#18 News, Father's Day, and Shaylee Moore

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bubba On the Lake – Episode #18: News, Father's Day, and Shaylee Moore

Release Date: June 19, 2025
Host: Bill "Bubba" Bussey
Guests: Betty Lou Bussey, Dr. Thomas Dudney, Hunter Bussy, Caitlin Bussy, Shaylee Moore

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1. Celebrating Father’s Day with Family Insights

The episode opens with the Bussey family gathered to celebrate Father’s Day, offering listeners an intimate glimpse into their family dynamics and the joys of fatherhood.

Fatherhood Reflections
Hunter Bussy initiates the conversation by expressing pride in his role as a father, highlighting moments where his children excelled in academics and sports.

"[16:55] Hunter Bussy: ...I've seen you excel in your job and what you're doing. I take great pride in that."

Caitlin Bussy shares her appreciation for having both parents present at home, emphasizing the unique upbringing they've had compared to peers.

"[19:25] Caitlin Bussy: ...we are home, so is Mom. Since I've been home, you all are home."

Parenting Styles and Memories
The discussion delves into memorable parenting moments, such as Hunter’s involvement in coaching Caitlin’s tennis matches.

"[36:00] Hunter Bussy: ...we were able to work through that, and you came out and you won the match."

Betty Lou Bussey adds her perspective on the balance between work and family, illustrating how both parents strive to be present despite busy schedules.

2. Addressing Current Events: Military Parades and the 'No Kings' Protest

Transitioning from family discussions, Bubba engages in a timely conversation about recent national events, specifically the military parade and the 'No Kings' protest.

Military Parade Appreciation
Bubba expresses his admiration for military parades, contrasting them with perceptions of military displays in communist countries.

"[22:18] Bubba Bussey: I love parades in general. Any parade, Christmas parade, homecoming parades, parades, celebrating parades. I love parades."

He emphasizes the importance of honoring the U.S. Army and the sacrifices made by service members, advocating for support rather than protest during significant commemorative events.

Critique of the 'No Kings' Protest
Bubba critiques the 'No Kings' protest, suggesting it was a manifestation of "Trump derangement syndrome" rather than a genuine call against monarchy.

"[25:00] Bubba Bussey: ...I don't think you did yourselves any favor with those mainstream, hardworking mom and pops that are in the flyover country."

He discusses the timing of the protest coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, arguing that such actions were disruptive and poorly timed.

3. Special Guest Interview: Shaylee Moore on Lake Magazine and Lake Martin Living

The latter half of the episode features an in-depth interview with Shaylee Moore, the Editor-in-Chief of Lake Magazine and Lake Martin Living. Shaylee provides insights into her career, the evolution of the magazines, and her personal journey.

Shaylee’s Career Path
Shaylee recounts her transition from a professional travel blogger to the editor of the magazines after a serendipitous interview with the retiring editor, Betsy Eyler.

"[53:07] Shaylee Moore: ...I was like, yeah, let me give it a shot. And then here we are a few months later, and it is literally a dream come true."

Personal Story of Resilience
She shares a heartfelt story about her husband's battle with cancer, highlighting their decision to live life to the fullest during his treatment.

"[53:20] Shaylee Moore: ...I asked him, do you want to try and just stay in the lake house? Or if this really is the end, do you want to just go out and live it up? And he looked at me, he said, I want to live larger than life."

Magazine’s Role in the Community
Shaylee elaborates on the dual focus of the magazines: Lake Magazine concentrates on Lake Martin and its vibrant activities, while Lake Martin Living covers the surrounding communities and their unique stories.

"[59:03] Shaylee Moore: ...Lake magazine is focused about Lake Martin and all the really cool things that are happening right here on the water. And then Lake Martin Living covers all the small communities surrounding the lake."

She emphasizes the magazines' commitment to quality content and community engagement, acknowledging the vital role of advertisers in keeping the publications free and accessible.

Community Engagement and Future Plans
Shaylee discusses upcoming themed issues, such as the bridal edition in February and the Fourth of July issue, showcasing the community's personal stories and celebrations.

"[64:30] Shaylee Moore: ...the bridal issue is huge. That comes out in February, and it's always so much fun."

4. Closing Remarks and Future Collaborations

As the episode nears its end, Bubba expresses excitement about future collaborations with Shaylee and anticipates featuring more stories from Lake Magazine and Lake Martin Living. The family shares final thoughts on Father’s Day, church activities, and their continued enjoyment of life on the lake.

Community and Relationships
Bubba underscores the importance of community relationships, both in broadcasting and personal lives, fostering a sense of togetherness among listeners.

Acknowledgments
The episode concludes with warm wishes to listeners, a special birthday shout-out, and reminders about upcoming content.

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Notable Quotes:

• Hunter Bussy on Parenting Pride:

  "[16:55] Hunter Bussy: ...I've seen you excel in your job and what you're doing. I take great pride in that."

• Caitlin Bussy on Unique Upbringing:

  "[19:25] Caitlin Bussy: ...we are home, so is Mom. Since I've been home, you all are home."

• Shaylee Moore on Career Transition:

  "[53:07] Shaylee Moore: ...I was like, yeah, let me give it a shot. And then here we are a few months later, and it is literally a dream come true."

• Bubba Bussey on Military Parades:

  "[22:18] Bubba Bussey: I love parades in general. Any parade, Christmas parade, homecoming parades, parades, celebrating parades. I love parades."

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Conclusion

Episode #18 of Bubba On the Lake offers a rich tapestry of family discussions, reflections on current events, and an inspiring interview with Shaylee Moore. Listeners gain valuable insights into the joys and challenges of fatherhood, the importance of community, and the resilience required to overcome personal hardships. The episode seamlessly blends heartfelt conversations with informative segments, ensuring an engaging experience for both regular listeners and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

This podcast is brought to you in part by Coke, Buffalo Wild Wings, Southern Immediate Care, Guaranteed Labels, Central State Bank Sunrise Docs, bankers Bounty, and Dr. Thomas Dudney. Now back to Bubba on the Lake. Hey, it's Bubba. Hey, Bubba. Bubba on the lake. Bubba.

[Hunter Bussy]

Hey, Bubba.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

Bubba on the lake. Yeah, he gotta come and check this. Talking people, talking places from Bubba's perspective. This is Bubba, Bubba, Bubba, Bubba. Bubba on the lake. Hey, Bubba, Bubba, Bubba.

[Hunter Bussy]

Bubba on the lake.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Let's go.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, hello, hello, hello again, everybody, and welcome. I am your semi retired, mostly washed up host, formerly of the Rick and Bubba show and now your host of Bubba on the Lake, Bill Bubba Bussy. We're broadcasting from the Melayella Studio, of course. Our website is bubbaonthelake.com you can email me at [e-mail] our message line, 308-244-5235 or an easier way to remember it. 308 Big Lake. We want to ask everybody to always subscribe, turn on notifications. We don't want you to miss anything going on with the program. And always follow us like us, check us all that stuff on our social media pages. You know, I'm still amazed. I run into people daily who enjoyed the radio show and who want to listen to the podcast but don't know how to do it. I know there's a generation gap there. Got that. I'm on the other side too. But I thought everybody knew how to do that. It's really simple, guys. If you, if you have an iPhone, just, you know, pull your finger down on the front page, bring the search line up, type in podcast, and you're going to see a logo pop up, kind of blue, purplish looking that says podcast. And you tap on it and it's probably going to give you some things. And you just hit search on that app and put in Bubba on the Lake. Capitalize all the words and, and you'll see the podcast come up and at that point you click on it, then you subscribe to it and then it will automatically end up on your phone every time it comes down. Now, some of you have asked, when are you publishing the podcast? Well, it varies most of the time. In the past, it has been on Thursday morning very early, and we try to do it early so that you can have that on your device when you head out on Thursday. But that's not always the case. Some days it varies, some weeks we have two, some we have one. You know, it just depends on what's going on and how Timely. The podcast is like this week, we may get it out a day or two early because it's dealing with Father's Day that just happened and a lot of the big news items over the weekend. Got a very busy podcast. Don't you miss a minute of it. I am going to be having a roundtable discussion with my family about four Father's Day and about my job as a father. Don't want to miss that. Also, I'm going to introduce you to a young lady named Shaylee Moore. And if you don't know Shailey, she is a mover and a shaker. I mean, she gets after it. And she also is the editor in chief of a couple of magazines that we really like here at the house. One called Lake magazine, the other called Lake Martin. Living in this part of the country, if you go to anybody's coffee table, they have those two magazines and they are very well done. I'd met Shailey before. I wanted to sit down and talk with her some more. She's actually going to do a story about us and her magazine. So we'll keep you up to date about how you can see and read that when it comes out. But she does a great job and just glad to be friends with her, get to know her a little bit better, know some of her family, and we had a great time sitting down with her to have a discussion. So we'll share that with you today. Well, it was Father's Day weekend. I hope all of the fathers out there had a great time. We've covered this quite a bit in the past. Dads are pretty easy to buy for. As a matter of fact, most of the time you don't have to buy for them. But, you know, they. Dads work hard and they provide and sometimes they don't always get the bells and whistles of some of the other holidays. And that's fine. Matter of fact, I was looking forward to standing up at church as a father. Didn't do it. Love my church. Been at other churches. Didn't do it. But, boy, I tell you, Mother's Day, you don't let that one pass without standing up. You'll get a heel upside your head. So I told Betty I was. I was all ready to stand up. Matter of fact, I practiced standing up two or three times at the house before we left, but they didn't do it. I. I started just to stand up once on my own and just kind of start a thing, but I didn't do it. But doesn't take Away from the fact that we love being a father and it is a blessing, and we've been blessed many times over, and we're just very thankful for that opportunity. Now, before we move on, two topics that I think we need to touch on briefly. One, the military parade and one, the no kings protest over the weekend. Let me start with the no Kings. I don't know anybody that wants an earthly king. Who are these people? Anyone? Show of hands, Anyone? I don't want a king. You probably don't want a king. Betty. Don't want a king. I don't know of anybody that really wants a king. Here on earth. Heaven, that's another thing. But here on earth, I don't think so. I loved Ronald Reagan. He was the first president I got to vote for. Thought he did a wonderful job. He was a great communicator. Don't want him for a king. Loved George W. Bush. Thought he did a lot of good things. Maybe some not as good as we'd like to, but had the opportunity to meet him a couple of times. I really appreciated that. Don't want him for a king. Donald Trump. Don't want him for a king. He's serving his second and last term as president and then he will go back into the background. He could be a king maker, as they like to say, with his endorsements of the next Republican candidate, but that's just a term. You don't really make them a king, but their endorsement will hold a lot of weight. So I don't really know why they call this the no Kings protest, because I don't know anybody wants a king. Now, it looked to me more like they were protesting Donald Trump and that this was just another version of Trump derangement syndrome playing out on the national stage. I got it. You don't like him. Have at it. But I don't think you did yourselves any favor with those mainstream, hardworking mom and pops that are in the flyover country. Who were the ones that gave you Trump for a second term. I think it just looked weird, it looked crazy, it looked chaotic. We all know who the father of chaos is. Don't have to remind you. And I think it was just generally bad timing. Look, if you want to protest Trump, you want to have a national day to do it, have at it. Long as you're as you do it in the right way, you're in the right place, you ain't blocking traffic, you ain't destroying things. Have at it. I support you in your right to speak up. I don't have a problem with that at all. But what I do think it was terrible timing for it to be on the 250th birthday of our army and the very people who gave you the right to protest. What I would have done is got out and support a good parade for our military. Now, I know in Washington they had a big parade. Some people were against that idea. Honestly, all Democrats are always against anything that's happening while Trump's in office. We expect that. But there were a lot of Republicans that didn't like the idea. They think that only communist dictators have military parades with all this military hardware coming down the street, planes flying over, all that stuff. I'm going to kind of break with the norm here with some of my Republican conservative buddies. I love military parades. If the communist countries have one thing right, and I don't say that lightly, it is they have some good parades. Now, granted, everybody's there waving a flag at gunpoint. Don't want that. If you want to come out to it, fine. If not. I love parades in general. Any parade, Christmas parade, homecoming parades, parades, celebrating parades. I love parades. Now, when you throw in military, be still heart. I love it. I love it. What is the difference in a military parade and an air show? Nobody ever protest air shows. And it's primarily just airplanes. This one was a combination. But why is an air show? Okay, but this parade was not. I don't really follow the logic there. And living in Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, if you've ever been there, they have the largest Memorial Day parade, Veterans Day, I'm sorry, parade in the country. And they have a lot of equipment rolled down the streets. And it's really cool. I'm going to tell you, if they do something right, it is that parade. I love that parade. If I didn't go to it, I watched it on tv, they televised it. I mean, it was great. And as a taxpayer, I pay a lot of money for that hardware. And I believe in paying your fair share, whatever that amount is. It seems to be elusive, depending on who's having the conversation. I just don't want to pay for somebody else's fair share. And I Love Raptors. The F22. Don't want to buy one myself, you know, I. But I love seeing that stuff on parade because we, me and you collectively together, if you write a check or have it taken out of your check, I should say your payday, you help pay for that. And I'm mighty proud of that equipment and I like to see it in action. Probably not Going to be on the battlefront at my age now to get to see it. So I prefer a parade when I can have cotton candy and a soft drink. Much more entertaining or on tv. I tell you, one of the things was really cool if you did not catch these parades. They had soldiers marching in different parts of it, and some of them were in uniforms of various time periods. They had people in the Revolutionary War time period. They had people during Civil War time period. They had several World War I, World War II, and I thought that was great. I just. I like parades. So if some of you were against it, you thought it was out of place, you thought it cost too much. You know, it's. It's a fair discussion about the cost, but I think for us to celebrate the men and women of the United States army who have gone and secured freedom time and time again, not only for our citizens, but citizens of other countries who we felt like were deserving of what we have here in America. Freedom. A choice to set our own destiny, even though it's messy sometimes. Look at that. Look at the no kings thing. What a mess some of that was. But you kind of look at that crowd and you figure, bunch of idiots anyway, right? I saw some real clowns out there. Good night. I know there were some people who had honest feelings, but good night. Some of them were absolute goofballs and some of them got into a little trouble. But anyway, look, I'm glad you can exercise your first amendment. I just think you ought to do it in an appropriate way. Place and time, and a lot of that was not. Okay, let us go ahead and get into the show. We've got a lot to cover. Gonna be a long one this time. And thank all of you for being part of this podcast. And we ask you to hang in there with us. Thank you.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

It's Bubba on the lake. Bubba on the lake.

[Betty Lou Bussy]

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[Shaylee Moore]

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[Hunter Bussy]

Bubba on the lake. It's Bubba on the lake. It's summer on the lake. Well, we're back and we have what we call the full house with us today. It is the lovely Betty Lou. Betty, how are you, hun?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I'm doing great here on this Father's day weekend.

[Hunter Bussy]

It is Father's day weekend and we have the kids here. Hunter, welcome.

[Unnamed Guest]

How's it going?

[Hunter Bussy]

Good. And we have my daughter Caitlin here.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Hello. I'm back.

[Hunter Bussy]

And Caitlin, you were asking how much you're going to get paid for this appearance. Is that right?

[Caitlin Bussy]

That was a joke. And off. Off Mike joke.

[Hunter Bussy]

I know, but it was funny. It was funny. So we. You know, I thought this would be a great time since it's Father's Day, for y' all to talk about how much you love me. And, you know, I don't like drawing attention to myself, but it is Father's Day, so I think for fathers everywhere, we have to talk about Father's Day.

[Caitlin Bussy]

That's fair enough.

[Unnamed Guest]

I mean, makes sense.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I think you. You don't really like drawing attention to yourself, but. No, I don't sometimes. I mean, we're all biased. But you are a great dad. Some might say the best.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, you're very kind to say that. And I know you probably need a loan later today, but. Good. Good to hear from you on that, but. So now that you. You both are grow and out on your own. Hunter, do you have a Father's day story you want to tell? This is your time.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, I think it was. To me, it's. You know, it's kind of like a smaller one and it's more personally funny to me. I don't know if it's funny to anyone else, but when you got the opportunity to the coin toss, I think it was a Jack. State playoff game. They're playing what, Eastern Tennessee or Middle Tennessee or.

[Hunter Bussy]

No, I think it was Chattanooga.

[Unnamed Guest]

Was it Chattanooga?

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah. And I've got a picture of it on my office wall.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. Yeah. And me and Caitlin were. We weren't like, you know, toddlers, but we were still, I think, what, in junior high, high school, something like that, right? I guess. I don't know.

[Hunter Bussy]

I don't remember.

[Unnamed Guest]

And we were on the field with dad, and they, you know, came over the loudspeaker and said, and doing our coin toss today, Bill Bubba bus like, yeah, Papa.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

And he turns around and looks at me, and Caitlin goes, can you hear that? Daddy's kind of a big deal. Did like a coach's chalk on the field.

[Hunter Bussy]

And that. That was a joke, too, but it was.

[Unnamed Guest]

Caught me off guard.

[Hunter Bussy]

That's. That's what I always like to pull. You all are giving me grief about stuff.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So that's what you like to tell me when I ask you to take the trash out, too?

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, you. Yeah, that. That's always been. The big deflator is carrying the trash out, which we probably need to do a segment on our trash now, how we carry it out. But it's a whole nother deal now, here, living where we live. But, yeah, I could come in with some great news from work. I could be like, you know, gosh, we've added a new affiliate, and it's in a big market, or, you know, they're gonna put the show on TV or something, and I'm all fired up, and everybody's fired up about it, and. And Betty will go, hey, this trash sitting here needs to be taken out. TV star, you know, I said, okay, I got you. I'm out. So I get humbled on the way to the trash can every week our whole lives.

[Caitlin Bussy]

And I think Hunter can attest to this, too. Like, we've been asked, what's it like having Bubba as your dad? And I'm like, every time, it's just kind of like, I don't. It's the same as every other one else's dad, I guess. But I think we've had a very unique upbringing in the sense that, like, you, since we've been alive, I know you've worked nine to five otherwise. But since I've been alive, you've been home, so is Mom. Since I've. Every time I'm home, y' all are home. So I think a lot of kids can't say that. So I think it's. It's been such A blessing, I think, for, you know, raising kids, being able to have both parents, like, very present at home. I mean, you got off work at, like, 11, Mom. Of course. Well, been at home.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Here we go.

[Hunter Bussy]

It's handy if you need to carry the garbage off.

[Caitlin Bussy]

No, but it's sweet because, like, we would. There's. There's not a lot that y' all missed as parents, at least like you. Y' all were at every tennis match, every school program, every whatever. And I don't think every parent gets to say that. So. Yeah, it's very special that definitely. I think it's something that I didn't realize for a long time until I started working with people with kids who are like, you know, they don't go home until 4 and, you know, whatever. But it was very. It's a. We had a great childhood.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, we. We tried. Me and your mom both. We tried to make an effort to be there, and we didn't always get off at 11, let's be clear. Yeah, we had lunch. Now we did.

[Caitlin Bussy]

You were at home by the time we were. Yeah, we were from school.

[Hunter Bussy]

We'd usually be done by one o' clock.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

You know, most days. And it. But now you didn't feel like doing anything because you got up at 3:30 or 4 in the morning. You know, you felt like you'd been hit by a board across the head. But, yeah, I did enjoy being there because it meant a lot to me because of my dad and what he did, and he always was there, and he had a lot more physical problems than I do, and he still dragged that chair across that. That gravel parking lot coming to a ball game. I'll never forget hearing that sound and thinking, man, I don't know how he does it, you know, So I need to just hush back complaining and cut the grass, which I got an opportunity to do a lot growing up. I felt like I was a grass expert by the time I got done cutting everything that and the lawn, boy, so. But we did make most everything, didn't.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah. You must have cut a lot of grass growing up, because you talk about it a lot. It's kind of equivalent to your mom talking about walking uphill both ways in the snow.

[Hunter Bussy]

Right. That is my version of it.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And I'm like, I don't know where in the world in Alabama she lived, where it snowed that much and where they had uphills.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, now I will say this. And we used to make fun of mom and joke her about telling those stories, and we've all heard those stories. Our parents would say, oh, I had to walk uphill through snow to get to school and I got oranges for Christmas and. Right. And she probably did. That was the bad thing. But she did have to plow a mule and I never had to do that. I had, I had gas powered plowing hunters never plowed. So you see the evolution here. We're getting away from hard work.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, my mom, I think had to do that as well. She talked about it. I know she worked in the field, you know.

[Hunter Bussy]

Oh, my uncle Raymond had a. He still plowed with a mule when I was a kid. I remember it very well. Yep, about here, I'm out there. He'd have that and that was hard work to plow that and keep that mule moving. And he would, you know, give the calls to go. Yeah, left and right. And of course I'd get to, you know, it was, it was. You had know how to drive a mule. It wasn't easy. And look, when they decide that they were done for the day, they sit down and that was it. They wouldn't. You couldn't get them up with a bulldozer. I mean, it was over. You talking about contrary. Good gosh.

[Unnamed Guest]

Didn't you used to cut the grass at what's the golf course? Was it Stony Brook?

[Hunter Bussy]

Stony Brook, yeah. When it was. It's not a golf anymore. Yeah, that was my first job and I was a weed removal technician, which means I was weed eater all day. And it didn't help me learn what I wanted to do in my life, but I was quick to mark one of them off because it was hard work. They strike that thing on my back and say, go to lunch. You know, and it's like, well, what, how far do I have to cut? How far can you see? You know, Good gosh. So you learn to just entertain yourself, you know, while you're doing weed eating. Watch out for golf balls coming in. We had a few golfers. You know, I never, I never really had a problem with snakes at the golf course that I remember because I didn't like them.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Obviously if you had, you probably wouldn't work very long there.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, now the fact too, I had this gas powered weed eater. There were no snake wanting to bother with me because I'd slice him into baloney right quick, you know, if he got close to me. So I'm sure there was a few around. But I didn't, didn't pay much attention to it. Didn't see him much.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, for those that don't know which. I think everyone's in this camp. Dad's like Indiana Jones when it comes to snakes. He does not like them at all. That is number one. Yuck.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah. I think if you like snakes, something's wrong with you to start with. I mean, let's face it. God took their legs away, okay? Our God, who is the perfect, just creator of the universe, took their legs away. Can we say that about any other animal? No. No. Can you imagine some other animal without legs? A giraffe. What if you had a giraffe sliding around in the bushes out there and go, go get the hoe. We got a giraffe out there.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You know, I mean, that'd be strange.

[Hunter Bussy]

And that, you know, I've talked about it before. That's still one of the. I believe the Bible is what it is, and it's perfect word of God and it's. It's all it needs to be. But, you know, when the snake started talking to Eve in the Garden of Eden, I wish that had just been one little verse that said she was startled, you know, so apparently. I mean, this may have been a common thing, I don't know, but there's people speculated about it. But I'm sure we'll get it on the big playback one day. I hope so.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

I'll be up there going, well, let's see what happens.

[Caitlin Bussy]

All right, back on topic.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah.

[Caitlin Bussy]

What's your favorite memory about being a dad?

[Hunter Bussy]

Oh, gosh, there's a lot of them. I've been, you know, very proud of y' all many times. Three things that you did. School and sports and just helping people out. I've seen, you know, I know I've seen Hunter help people several times that he didn't have to help. And I thought. Took great pride in that. I've seen you excel in your job and what you're doing. I take great pride in that. I'll never forget when you guys were born and bringing you out of the delivery room. You know, that's changed a lot. My gener. My dad's generation, they didn't go in the delivery room. They sit out in the lobby and smoke cigars, you know, even though my dad didn't smoke. But, you know, they. My generation was more hands on, literally. And so we would go in and, you know, be part of the whole birthing process and all of that.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yeah, I don't really know how I feel about that. Well, I want to ruin the lore, you know.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Good grief.

[Hunter Bussy]

The lore. Well, I guess. I guess different people Would. Would look at it different ways, but to me, being the curious scientist type person, I want to see everything and know everything I can. I want to know the topic inside and out, literally. So. But, no, Betty was. I mean, she did a great job. Obviously, she did most of the work. And she told me. She said, this is so funny. I remember her saying, soon as they come out, count fingers and toes. Make sure they got 10 fingers and 10 toes.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And what was their APGAR score? Because I didn't get to go back while the nurse cleaned them up. But you did. Yeah. So.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, they. They.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Well, now you hear those horror stories of people, like, leaving the hospital with the wrong baby.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Well, that's another thing. I told him not to take his.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Eyes off of y' all. So, yeah, scared, obviously. I know it's rare, but, like, as soon.

[Hunter Bussy]

As soon as weird as you are born, they put you on the table, they're kind of cleaning you. They put that thing on your foot so they know who you are, and they do a footprint right away. And then I carried both of y' all to the delivery room. We put you in your little bed, your incubator, you know, where they're giving you air and making sure you're good and stayed with you. And then I'd go back and give Betty report, and I'd come back and, you know, people are in the hall looking through the window and all that. So I'll never forget, it was different, because with Hunter, he was the first one, and I was real kind of. I don't want to say nervous, but you don't know what to expect. So you're kind of apprehensive, and, you know, every step, you're just happy that it happened and everything went well. And with you, Caitlin, I was more relaxed because I knew what to expect. So it was. It was a little more laid back, I guess you would say.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I imagine that is something that gets easier with time.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, yeah, Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

I mean, you know the joke, like with your mom, because you. You are the baby of the family. Of what? You got what, five?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Five. Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

And, you know, they. They probably treated Betty different than they did the first one. And she will tell you that.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Probably. So. Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

It's like with your first baby, you're. You're. You're scared to even let them get on the floor because they might put something in their mouth. And by the third one, you don't care if they lick the whole floor. You know what I mean?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It's like they drop their pacifier and.

[Hunter Bussy]

You'Re like, yeah, they're fine. They'll be all right. So you kind of learn and get that. But your mom did a great job. She was. I think that, you know, if we'd have been a mind to, we could have probably had a dozen, because she was really good at having babies. You know, she just. It was. It was very easy. She. It agreed with her. Is that a good way to put it? I don't know how to describe it.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I don't know. I guess so.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, you. You always went in there and had your toes done, and you were all ready and happy and talking to everybody. And you just, like, you are always people. Yeah.

[Caitlin Bussy]

She comes in and she's like, well, you know, so and so is just not that friendly. And I'm like, mom, you are very, very specific genre of friendly that not a lot of people are like you. So do you just mean they're normal and they don't go and ask people a billion questions and share to the point of your, like, Social Security number with them, or are they actually not nice?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I don't meet a lot of people that aren't nice. Really?

[Hunter Bussy]

I mean, you don't meet many strangers.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

No.

[Hunter Bussy]

That's a proper way to say, glad.

[Caitlin Bussy]

That I inherited that from y' all. That's a great trait.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, it is a great trait to have. And I, I, I'll brag on y' all for a minute. I've had, like, our Sunday school teachers when we've had parties, and y' all stayed and talked to everybody, and they were very impressed with y' all that you could do that, you know, because a lot of teenagers, you know, they. They don't know how to carry a conversation with, like, worse, with, like, the pH.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yeah, it's really bad.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

So I'm proud that y' all both can do that.

[Hunter Bussy]

We're very proud of you both. You're both different.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Amen.

[Hunter Bussy]

And as I've tried to tell you, you. You can't treat all your kids the same, but you have to treat each one fairly based on their situation and what they just were. You think you've been shorted again?

[Caitlin Bussy]

No, I don't think I've been shorted. I think that, like, when I have kids, I'll just, like, tweak a few things. And I'm not saying, like, you know, like, what.

[Hunter Bussy]

Give us an example.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I just think that if, you know, and I love Hunter. I think Hunter is the sweetest thing ever, but few things that I would tweak. And you're talking about brother wouldn't be rewarded. And I think it has for him. And that's why.

[Hunter Bussy]

So you're saying with your kids, you would treat them different than we have treated Hunter?

[Caitlin Bussy]

A little bit, yes.

[Hunter Bussy]

In what way?

[Caitlin Bussy]

I'm not going to get into it, but I just don't think that, you know, I think there's certain things I want my kids to accomplish and if they don't do it, that's their own prerogative. But I'm sure reward them for not doing it.

[Hunter Bussy]

Thank you for cussing again on the podcast. You don't know how much extra time it takes me to edit you and beep you out.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Okay, Tell one of your favorite memories of.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, you haven't done that yet or.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Do we needed to go to a break.

[Hunter Bussy]

Why don't we. Why don't we take a quick break, we'll come back and we will do a little bit of a deeper dive on Father's Day. Thank you all for being with us.

[Unnamed Guest]

One, two, three.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

We'll be right back. You know one thing I love about Buffalo Wild Wings, you can get wings with any of their 26 sauces and dry rubs for takeout and delivery. That's like bringing an entire B dubs home with you, which you can't do. I tried. I've knocked down so many walls only to then be told to halt construction because I'm not zoned to be a sports bar. Kinda just looks like a big pergola or something. Because of the lack of walls, at least these 26 sauces and dry rubs are available. To go Buffalo Wild Wings. Let's go Sports bar.

[Shaylee Moore]

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[Hunter Bussy]

It's about relationships.

[Shaylee Moore]

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[Hunter Bussy]

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[Shaylee Moore]

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[Hunter Bussy]

Well, we are back. The full crowd is here. The lovely Betty Lou Hunter Bush and our Spirited Child Caitlin is already showed while she has that title today. And get on.

[Caitlin Bussy]

We just covered that in our break.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

You know, so we were. We were coming back to tell other stories, so it is your time.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I know there's so many that come to mind specifically with you. I feel like you and I have a very unique relationship because we're very similar, which means when things are good, they're as good as things can get. But when they're bad, I mean, we are buttonheads.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yes. And y' all are very much alike, but we are.

[Caitlin Bussy]

We are very similar, like copy and paste. As far as personality, it's quite alarming.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, I think the difference is I see both of y' all in me. I have a. I have a social butterfly side where I want to be out. I want to be with people. I want to be telling stories. And then I have a side where I don't really want to deal with anything, and I just want to go and do electronic stuff or computer stuff and focus on that. And I'm not very social during that period, but I go back and forth. I feel like you're wide open all time. Hunter's more withdrawn all time, and I'm kind of the in between of the two.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I think.

[Hunter Bussy]

I. You got one side of the coin, you got the other, and mine flips all the time.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I don't know. I think Hunter social, too, and I think I have my time where I don't want to talk to anyone, like when I'm working.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah, I don't.

[Unnamed Guest]

I don't mind being social, but some days I'm just. You know, after a long day, I don't really feel like talking to anybody, really.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, I know. I know that feeling.

[Unnamed Guest]

I'm gonna go home and watch sports. Sorry.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah. I have to zone out sometimes because I'm just talked out or whatever, and that happens at the end of the day, a lot of days. And unfortunately, that's when you come home to see your. Your spouse, and they get the worst part of the day where they ought to get the best part of the day. And that's always a struggle to make sure that. But I will tell one story about you, Caitlin, I'll never forget. Well, this is good. You were playing, I believe it was Homewood in tennis your senior year. And I'm helping Coach Briarwood, so we're, you know, we've got.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Which, by the way, was not allowed to call him dad on the tennis court.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You weren't? I don't think I remember that.

[Caitlin Bussy]

No. Dad would literally. I would be like, dad, can someone go get my dad? And he'd be like, it's Coach Bubba. Call yourself whatever you need to call you. I need you to come in.

[Hunter Bussy]

I was always your dad, but I just thought that you needed to not try to differentiate with the other players when we were in that mode. So I was coach then. I was always dad, but I was coach there when we leave. I was dad the whole time. But you were playing Homewood, and you had got a big lead on this girl to the point I was not really paying attention to your court because I would go where there was trouble, you know, where we're struggling at. And you. You were up. And the first set, I think you won pretty easy. Second set, you were up. I thought you were cruising, which meant I thought you had the match in hand. And I got word Caitlin needs you over on so and so court. She's. I mean, I thought you were up maybe, and I'm just guessing at the numbers. I don't remember. You'd won the first set, and I thought you were up two or three games to nothing in the second set, and all of a sudden you were down five, three. Something happened. So I go over there and I'm like, caitlin, you go, I can't hit the ball on the court. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just, you know. So I tried to calm you down, and I said, look, let's just. Let's just volley. I watched you play a point or two, and you were going for winners, and you were missing them. So I said, look, look, let's just go back. Let's just. Let's just volley for a little bit. Let's. Let's play. Keep the ball on the court and hit the ball to her three times before you go for a winner. Okay, even. And you got to be in the right situation to go for a winner, but just. You can't even think about going for a winner till you hit the ball three times to her. Well, she. At that level of tennis, most of the time, errors are where you win the points, not winners anyway. So we were basically going to give her a chance to mess up. And when you started doing that, she started making some errors, and you got some momentum back again. But we were able to work through that, and you came out and you won the match. But it was a time I thought that I had really helped you on the court with something that made a difference in a match that I thought you should have won to Start with. But you kind of let it get away from you mentally a little bit. And I was able to get you back on the track. And I always remembered that one and enjoyed that one. And there was a lot of other ones you played, especially at State.

[Caitlin Bussy]

And all of that are probably my favorite memories. Like, just feeling, like, very. I don't know. I think that's an emotional time anyway. Just because most of them, you're just so exhausted. It's so hot. And I feel like tennis is a very mentally draining game.

[Hunter Bussy]

It is.

[Caitlin Bussy]

And when you've been playing five matches a day for three days in a row, when it's finally all said and done and, like, you won't. Your dad's the coach, like, that is the best feeling ever. It was so fun. I remember every time I got off the court, I would just bawl. I would cry every time. Now Mom's crying thinking about it. You can't look at mom and talk.

[Hunter Bussy]

About the last match you played.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I'm the same way, though.

[Hunter Bussy]

But it was from a coaching standpoint. I felt good when you guys went out there because, and I mean, all the kids. I felt like we had prepared you. You knew what to expect. We had dealt with everything you'd run into. Now sometimes you forget, sometimes you struggle. But I felt like y' all were prepared, and I felt like we could win any match we went on the court with. And we did win a lot of them. Not all of them, but we won our share. And it was fun. It was good competition. And we became friends with a lot of people we played against. Still are friends with them today, so.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Saw a lot of them last weekend. We had a couple on the team at Briarwood that actually ended up getting married to each other.

[Hunter Bussy]

That was last weekend. That was probably one of the high water marks that came out of all.

[Unnamed Guest]

Of that full circle moment.

[Caitlin Bussy]

It was very fun seeing everyone.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It was adult.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Caitlin Bussy]

So weird.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It was kind of weird, though.

[Caitlin Bussy]

They're so specific. Like, they literally look the exact same.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They really do.

[Caitlin Bussy]

They look like they're so cute. They're so small and, like, just sweet.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I love them.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

They're very sweet.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Very sweet. Sweet couple. Sweet relationship they always have.

[Hunter Bussy]

And they met on the tennis court.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah. Or in the classroom. To the tennis court. Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

I still have that picture from State. I think it was my senior year where me and dad are by the scorers table. The whole team's by the scorers table. But I don't know who snapped the picture. Maybe it was you I don't know who it was, but I was, like, in his. Here it was. The situation was. It was like, it came down to a couple courts. If this person beat this person from another school, then we won. And we were trying to figure out what was going on, and I whispered that there. I said, hey, we mathematically got this. And you just kind of looked over, like. And we have the picture where I'm laughing. And you said, yeah, we got this in the bag. It's one of my favorite pictures I have on my phone.

[Hunter Bussy]

So what I thought, yeah, it was fun that way. I enjoyed competing with y' all. I enjoyed when I used to go and play and compete in. Mobile was a tough place, and it's where we went for state every year.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I mean, it's so hot.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, it wasn't nothing like, when we went to play in June and July. I mean, it was like death on court.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I remember, like, finding out that you were, like, you telling us, like, hey, I'm gonna start helping with the school's, like, tennis team if it's good with y' all. And we're like, yeah, it's fine. And, like. And I was, like, slightly panicked because I was like, that's, like, my territory. Like, what's going on here?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Slightly.

[Hunter Bussy]

Territory.

[Caitlin Bussy]

But, like, it was just funny, like, seeing you walk through the hallway sometimes at school. Like, we didn't know that you were going to be there. And I'm, like, going to the restroom during class, and you're, like, in the hallway. I'm like, hey, dad, what's up?

[Hunter Bussy]

Hey. Why are you here? Well, I tried not to be too big of an embarrassment.

[Caitlin Bussy]

No, you were. I loved that.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, see, and I'm glad we had that relationship because I was always, like. I don't want to say embarrassed of my parents, but I wasn't. I think that's the only term you can use. You know what I mean?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And you go through that phase when you're about 14, 15, where you're kind of like, oh, my.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Like, some stuff like you'll have done is embarrassing, but nothing. Like, y' all aren't. Like, I'm not inherently, like, embarrassed by, like.

[Hunter Bussy]

Right. But. But it was all in fun. Most.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

But, like, I remember very clearly going to basketball practice when I was in. It had to be junior high, maybe even ninth grade, and we had a big circle drive by the gym where people would be dropped off. Well, then we had a big circle drive in front of the high school, and you had to walk from there to the Gym, which it wasn't a long way, but it was. It wasn't right there in front of the gym with everybody, you know? So I'd be like, if my parents were dropping me off, I'd go. Drop me off in front of the school. I just.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Like Broward Elementary. Like, side carpool was super cool, but front carpool was, like, so embarrassing. But mom wanted front carpool because that was just, like, the convenient way to get home.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Caitlin Bussy]

And so I was like, great. Like, this is humiliating.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And you were like, in the third grade. I mean.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

What?

[Caitlin Bussy]

No, but see, mom, you know, I inherited this. Like, not the best drivers. Full transparency. You're not. I'm not either. Let's all just go ahead. Admit that mom scoffs because she thinks she's good. But, like, we. There's tire tracks in the grass out front to stay different.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Okay. Y' all would have to see our driveway.

[Hunter Bussy]

There's a big mud hole.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Mom would not only pick us up from the front carpool line, she would drag cones with signs on them underneath the car.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Not every time.

[Unnamed Guest]

Flying.

Yeah.

[Caitlin Bussy]

It would happen, like, once a quarter.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, you did one, and I know you went down to McDonald's and somebody was laughing at you, wasn't it?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yes. One of the Briarwood dads. Shut up. Oh, man.

[Caitlin Bussy]

But anyway, isn't that Tahoe?

[Hunter Bussy]

Wasn't you ran over. Let me be sure I got this. You ran over cone.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Little slit in the top of these cones with a sign that would say, no cell phones.

[Hunter Bussy]

Right.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Or, like, you know, child crossing. Like, whatever sign. Mom. It would never fail that some kid would knock one over, and mom would just hit it just right to where that sign stuck in the grill of her car and the cones attached to it. And we're just dragging it, I mean, down that big old hill.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Like firework.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Mom's going, beep, beep, beep, cussing, and she's like, oh, hell, we've got to go pull this thing out at McDonald's.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Milkshakes for everybody.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Oh, yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, man.

[Hunter Bussy]

Don't tell your dad. Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

I mean, it literally looked like Clark Griswold's little, like, ski thing that he had, you know, when it. When he greased it up, it's like, goosh.

[Hunter Bussy]

That hole in it when it was out.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yes. Oh, man.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, I know that y' all grew up a lot different than we did, and I had good parents. I had great parents. I had a great childhood. But it was. It was very different to what y' all grew up with. And I'm. I'm glad we were able to. To. To make those changes. And y' all will have to make changes. We all skid, too. I don't know that it'll always be more open. Sometimes I need to close it down a little bit. I don't know.

[Caitlin Bussy]

What do you mean?

[Hunter Bussy]

But. Well, I mean, like, you know, we're. We're a lot more, I think, outgoing with y' all than my parents were with me. You know, we.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yeah, but that just. That's like more of a recent development. Like, are you talking about the things that we all talk about together? There's really no. Nothing that's off the table.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah, well, it's. You know, I don't remember having quite that. I mean, we had a good time. We laughed about a lot of stuff, but I don't remember us having such detailed conversations. Let me put it that way.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yeah. I think you and mom have really relaxed, like, since y' all have been empty nesters since, like, I went to college. At least I think that was the pivotal moment, because I remember coming. Can we talk about this?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

No.

[Caitlin Bussy]

This is actually so funny.

[Hunter Bussy]

Which one is this?

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yes, we're talking about this.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

No, you're not.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I'm not bringing that up. I'm bringing up a more mild version. But just so you know, this has happened multiple times, but I remember the first time I came home from college, I was like, mom, can I see your iPad? I want to show you something. I immediately opened Safari, and I was trying to show dad something, and Dad's standing behind me. In the most recent Google searches, best sex after 50. And I'm like, I thought you weren't telling it. That was a mild one.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Okay.

[Caitlin Bussy]

I've seen other things that will never be told on this podcast, but that Google search, I just started laughing, and I was like, you know what? Super happy for them. Honestly, like, thrilled that y' all are still getting after it. Dad is back there just laughing, and I'm like, hey, mom, come here. What's this on your iPad? He goes, bill, Bill, Bill, look that up. I'm like, no, it was you.

[Hunter Bussy]

No, when you brought it to her attention, she just. She knew she was had. Okay. She just started laughing and jumping up and down. It was one of the funniest things because that's. That's her default. If she has nowhere to go, she just starts jumping up and down.

[Caitlin Bussy]

But also, like, I think that was the turning point of, like, okay, whatever cuts out of the bag. Like, do I want to think about it? Do I want to talk about it all the time.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, no.

[Caitlin Bussy]

No. Capital no.

[Hunter Bussy]

Nobody does.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Honestly. Funny. Sometimes I'm just like, whatever. I hope I'm as happy as all one day.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, I am, too. I. I'm hoping that you and Hunter both are lucky enough to find somebody like me and your mom and have a great marriage. And. And, you know, it's. There's a lot written about relationships and marriage, but I think, you know, you gotta. There's gotta be a God part to it. And you've also got to have some self determination that, you know, you. You have this romance and all. That's great. But at some point, you have to just decide, I am going to love this person no matter what. No matter. They get on my nerves if they do this, if they drive the car through the grass or whatever, I'm going to love them anyway. It's almost like a decision you make, and then you just stay with it, you know?

[Caitlin Bussy]

I will say, like, you and mom have set a very, very, very high bar and good example for what marriage should look like, I think, because, I mean, y' all are very honest about it. Y' all are like, we love each other every day. We don't like each other every day. Mom has told me multiple times, full transparency hunting season has saved Yalls marriage.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And I wish you'd go a little more often now, kind of lighten up on the old honey. I've noticed.

[Unnamed Guest]

She likes it.

[Hunter Bussy]

Look, everybody needs their time alone. But it's real.

[Caitlin Bussy]

You know what I mean? It's not some fake. Like, oh, this is so lovely. But y' all are. I mean, all my friends even say this, too. They're like, y' all. Your parents are like the blueprint. Like, y' all, they're so funny. They're so in love, but they're also real and can be pissed at each other and then just be like, okay, it's fine.

[Unnamed Guest]

You know what?

[Caitlin Bussy]

I'm moving on. You know what I mean?

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, you just. You know, you gotta. You gotta.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Mom's sitting here bawling, crying, by the way. No, I'm not. It is sweet. It's just funny. You can't look at her with grief.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Y' all, hush. I'm watching somebody tube out here. I can see out the window.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah, if you've got attention deficit issues. This is a tough studio, right?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

It really is. There's a lot going on out there in that lake.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yep. Well, I appreciate y' all, and it's been a great Father's Day so far. We still have a meal to go, and we're in between church and lunch, which not everybody gets that break.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yeah. But we do because we're getting. Crack it on. And buddy, we're there. Front row.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, yeah.

[Caitlin Bussy]

We're parking. Do not be mistaken. We are middle row Baptist.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Always have it.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yes.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, if you have to walk once or twice at Church of the Pines.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Caitlin Bussy]

We'll never do it again.

[Hunter Bussy]

You'll get up early and get there.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

Because you see all them people get there late and have to stand in the back and all that. I'm like, nah, nah.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

All them.

[Caitlin Bussy]

And then they get called out and have to walk to the empty seats in the front. That's embarrassing.

[Unnamed Guest]

Every Sunday, we got plenty of room in the front.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You turn around, they're all like, oh, we're good.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah.

[Caitlin Bussy]

They're like.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, we. We really like. We're going to church now. A lot of good people there. And I'm involved in the men's Bible study now, and. And some really good guys. Yeah, yeah. They're. They're. They're. They're the real deal. And I appreciate their commitment to the Lord, and hopefully we're. We're all working through this together, so. But thank y' all for a great Father's Day. We're. We're about to go enjoy a great meal, and hopefully. I don't know what we got in store for this afternoon. I know y' all have to go back at some time and. But I sure have enjoyed y' all being here. Yeah, me too. Me too. We love you dearly. We love you, and we hope everybody else had a great, great Father's Day. We'll be right back.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

It's Bubba on the Lake. Bubba on the Lake.

[Hunter Bussy]

I am so happy to announce that Our family dentist, Dr. Thomas Dudney, has joined my podcast as a sponsor. My entire family have been patients of Dr. Dudney and his team for over 20 years now. I'm going to be telling you a lot more about all of his services and what he does and. But I have to tell you, the veneers that he gave me changed my life. I had no idea how big an impact that would have. You can call him today at 205-663-6545 or visit him at thomasdudney.com and find out more. When you need urgent care, Southern Immediate.

[Betty Lou Bussy]

Care is here for you.

[Hunter Bussy]

Illness doesn't follow a 9 to 5 schedule, so we offer support seven days a week at community convenient locations throughout Birmingham and Northeast Alabama. Dedicated to serving all ages, from children to adults, Southern Immediate Care offers occupational medicine services, including dot physicals and testing. At Southern Immediate Care, your health is our top priority. Visit southern immediatecare.com or call 205-409-2794. Well, we're back and we have a very special guest with us. Shaylee Moore, who many people know as the. What are. What's your official title? Are you editor?

[Unnamed Guest]

I'm the editor in chief.

[Hunter Bussy]

Editor in chief. Oh, cool. For Lake magazine and Lake Martin Living. And I would say if you went into 99% of the homes at Lake Martin or even Alexander City, you're gonna find your magazine on the coffee table.

[Unnamed Guest]

And you know, that is the coolest feeling in the world. So much work goes in behind the scenes, putting together a magazine. So much more than I ever even could have imagined. And so when I see them laying out at the marinas and in people's homes and they come and talk to me about the stories in it, it just makes it feel like it's all work. Well worth it.

[Hunter Bussy]

And you did? I did that. I did that, yeah. So how long have you been doing that job?

[Unnamed Guest]

So I started with Lake and Lake Martin Living back in September. And it's funny because I actually got my job. I was being interviewed for Lake magazine. I got married down here at Lake Martin.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I remember that article. I think y' all were on a boat, weren't you? I do remember it, yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yep. And we. I was interviewing with Betsy Eiler. She was the editor in chief at the time. And it was only supposed to be about maybe a 30 minute interview. Tell my wedding story. Well, about two and a half hours later, she's like, you know, I'm retiring. Would you like to interview for my position? And I. A lot of experience. I was a professional travel blogger and I did a lot of work around here at Lake Martin. And I also wrote a lot for Lake Martin tourism, things of that sort. And so I was like, yeah, let me give it a shot. And then here we are a few months later, and it is literally a dream come true.

[Hunter Bussy]

A travel blogger. Now what. Tell us about that. What does that entail?

[Unnamed Guest]

You know what's funny is I sat down, I thought I was interviewing you today, bubba. But I am more than happy to tell you my story.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, we can do both. We'll do our. Into your.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Whatever you want to say.

[Unnamed Guest]

Fun. I. I tell other people's stories all day long, so it's kind of fun to get tell a little bit about Mine. But I went to the University of Alabama as a double major in film and theater. And so I always loved documentary, right? The storytelling behind documentary and things of that sort. And so throughout my jobs over the years, I've always worked a lot behind the scenes doing photography or writing blog posts and things like that. And then when 2020 hit, my husband got diagnosed with cancer. And so it was right at the peak, it was July 2020, no vaccines out, anything of that sort. And it was a fairly aggressive. His cancer was very aggressive at the time. And so there was one point where we had looked at each other and was like, okay, this really might be it. We were saying our goodbyes. It was one of those things. And so we were talking about it. We were here at Lake Martin. We were sitting at our dock watching the sunrise. And I asked him, I said, you know, with COVID and everything, do you want to try and just stay in the lake house? Stay away from everybody, try to protect yourself from COVID and wait this out? Or if this really is the end, do you want to just go out and live it up? And he looked at me, he said, I want to live. And he's like, I want to live larger than life. And so that's what we started doing, is going all around Lake Martin and filming all the things we always said we wanted to do but never did before, like climbing the Smith Mountain fire tower and going to Goat island and all of these things. And we originally started doing our videos just so our friends and family could keep up with us and all the things we were doing. And then all of a sudden, one day, I started receiving all kinds of messages on social media and YouTube and people talking about how inspiring our story was or that they were going through a similar thing and they wanted get out and try the things we were doing. And I was like, stephen, people are watching our videos. It's crazy, you know? And so that's kind of how we started our blog, Pelican Point Expeditions. And since then, you know, I had a travel job. I'd go all across the country, sometimes internationally, and I'd cover a lot of the different things I was doing in the cities. And that's how I started working with Lake Martin tourism and things of that sort. So all of that kind of built up to me now being at Lake Magazine.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

That's neat.

[Hunter Bussy]

So where all did you get to travel? What were some of the cool places?

[Unnamed Guest]

Gosh, every. There's only a handful of states I didn't get to go to, but I would have to say some of my favorite places that surprised me. Boston was one of them. I loved Boston and everybody always thought it was a really cool city and it just really wasn't on my radar. And then I had to go out there to work and I begged for the Boston events. Ever since then, New Jersey was surprisingly cool. They have the Taylor ham rolls or the pork rolls, depending on what side of Jersey you're on.

[Hunter Bussy]

I visited there one time I was not ready for. They wouldn't let you fill up your, your own car with gas.

[Unnamed Guest]

That's really cool.

[Hunter Bussy]

I got out and grabbed the gas pump, man. About three guys tackled me. You know, I'm like, what is going on here?

[Unnamed Guest]

Right. Phoenix. Phoenix and Scottsdale, probably some of my favorite places. I worked in Vegas all the time, which, you know, the Strip's cool and all, but when you get outside of the Strip, that's really where it lights up, up. And then I have to say, San Diego is really cool. I worked out there a good bit.

[Hunter Bussy]

But I hear the weather's good.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yes. There's no place like coming home to Lake Martin. I'll say that, though.

[Hunter Bussy]

You've seen it all.

[Unnamed Guest]

I really have.

[Hunter Bussy]

How is your husband now?

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, I should probably let you guys know. Right. He's doing great. He's actually in remission. We're about to hit the five year mark and you know, that's golden.

[Hunter Bussy]

That's cured. That's the cured level.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. So he's doing wonderful.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

So everything, everything has that happy ending to it.

[Hunter Bussy]

So good. I know you helped him through it.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, my gosh. Well, I do have to say I was the, a lot of the pushing force. It was a lot of watching him every day. You know, there were a lot of down times that people don't see behind the scenes when he was just too tired or too sick to go out and do stuff. But then when it was a nice sunny day, I'd be like, let's just get on the boat. Let's see what we can find to do and. But he's. His personality, I think was really the driving force. He was just not ready to go yet. He wasn't ready to give up. And I think his outlook on life is really what got him through so much of it too.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, that's great.

[Unnamed Guest]

He's a very, very positive guy. If you guys met him now, you wouldn't even know. He's been through so much.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, tell us about the magazine. How is it going? What, what are your goals? Where are you headed with that?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yes.

[Hunter Bussy]

In the whole publishing world.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. So I thought I was going to be so incredibly qualified for this position. I had writing down, I have photography down, interviews. In my last job, I did public speaking in front of crowds of 2,000 people. You know, I was like, I've got it all. And then I realized I don't know how to put together a magazine. I don't even know where to begin. So I got to work with Betsy Eyler, and she is incredible. She held this position for 10 years before me. And so letting her. Having her as my mentor to kind of teach me about, you know, editorial, the hardest part for me was learning how to write an AP style. You know, I grew up with the Oxford comma and double spacing and all of those things. And so AP style is really like its own language. So that's what I had to really learn to develop. And she did so much work behind the scenes, teaching me how to put together interviews and turn them into stories. You know, so much of this isn't just reporting facts and things of that sort, you know, like the news would do. It's bringing to life stories that are really incredibly important to the people that live around here and that they want to share with the community. And so I just love having that opportunity to bring that heartfelt, you know, aspect to the magazines and to the community. And I was explaining this a little bit before. A lot of people get. Don't realize that we do both Lake Magazine and Lake Martin Living, and I'm the editor in chief of both of those. And so Lake magazine is focused about Lake Martin and all the really cool things that are happening right here on the water. And then Lake Martin Living covers all the small communities surrounding the lake. And that's where so many of the really cool, Heartfelt stories come from. And that's really where a lot of the people who make this such a great place to live really shine. And so it's. It's really great to be able to work in both aspects of Lake Martin.

[Hunter Bussy]

I like just saying the name Eclectic. It's just fun to say, you know, just kind of rolls out. Eclectic.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah, Eclectic.

[Hunter Bussy]

And people cannot say it back to you. That's what's funny. Eclectic, you know, Eclectic. Eclectic.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yup, yup. Eclectic's a lot of. Oh, my gosh, I love the people out there. And there's some of. Some of the coolest people I've met actually come from Eclectic or Tallahassee.

[Hunter Bussy]

You know, we spend a lot of our time out there at sceneplux. Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

And then I found out. I always thought, you know, Benjamin Russell or Daveville would be the big football schools, and they are. They've got a lot of really cool stuff happening. But the very first thing I learned my first football season down here was Realtown is where the action is at. Those families get very. It's a whole legacy, a whole dynasty out there at Realtown. And if any of them are listening to this podcast, they're all gonna probably pull out their shakers right now.

[Hunter Bussy]

They're doing something.

[Caitlin Bussy]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

So tell me about your magazine a little bit. The quality of it is just incredible. That has to be the cost, though, of printing and having those slick pages and all.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Oh, it is great quality.

[Unnamed Guest]

Thank you. I appreciate that. So the printing world is something else that I had to learn. And I work very closely with our art director, Audra Spears. She's incredible. She's the one that does a lot of the layouts, and we work together with printing company, and they're phenomenal, you know, and they. We really work hard to make sure that people who advertise in our magazines are also seen. We want to make sure that our magazines not only are bright and colorful and fun for people to read, but also the advertisers. They really are the ones that help drive this, because our magazines are free. And I don't know if everybody knows that, but you can walk up to Marina or any of the dollar stores around and things sort and pick up copies. And so the advertisers are really what help us be able to keep offering this to the community.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, it's a high quality. I mean, you can just feel it and you go, you know, I just like the way it feels, you know, I mean, the Volkswagen commercials used to call it Farfig Nugent. You just like the way it feels, you know?

[Unnamed Guest]

Thank you.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, I don't know. I hope that. That our story doesn't, you know, end up getting cut on the floor, because I notice in the spring, in the summer especially, you have a lot of very attractive ladies on the COVID and I don't think I qualify for that.

[Unnamed Guest]

I don't know. Bubba, let's get you in a bikini.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

You don't want that. We've been married a long time, and let me tell you.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, no, we. We like to have a lot of fun, and. And we have a lot of themed issues. You know, January is always our swimsuit edition, and so that's when it's a lot of fun because we. A lot of the models that we use they're kids from the towns here, around the area who are doing big things. You know, they've got big dreams. They're all going up to great places. And so that's a lot of times that you'll see pictures like that is for our swimsuit edition. But then, you know, like our Fourth of July magazine issue that's coming up, it's always a really big one. That's the one that you guys will be in.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

All right, Bridal.

[Unnamed Guest]

The bridal issue is huge. That comes out in February, and it's always so much fun. All the brides start submitting their weddings throughout the summer. And so going into the fall, we start interviewing them and picking out the brides to get focused on. And it's typically, you know, we want to know why Lake Martin? Tell us your love story. We want to. We want to fall in love with you guys as much as they're in love with each other. And so it's just. It's so amazing. I. I love weddings, personally. I had so much fun planning my own. I don't know a lot of brides really say that, but.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah, I remember it being stressful, and it was almost four decades ago now.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

We got married in 89, and I remember it being stressful.

[Hunter Bussy]

Nothing like now, though.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

No.

[Hunter Bussy]

We've been to some weddings. I've seen the prices of some of them.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Yeah.

[Hunter Bussy]

We were talking the other day. How much was our wedding?

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

Maybe, I don't know, $2,000, 3,000. 3,000, maybe. Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Don't tell my dad that. Please don't. No.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

But you interviewed some friends of ours, the Dooley twins. I don't know if you remember. Sarah and Johnson Dooley. They were on the COVID that year. Oh, maybe three years ago. I can't remember how long ago.

[Hunter Bussy]

She remembers every single edition ready for the last 10 years with them being.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

On the COVID She might. Sarah's a beautiful blonde. And then Hayden and her husband were in the magazine as well.

[Unnamed Guest]

Carrie, I remember. I remember those stories. I remember the covers. I started with Lake magazine last fall. So as far as writing the stories myself. But, you know, it's funny. I've. And I was sharing this a little bit ago, you know, I've been coming to the lake now for my husband's family pretty much grew up on this lake. And I've been coming down here for about 12, 13 years now. And we have a stack, a big old basket of every copy of Lake and Lake Martin Living that's ever come out. And so I've just spent Over a decade reading these magazines, and it's really cool to now be the one putting them together and carrying on that legacy.

[Hunter Bussy]

So how do you like our studio here?

[Unnamed Guest]

This is amazing.

[Hunter Bussy]

Can't make the view, can you?

[Unnamed Guest]

No, not at all. Yeah, it's. I laugh about, you know, I'll be like, oh, just another day on the job. It's me at the lake. You guys literally are like, another day on job. Here it is, you know, so this is phenomenal. Yeah. What about you? How. How's the view for you now, moving from Birmingham down here?

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, I like it. I mean, we. We were not. It's a running joke. We didn't think we were lake people. And Betty actually has a plaque.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

I've got to show you that plaque. Some friends of ours made it for me.

[Hunter Bussy]

I guess we were invited down here to visit somebody and, you know, we really liked it. And then we started coming more and more and, hey, y' all gonna do anything this weekend? We just invite ourselves. And we ended up buying a boat, and then we would come ride the boat. And then we ended up getting a little condo, and that was fun. And then we realized we probably needed more room with the kids and their friends. So then we got the house. And so it's been. I guess we've been on the lake one way or the other since about 2013.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. Right.

[Hunter Bussy]

But we. We like it full time here is wonderful. It's. The good thing is it's not close to anything. The bad thing is it's not close to anything. So I have to drive quite a bit. But it's. It's worth it to get back here every day.

[Unnamed Guest]

Absolutely. And I think you may not have known it at the time, but the second you said you bought a boat, I was like, oh, he was hooked.

[Hunter Bussy]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. That was it. That was it.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

The old couch on the water, as I call it, the poncho.

[Unnamed Guest]

It's the best, though. And I just love that how big Lake Martin is. You could spend the whole day out on the water just seeing all kinds of different people. But then everywhere you go around, you're going to see people you recognize and do the boat rain, or you can just putt around in your own little slough and just spend the whole day doing that.

[Hunter Bussy]

Yeah, I'm pretty notorious for when I leave. I stay gone all day. Betty tells our guests, you better wave him off when you want to go. When you need to go home, you need to let him know because he will stay out here till sunset.

[Dr. Thomas Dudney]

And if you need to go to the bathroom, you better go ahead and tell him. There's only so many places run by the marinas. That's funny.

[Hunter Bussy]

So we're talking to Shaylie Moore from Lake magazine and Lake Martin Living. Shailey, thank you for being with us. And we're gonna do a little interview for your magazine and we're looking forward to seeing it and we'll let everybody know when it's out.

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, thank you so much and thanks for letting me be a guest on this. You know, I have always kind of wanted to sit here and interview with Bubba, so this is like a dream come true for me.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, we'll have a lot of fun with it. And we'll be right back in just a moment.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

You're listening to Bubba on the Lake.

[Hunter Bussy]

Hit me bad.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

A production of intergalactic Pants and teas.

[Betty Lou Bussy]

All rights reserved. A lot of life can happen between sips of Dasani. You know, the life moments, big and small that are worth getting thirsty for. Like organizing a family movie night under the stars or hearing an old favorite song and having an impromptu dance party or finding a new dinner recipe that the whole family loves. The crisp, clean taste of Dasani was made for all of life's thirst worthy moments Dasani. Because life happens between sips.

[Hunter Bussy]

Well, folks, what a show. A lot covered there. Had a lot of conversation with the family. Enjoyed a visit with Shailey Moore and you're going to hear more from her in the future. Looking forward to our magazine article with her magazines and we'll keep you updated on where and when all of that happens and we don't want you to miss a bit of it. Of course. This entire production has been done in the mellow yellow studio. Our website is bubonthelake.com A lot of information there. You always want to check that for updates or you can leave us a message on the comment line. 308 Big Lake. Always enjoy listening to those or we, you know, get the email too. So thank all of you for being a part of the podcast. And I mean you are a part. You listening to it is very important. It's what makes it happen. It's what drives it. And we're having a lot of fun and we hope that you are too. And in closing, a very happy birthday to Irene Beasley, 104 years young on June 23rd. Now, Irene does not get to drive a lot now that she's over 100, but she recently had to rescue her son in law and her grandson that was stranded on the side of the highway. Great job, Irene. Hang in there. And until we meet again, remember, being on the lake is not necessarily a place, but yet a state of mind. Take care. Talk to you soon.

[Bill Bubba Bussy]

This podcast is brought to you in part by Koch, Buffalo Wild Wings, Southern Immediate Care, Guaranteed Labels, Central State Bank, Sunrise Docs, bankers Bounty, and Dr. Thomas Dudney.