course not. Right. Those are those aren't sandals or flip flops.
Some sandals have?
Okay, then those are messed up. You shouldn't be wearing those anyway. And fashion girl
shoes. Well, as long as we're on there. This this person I I seem to know named Deborah. She asked cargo shorts, yes or no i don't i don't understand this. No,
I can't believe she asked that question. I am. I'm borderline offended that she'd been asked that question. cargo shorts.
Ever, I would say only I've gone to court. cargo pants. And I'll say this because I feel like once you get over 50, people don't need to see your knees. It's just not dignified, you know. And so I've gone to largely, I've gotten to a complete uniform. I'm happy to talk about this with you youngsters some time. involved. I have a certain brand of T shirt. I have a certain brand of pant. That is somewhat of a cargo pant. I have a certain brand of underpants. I'm not going to talk about that right now. I have a certain brand of socks, and I have a certain brand of shoes. And this uniform is basically what I wear every single day. It is a result of 40 years of buying clothes for myself. I have I have reached what I believe to be the most efficient and ultimate expression of comfort and effectiveness. You want to know. I'll tell you cargo pants. Yes. cargo shorts. No one needs to see my knees.
Well, I still work cargo shorts because I do still skate and wearing knee pads over pants shocks. So yeah, like that when
we do cargo shorts. And I'll tell you, I'm leading a group in the parade. Not this one coming up, but the one in the fall for for Halloween. And it will be the garage guys of grow seal and we're going to carry leaf blowers and clean up after everybody in the parade just like dads do. And the uniform is cargo shorts and new balance and
New Balance shoes. Yeah,
maybe, maybe we're Brooks I've been wearing Brooks lately,
but I haven't I haven't worn New Balance. But I will say at my dad's 70th birthday party at a restaurant to three years ago, I had finally gotten a pair of rock ports. And they're they're a little more expensive shoes. And my ex father in law had always worn rock ports. He's like, oh, man, you need to get records, you know. And he was telling me this when I was in college rock ports are super comfortable. And they're durable and all this. So here I am, you know, 20 years later, and I get a pair of rock ports. I'm like, Damn, these are nice. So I go to my father's 70th birthday party. And I walk in, and his younger brother who's a year younger than him. So Hey, nice shoes, and I looked down the 69 year old motherfuckers wearing the same exact same shoe. And I was like, man, but rock ports. I like rock boards, but I have I have lots of shoes. I can guys
ever need anybody's listening. I can solve this problem. I can solve your issues of what you need to wear everyday for the rest of your life
comfort.
Here it goes. sacks, underwear, cool pants, all birds, t shirts. All birds shoes. Wow, you're done. You're done. You're comfortable. You're sustainable. You're breathable, and you're done five of each of those. And you empty your drawers. You're finished. Guys. I've been I've been struggling to get to this level of knowledge my whole life. I'm telling you, that's all you need. Go buy that shit. Wear it every day. And just stop. Alright, well, well. So we'll we'll end our not so rapid fire segment. With with one more from Jennifer arable it does. So stop for directions or keep on driving. That depends.
If I'm with the entire family. I'm asking directions because children in the car needs to be as short as time as possible. Keep driving, people are crazy. If I'm if I'm by myself, I'm going to keep driving.
Well, I'll tell you 21st century tech dead? The answer is research the hell out of the place using Google Maps and ways and all the different things so that you have absolutely my new details of every single blade of grass around the place you're going so that you recognize it from any direction if you come up from it from underground because you've you've suddenly become a mold person. You know exactly where you are. And you can get there they're finding out that that sharks can locate themselves by magnet by magnetic fields. That's that's what dads are about.
You know, I will say that Yeah, I used I used to be the dad. Geico commercial. If you print it off directions to get here, you're in the right place. Always Don't leave me. I would do that every time. You guys remember old school triptychs from AAA your those and you get the little flip map. There's Okay good. You didn't stop
at the hotel they wanted you to stop at
Oh my gosh. So I To do all of that stuff, but I'm just saying, in general, those questions if everybody's with me, and I really don't know what I'm doing, where I'm going, and I don't have a phone available to do Google Maps or ways or any of those, I'm asking, I'm not putting up with the entire family in the car. While I'm freaking out, not knowing where I'm going. I'm getting that information as quickly as possible. And if that means stopping and asking directions, I'm stopping in that direction. I'm by myself, I'll find it.
And that has been really slow answers. With Dad. All right, so so finish off this episode, summer plans, I think I think clay is going to be spending a lot of time with us. But Dr. No, man, he's busy. He's busy. He's got so many buttholes that he is. I mean, that guy's hidden 1015 bottles a day, guys. He doesn't have time to hang out with me, man. He's got a factory and they bring those bottles in and he's soaking up. Now. He I'm not hanging out with him. Although he's a totally happy, great guy. That's not my separate. And apparently a sponsor. If you want information about my guy, he's awesome. He doesn't have time right for you, right? No, no, no, I'm not. I'm not hanging out with him. I'm here. I have done my my business with him. And, and I've got no regret. I've got all the receipts this summer is I've got a kid that's, you know, about to be a senior in high school, who has aspirations to play sports, the college level. And there's a whole madness that's involved in that. So starting the middle of June until the first week of August, I am, you know, up and down the East Coast with him going to showcases and tournaments and going to colleges, and trying to find just the perfect, perfect spot for him to play Division Three, college lacrosse, and I couldn't be happier about it. I'm nerding out. I'm making plans. It's like you're talking about the triptychs. Dude, I am all about, like, making the hotel reservations. And, you know, Middletown, Connecticut, and Richmond, Virginia. And I can't I can't wait for it. Because, you know, ultimately, what the kid doesn't know is that this is the last time that I get to spend a huge amount of time with him. And you know, he doesn't know it. So what he thinks we're doing is doing this really important work to get him into college lacrosse. But what really undoing is, is spending days and days on the road with my youngest son, just before he becomes a senior in high school and graduates, and I can't wait. And I'm just planning all, you know, every moment and all of it and can't wait. I mean, I think there's a lot of people that would think that's a crazy way to spend your summer. But I can't wait because I get to be with him. And he's an awesome guy. When it sounds like this was a perfect summer for that sounds like your career is that just the right spot where you can take some time to be on the road for this, I negotiate with my employer, I said, Look, I'm gonna stay on with the company for a little while longer. But you need to understand that I have to do this thing this summer. And my employer, you know, they're, they're great. It's a, you know, big European multinational that really values time off. And you know, they're not uptight about vacation, and they said, Great, you take the time that you need to take. And I am incredibly grateful for that opportunity. There, Derek and a bunch of people and so yeah, so that so it is it is it is absolutely a huge privilege to be able to get to take the time to do it.
And he's already experienced the, in the car. phone calls. Now one word on a label. So he came out getting some video phones.
Yeah, I worried that if he hears any more about what corporate America is, like, you know, over the course of the summer, he's it could really divert him into some interesting professional.
Well, we don't have any major plans this summer. For me personally, is getting laser creations by Nick trimmer off and running at to a level that it allows me to stay home and not have a day job, that for that to be my day job. So that's my focus and stay on that so that the kids Don't have to go to camps will probably try to still send them to a couple of camps, just so they get some interaction with other children during summer. But this summer is, is staying at home plugging away at this thing. And next summer we want to go to Disney. I want to build a mini ramp into new car. So nothing nothing major for us really this year. It's going to be kind of a all oval all the time about you then what do you got going on,
you know, I got the phone call the other day, and I'm back to the village two days a week now. So Greenfield Village, I've been at the Webster home from New Haven, Connecticut moved, moved to Dearborn in 19. In the mid 1930s, where no Webster finished the you know, just the dictionary. On Mondays, I'm going to be in the last surviving courthouse that Abraham Lincoln practice line as a circuit lawyer back in the in the 1840s. So an 1850s. So I'm pretty excited that I get to do that the museum's coming back, we're changing the way the place operates, this place has been there for 91 years. And for it to change how it runs itself is amazing. That doesn't happen easily. You know, people people in that business and the guests the the members, members of our of the museum are very resistant to change in general. That's sort of what history lends itself to. And so the operational changes that we're making to come back from the pandemic, I think are very exciting for everybody. So I'm excited about that. I'm excited that we're going to do a fireworks program, where people can stroll in normally, it's a big concert with the Detroit Symphony, it's gonna still be with the Detroit Symphony, but people are going to be the musicians are going to be spread out. And they're going to be vignettes, and it's going to be really neat change of what we normally do. And so I'm excited about that. I'm excited to be part of that, that program. The boys are getting signed up for rowing, they have three sessions of camp. And we're going to sign up for the first the first session, and that'll be two weeks. And then there's a week off and then the next session starts. And then a week off, and then the next session starts. So it's possible that we will do six weeks of rowing over the summer starting almost right as soon as School's out. And that's exciting. I think the kids will i think i think it'll be a good a good outlet for them. Excited.
So that no, my wife was a she was a college rower she rode for Holy Cross.
Wow. Yeah. So we'll see what we'll see what happens with that. I think it's really exciting. I think our rowing team the girls won their first world state championship for for, for the whatever they call the four seat crew and for a school our size. That's that's pretty important. And like like they said, that's the theme of crew this year for our school has been that this would have been an easy year to give up, that they were not able to train for most of the most of the winter. Normally they they'd be able to go to the gym and train. And they weren't able to do that. So for them to all come back and compete was a big deal. So it's it's looking good the the pool, we were supposed to have guys here this week to finish it. And that didn't happen. But once we get that done, I think our perspective on life changes within our house, the puppy, we can finally get her into the water swimming, and hopefully that'll burn off some of that puppy energy that driving us nuts right now. So yeah, it's gonna be a great summer, I wouldn't have thought, even three weeks ago that the pandemic would be so close to the end. I mean, I think we can see it at this point.
Yeah, we're out. So I feel like I'm almost at a point where me daily, I can kind of ignore it to the level of, yeah, if I go into a store, I'm still gonna mask up, I go out in public, I'm still gonna mask up. But my fear of it directly affecting my household has dropped dramatically. Now that the kids aren't going to school at all. The boys have vaccinated and we are fully vaccinated. And from what I understand, we're probably week just weeks away from the younger kids being able to get vaccinated to so I do that I do. I do have play thing coming up for this summer. You do so and that's gonna be a good escape.
It's really interesting to me. I think that what I feel like we were all thinking a month ago, or six weeks ago or two months ago, was that this is going to be over. And then what's going to happen? Is this like roaring 20s where We're all like, exploding like out of a shotgun into the world in a way, that's just a constant celebration of, you know, normal things that we used to take for granted. And I think, you know, what's what's been interesting to me, as we get closer and closer to this moment, where we really are able to resume is a bit of cautiousness, or a moment of reflection, where a lot of people are saying, Wow, we made to the end of this, and they're taking a breath, and they're, and they're trying to kind of sum up the costs. And there's kind of an interesting, I don't know, reflectiveness in the air right now. And, you know, I think a lot of people that are young people that have been through this are, you know, making choices, and they're like, you know, what, I'm not sure I want to work the corporate jabber, I'm not sure I want to, I think a lot of people are doing a lot of, interestingly, before we launch out of the Canon into the roaring 20s. I feel like there's a lot of reflection going on right now about what were the costs? And what did we learn? And what do we want to carry forward? And what are we mourning about our lives in the last year and a half? It's going on just right now,
and what we don't want that, you know, some of us got comfortable being at home, some of us became feral. So, yeah, it's, it's, it's gonna be interesting. The next year is going to be interesting as things turn back to not normal, because things have changed, done different now. But as things start to function, in this new world, it's gonna be it's gonna be a blast to see what what the kids do with it. Because I'm, I'm not doing we're old people. We're setting our ways. Yep.
I think, you know, if we talk about corporate stuff, I think a lot of a lot of the older folks have stepped out of places that were talking about, you know, being in the auto industry, there's, there's a tendency among the auto industry for, for people to wait to retire until there's a bonus until they they increase the retirement benefits, and all that. And then you see this big wave of people leave the auto industry. And you know, that sometimes that'll take people down into their lower 50s, you know, like 5253. And they'll take an early retirement, but people wait for that early retirement offer, even when they should have retired already. And I think we've seen that across the world, or at least across the United States, where people who didn't need to be working necessarily have stepped out of their jobs saying enough of this, they've had a year off, and they don't want to go back. And so we're seeing a lot of that stuff. And so, you know, we're seeing a lot of employment problems. Clay, a friend of mine had to close a restaurant down in your area, actually, too. So his pizza place in Austin had to close just because he couldn't staff it, and he wasn't going to renew his lease anyway. So he said, screw it. We'll, we'll just close a couple months early, because I don't want to hire staff at you know, it wasn't he pays really, really well. You know, it's a so it's, it's not, it's not the pay thing, it's that he doesn't want to hire staff, give them these expectations that he's gonna pay him for, you know, 30 $40 an hour, and then close the shop on them all of a sudden, but so he decided to close that down early and probably won't be back in Austin for a while. Because hiring is just so tough, and it's tough everywhere.
I will learn to make pizza for $40. Now,
this guy is incredible. I don't know that you would be able to do that. But for 40 bucks an hour.
I'll I'll figure it out. For real.
It's really good pizza,
I imagine. Yeah. All right, guys. Good night. All. Thanks for listening. Appreciate it. I'll see you next week.
See you next week. Thanks to the nickels and Dawson families for sharing their dads with us. And also big thanks to all the gastroenterologist out there. Thank you for all the hard work you do. Ask bad Labs is produced and edited by me Ben Folds and fote Media productions LLC. Like follow subscribe and share across the social media landscape, wherever you find DadLabs Talk to you next time.
