← Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers
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- [00:00]
Pasha
Hey, Pashi. Hey, Sufi. How are you? I'm good. I'm really excited because this weekend, as we record this, I'm gonna fly home on Saturday night so I can see mom for Mother's Day on Sunday.
- [00:18]
Sufi
Huh?
- [00:19]
Pasha
What? Nothing. I just. I don't. I don't know why you sort of put all this effort into going to see Mom. What? Yeah. I don't know. I just think she. You know, she can just be a lot. I don't know that that's true. I think she's great. And it's Mother's Day, so I want to see her. I don't know. I mean, that's. Maybe that's more of a you thing. No. This is so weird, Sufi. Like, I. This doesn't even sound like you. Well, that's because it's not me, Pashi. What do you mean?
- [00:56]
Sufi
This is.
- [00:58]
Pasha
I wasn't able to do an intro. So you're just pretending to be me and trying to make people think that I'm a terrible person. Well, that's what you get when you don't show up to do an intro and I have to do one alone. Is I can make you look like. Yeah, like just a bad, bad, terrible person. Which, of course, I know you're not. Hey, everybody, it's just Pasha here because Sufi couldn't make it. He's a very busy person. And actually, as we speak, my parents are visiting with him, and he will be with our mother for the beginning of Mother's Day. And then my mom and dad. Our mom and dad are gonna drive up to New Hampshire, and I will be there to greet them. So I'm sure we will have some great stories to share with you about these family trips in our next intro. And on today's show, we have a mother as well. Ann Emily Ashford. Just a fabulous actress known on Broadway and beyond. She is in the new series Happy Face, and she is a delight. And please enjoy. And Sufi will be back with me. I hope next time we record one of these family trips with the Mice Brothers. Family chips. Hello.
- [02:35]
Sufi
Look at your podcast rooms.
- [02:37]
Pasha
Are you making something? Or you. It looks like you might be doing some crochet work or something.
- [02:46]
Sufi
I wish, because that would mean I could crochet. I would be making little potholders.
- [02:51]
Pasha
Oh, my God. Isn't that the dream?
- [02:54]
Sufi
Yes. Too. Did you guys have people in your life who crocheted and they make those creepy dolls where they, like, bought a doll head from the craft store and then the rest of it was crocheted?
- [03:02]
Annaleigh Ashford
No, I Have received some crochet gifts from fans, and I immediately send that to security. I feel as though somebody sends a crochet doll is just asking to be put on a list of you with.
- [03:20]
Sufi
A weird doll head.
- [03:22]
Annaleigh Ashford
It was not the doll head. I think I would just never come to the office again.
- [03:28]
Pasha
Well, you did do the show out of an attic for a while and maybe.
- [03:31]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, that's true. That was a real doll head era of the show. But you did, I will say you had a really nice. I felt as though it was almost like we discovered you when you came on the zoom. You were elsewhere and it was like one of those. I don't know, it was like one of those shows that began with someone being like, oh, hello.
- [03:51]
Sufi
Do you just realize this is my nursing pillow? Oh, you know, didn't I forgot to take that out of the. Out of the shot?
- [03:59]
Annaleigh Ashford
Are you in. You're still in the nurse zone right now, right?
- [04:02]
Sufi
Yeah, I'm kind of now like, primarily pumping.
- [04:06]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [04:07]
Sufi
Like this morning, she was, you know, we were waiting for the bottle to warm up of breast milk, and I had my little pump pieces out and she looked at me like, why not the boob? You know, I sort of was like, okay. And popped her on. You know, my little boy, though, I could never nurse him. He had such bad reflux. So I just always pumped and then gave him a bottle. So this feels like a whole new world to me. Like, she can nurse and also, like, look at me and laugh and, you know, pinch me.
- [04:37]
Annaleigh Ashford
And I think because my wife likes our daughter so much more than she ever liked the boys. That was a real long nurse. It was a. There was a. I at one point had her. Hey. I feel as though we maybe, I don't know, entered.
- [04:51]
Sufi
I feel like that's happening right now. I didn't want. I'm like, how long are we gonna do this for? You know, like, I could keep going. You wanna keep going? All right, girl, let's do it.
- [04:59]
Pasha
Yeah. I mean, it sounds like she wants to keep going. She doesn't want those parts and pieces that you have to put together.
- [05:04]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [05:05]
Pasha
Just doesn't feel. Doesn't have the same.
- [05:08]
Sufi
Yeah. Washing all that stuff.
- [05:10]
Annaleigh Ashford
It's the difference between a home cooked meal and we're gonna get delivery. You know, she's like, whoa, whoa.
- [05:17]
Pasha
I mean, it's made in the same kitchen, but it's like, you know, it's.
- [05:20]
Sufi
Just not the same.
- [05:20]
Pasha
When you read the kitchen, it doesn't travel well.
- [05:22]
Sufi
No, it doesn't travel well. The to go box is like, not the same.
- [05:26]
Annaleigh Ashford
Mom, you know how to make a taco bowl? What are we doing here?
- [05:29]
Sufi
Yeah, I'm like, hey, everybody likes cold pizza.
- [05:33]
Annaleigh Ashford
So you grew up in Denver?
- [05:36]
Sufi
Yes, I did.
- [05:38]
Annaleigh Ashford
Three siblings, correct?
- [05:40]
Sufi
Me and my brother and sister. So there's three.
- [05:43]
Annaleigh Ashford
And so where do you fall in the birth order?
- [05:46]
Sufi
I'm the oldest by 8 and 10 years, which is a lot.
- [05:50]
Annaleigh Ashford
How does that go down?
- [05:52]
Sufi
You know, I'm watching it play out because my little boy is eight years older than my little girl. My brother is eight years younger. My sister is 10 years younger. So when my brother was born, you know, leading up to his birth, I was like, this is terrible. This is not gonna end well for me, you know, horrified. Because you're the only child and then you're not.
- [06:13]
Pasha
Yeah, yeah.
- [06:14]
Annaleigh Ashford
And you were the only child for a long time.
- [06:16]
Sufi
For a long, long time. How far apart are you guys?
- [06:18]
Annaleigh Ashford
Two years.
- [06:19]
Sufi
Okay. Yeah. That's a whole other thing. So I remember at the hospital while he was being born. Get ready for this. He is born on June 24, and I was born on June 25. So there was this, like, race to the clock. He was two weeks late. And I remember going to the doctor's appointments with my mom. You know, those checkups? She was really. She was like, please induce me. I can't handle this anymore. Because I was three weeks late and he was two weeks late. And they. I remember at the appointment, the doctor being like, you know, I thought you'd go another week. And my mom was like, please, no. Please, no. I remember it very vividly. And they were like, okay, we'll induce you tomorrow. And I was like, tomorrow? But my birthday is, like, in two days. And she looked at me, she was like, it's okay, I probably will have him tomorrow. Don't worry about it. And she had him, like, at like 8 or 9 o' clock. Like, it was really. He got really close to being my birthday, which felt like another form of.
- [07:19]
Annaleigh Ashford
Trauma that would have been very uncalled for.
- [07:23]
Sufi
Uncalled for. Right. That's how bizarre. And then I remember they put him in my arms and I, like, immediately was like, okay, I love him. This is great. This is the best birthday present I could have ever gotten, you know, very dramatic. Dramatic.
- [07:37]
Annaleigh Ashford
Eight year old. It does seem like every reaction is deeply dramatic.
- [07:40]
Sufi
So, like, uncomfortable, like, old soul. I was like a weird old lady as a child. So that also carried on to the way that I parented him as a sibling and then did this.
- [07:53]
Pasha
Yeah. Were you like picking them up. Were you picking up your siblings all the time and carrying them around?
- [07:58]
Sufi
Yeah. So Jack, Lucy's six months old right now, and Jack is like, mom, I can pick her up. Watch. I had to do a self tape two nights ago.
- [08:08]
Annaleigh Ashford
Uh huh. And self tape for those not in the business. Analee was auditioning and they asked herself to put herself on tape.
- [08:17]
Sufi
When you say it like that, isn't it insane?
- [08:20]
Annaleigh Ashford
Oh, totally insane.
- [08:21]
Sufi
I'm gonna just put myself on camera. Which, you know, like 15 years ago and even 10 years ago was a lot harder. And now we all just have a camera in our pocket. You know, you can make a movie from your pocket. So anyways, we had to put my. I had to put myself on tape and my husband had to read the lines with me. And it was like too late in the day. And we were like, okay, Jack, you have to watch Lucy in the other room and if something happens, just scream and we'll run out. And everything was kind of going okay. And then I pop out to check on Jack. I go, how's it going, buddy? Oh, it's great, guys, guess what? I can hold her. And he starts to lift her up and we go, no, like right by the coffee table, the hard edges. There's a glass nearby. But I. There's a million pictures of me at his age having. I have my brother, like on my hip, like a little woman just carrying around. I was, I was like. And then my sister shared a room with me and when she. I remember, like she was about four months old when she started, you know, sleeping in my room. And if she woke up in the middle of the night, I would just like pick her up and take care of her. And like in the morning I would get her up and put her in bed with me and she'd hang out. I just. It kind of like makes sense why I babysat so young. Why I knew kind of. I didn't know everything, but it was really second nature to me having kids because I was a weird little mama to my brother and sister.
- [09:50]
Annaleigh Ashford
My wife spent a lot of time with her cousin's kids when she was young and they were babies. And it is amazing. I also think she has a maternal instinct. But how? I, Josh and I spent no time with babies. The entirety of our lives.
- [10:04]
Sufi
Yeah. Which makes sense.
- [10:06]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [10:06]
Sufi
So when you had yours, were you like, what do I do?
- [10:09]
Annaleigh Ashford
They have to 100% and just that thing of, oh, they're too small, it's just too small. We should go back to the hospital. When it's a little bit bigger, this is too small, and it's not gonna be safe. It's gonna fall down the drain or in a crack down the drain.
- [10:24]
Sufi
You are concerned about them falling down the drain. You're like, it could happen.
- [10:27]
Annaleigh Ashford
It's gonna fall behind the couch, and we're not gonna be able to get it out.
- [10:31]
Pasha
My wife will, like, see a very fresh new baby and, like, pick it up and start flying it around. And I'm like, I can't. Like, my heart is in my throat, and I. You know, she's just got it.
- [10:44]
Sufi
I mean, I still feel that way, but about the really fresh ones. When people are like, this is kind of a crazy story, but when Jack was, like, probably six or seven months old, we had just finished doing Sunday in the park with George, and we were, for some reason, hanging out with Jake Gyllenhaal on Mother's Day. And I remember he was like, we have a massage therapist. Welcome. You can go and get a massage. And you could see Joe just, like, crumbling, you know, like. Cause he had forgotten to do anything. So I went. Had a massage, and I came back in the room, and Jake was seasoning salmon, holding our. Our child with, like, one hand. Like, I still don't know how he did it. He did that thing where you, like, balance a baby in your hand, and you could see Joe just, like, looking horrified. It's like, this man just gave my wife a massage, and now he's seasoning salmon, making it beautifully, and holding my baby like a bowling ball.
- [11:46]
Annaleigh Ashford
I mean, just to empathize with Joe. True story. One time, Jake Gyllenhaal came over to our home with a fish in a bucket that he had caught himself that he then deboned in front of me. While he also. While he also. Jaboning is also a good way of saying emasculated.
- [12:07]
Sufi
Yes.
- [12:08]
Annaleigh Ashford
He was literally doing both at the same time.
- [12:11]
Sufi
You're like, how'd you learn these things? How are you adulting in this way? That.
- [12:15]
Annaleigh Ashford
What?
- [12:16]
Sufi
Oh, that's amazing. I think that wins. That beats that. That beats Joe's story.
- [12:20]
Annaleigh Ashford
I don't know. I think my wife would claim that she didn't get a massage, so, you know, and her house smelled like freshly caught fish. That was the point I kept making after he left. I'm like, it was super cool, but it did smell like fish.
- [12:35]
Sufi
You know, that is a very unique flavor and smell that I actually resonate deeply with because I grew up in Colorado, so I know what the fresh smell of Freshly caught fish smell. And also just say that. Freshly smell of freshly caught fish.
- [12:50]
Annaleigh Ashford
I don't want to say it.
- [12:51]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [12:52]
Pasha
That's your memoir, isn't it?
- [12:54]
Annaleigh Ashford
Freshly smell of freshly caught fish.
- [12:56]
Sufi
Now I'm like, what was it? Was it trout? What was that?
- [12:59]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah. I don't know. I mean, I think probably looking back, he probably just got it at the store and then, like, put in a bucket. I mean, they're actors. You're all actors.
- [13:09]
Sufi
Yeah. We don't have fish. We can't be trusted. No.
- [13:13]
Annaleigh Ashford
So I will say, more often than not, you hear like, oh, my. You know, first two siblings are close, and then there's a long gap between the last one, and they're always. And so the youngest always. Like, I was the mistake.
- [13:26]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [13:26]
Annaleigh Ashford
Feels like this is the case where the first one maybe was the mistake.
- [13:29]
Sufi
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Yes. How'd you know. My mom and I went to high school together. And by that, her friend Sharon, when she introduces me to people, she's like, this is my friend Holly's daughter. We went to high school together because she had her. When she was 18. We had senior year together. Yes. My mom got pregnant with me her senior year of high school, and it was one of those I didn't know I was pregnant episodes on tlc. She really just didn't know she was pregnant. So that's fun. And also, it was great for me because I had all these really fun sleepovers as a little. Little girl.
- [14:11]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [14:12]
Sufi
And sometimes I would watch inappropriate shows. Like, I remember we watched the first two seasons of the Real World, like. Like, and I was, you know, in first grade or something. I don't know. I was really little, but I really knew what was happening with. What was his name? Puck. Was his name Puck?
- [14:28]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Puck.
- [14:29]
Sufi
Yeah. And Paco. Right. What's his name?
- [14:31]
Annaleigh Ashford
Those two sound familiar?
- [14:32]
Pasha
Yeah, Puck, for sure. I can't. I can't go much deeper than that.
- [14:37]
Sufi
So. Yeah. Also. Which explains my love for New York. You know, I. Like, there was never a time that I don't remember wanting to move to New York and live in New York. I feel like.
- [14:48]
Annaleigh Ashford
And do you think that the real world was a big part of that?
- [14:50]
Sufi
I think the real world. And then also Sara. Alive. Like, I remember, like, watching, like, very. At a very inappropriate age also, because I was, like, the only child for a long time. Well, my cousins. My cousins were born right after me. Two of them. And then there was another crop of cousins that came, like, seven years later. But I watched we lived with my grandma and grandpa until I was like 6. And my grandpa would like wake me up and have me watch Johnny Carson with him when I was, I mean, really little. So it explains sort of like my weird sense of humor. I don't know.
- [15:26]
Annaleigh Ashford
There's two different paths as cool grandpa. I think there's the more conventional one, which is I let my granddaughter stay up with me to watch Carson. Waking someone up to watch Carson is a whole different.
- [15:37]
Sufi
I know.
- [15:39]
Pasha
Did you ask to be woken for it or did he just take it upon himself to be like, she's gonna like this?
- [15:44]
Sufi
I mean, I think it was a combo platter.
- [15:47]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [15:47]
Sufi
And also like, I was like. I don't know, I was already a night owl. Are you guys night owls?
- [15:52]
Annaleigh Ashford
I was a night owl.
- [15:54]
Pasha
It's all night owls back in the day.
- [15:56]
Sufi
Yeah. It's like inherent. I don't know.
- [15:58]
Annaleigh Ashford
It is funny because I got my. One of my boys is a, is a night owl and one of them is an early bird. And you just completely raise us. And the greatest outcome, it would make our life so much worse is they both can sleep through the other's thing. Oh, God. When the seven year old's asleep, the nine year old literally walks in, turns on all the lights to find a book, like gets into bed, reads for like an hour with all the lights on, doesn't roust him at all. And then when the 7 year old wakes up at like 5:30 in the morning to do Legos, turns on all the lights and the other one sleeps, it's nuts.
- [16:29]
Sufi
That's a miracle. Congratulations.
- [16:31]
Pasha
And you get four hours in the middle where you can sleep.
- [16:34]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [16:35]
Sufi
Yes.
- [16:36]
Annaleigh Ashford
So rad.
- [16:37]
Sufi
Do you love when you fall asleep and your kids aren't and you go, what'd you just do? I know when they're little too. You know when they're little and you can like put them on your face and go, okay, they're not gonna move around that much. And I'll put on a show and you can just sleep.
- [16:56]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yes. They're not that long.
- [16:57]
Sufi
Like you just.
- [16:58]
Annaleigh Ashford
You place them somewhere where you will notice if they have moved.
- [17:02]
Sufi
Yes. Yeah, that's a great. We're edging into that era with the six month old. We're getting close.
- [17:07]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [17:08]
Sufi
Yeah. It's great. Great times.
- [17:10]
Pasha
Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors.
- [17:13]
Annaleigh Ashford
Support for family trips comes from Airbnb. Hey, Pashi.
- [17:16]
Pasha
Yes, Sufi.
- [17:17]
Annaleigh Ashford
You know, we're taking this Amsterdam trip and I'm heading over there with Ash. And one of the things that's so exciting for me is showing my son this town, this city I used to live in. And it's really cool because you're gonna be there. A lot of the people we used to work with over in Amsterdam are gonna be there, and it's so fun that he's gonna see it through my eyes, you know.
- [17:37]
Pasha
Yeah, I'm excited too, you know, but.
- [17:39]
Annaleigh Ashford
When I lived there, I wasn't living in a hotel, obviously, you know, we fully lived there. So it's been so cool looking at Airbnbs that he and I could stay at, because I want the full Amsterdam experience as a guy who lived there. And it's so cool that, you know, people who are living there now are, you know, making their homes these incredible things for travelers like myself, for my son to come and have an extra special trip.
- [18:05]
Pasha
Yeah, and maybe you have an incredible home that you've created and you'd like to let other people stay in your house, maybe make a little extra money, share what you've created to make people's vacations and people's travels all that much more special.
- [18:23]
Annaleigh Ashford
Your home could be worth more than you think. Find out how much@airbnb.com Host.
- [18:30]
Pasha
Support comes from Visit Baltimore. Baltimore, a rising star in the US Is often overlooked, but it definitely belongs on your vacation radar. Forget the usual big cities where you end up lost in a crowd. Instead, experience the charm of Baltimore. Known as Charm City, Baltimore seamlessly combines sports, history, art, food and culture into a one of a kind experience. Now let's dive deep into some of the historic sites around Baltimore. Fort McHenry is a must see destination in Baltimore. During the War of 1812, it played a crucial role in defending the city from the British Navy and its victory inspired Francis Scott Key to write the US national anthem. Located in the historic Locust Point neighborhood, Fort McHenry is set within a scenic 42 acre park, making it a perfect spot to explore and appreciate. Visitors can even participate in a unique experience by raising and lowering the flag. Don't miss a chance to visit this iconic landmark and immerse yourself in its rich history, Calling on all bookworms. Step into the world of Edgar Allan Poe, the master of macabre and Gothic tales, by visiting the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore. This historic home is where Poe lived during some of his most influential years, offering a glimpse into the life and mind of the writer who gave us classics like the Telltale Heart and the Raven. Nevermore. As you explore the museum, you'll learn about his struggles, triumphs, and lasting impact on the literary world. You should think about going, checking it out. It looks like a good time. In the meantime, you can start planning your adventure at Baltimore. Baltimore is closer than you think. Just a quick drive or train ride from New York, Philly and D.C. plan your visit today at baltimore.org that's baltimore.org Go to baltimore.org Baltimore's slogan is, you won't get it till you get here. Go to baltimore.org to plan your vacation or get away today. So growing up in Denver, there's a. There's a lot of, like, outdoorsy stuff. I know you got into, like, performing arts very early. Did you have any interest in sort of the nature of Colorado, or were you pretty much like, I just want to get to New York City?
- [20:45]
Sufi
I had no interest in nature. I mean, that's not. I would say we had a cabin growing up, so we would go every weekend in the summertime to the cabin. And, like, if you take me to the mountains, I know how to survive. Like, if you dropped me off at the ocean, I don't know what I'm doing. I still sort of don't know what to do. When I go to the beach, I'm, like, very uncomfortable. I prefer to see through the water. If I have to be at the ocean, I like the ocean, but I still, like. It feels foreign to me. Like, if I was on Naked and Afraid. Do you guys ever watch Naked and Afraid?
- [21:20]
Pasha
I don't watch it, but yeah. Yeah.
- [21:23]
Sufi
Oh, I encourage you to take a dip into naked. There's an episode where this woman catches a fish between her legs. Not to bring it back to fish. Freshly caught fish, but that was an episode where I was like, I could do that. I mean, she also is naked, so that felt uncomfortable. Like, just like, fish between your legs and you caught it. What happened there? You know, there's like, so many. So many, so many things to talk about. But I do feel like I can go to a river and know how to navigate it. Know, like, when it's okay to walk through it, know when it's not. I know how to look for ticks. I know how to take a hike and, like, get us back to the cabin. Like, I know when to go. We have gone too far. I know what to do if a moose walks down the road, which is.
- [22:18]
Pasha
What do you do?
- [22:18]
Annaleigh Ashford
You.
- [22:19]
Pasha
I'm gonna say you get behind a tree.
- [22:21]
Sufi
Yeah. If that's uncomfortable, don't go buy it. Don't offer it anything. Get away they're really. They're scary. Like, moose are not. You know, deer. Deer will be scared of you, so they'll, like, go away, you know? But yeah, one time we had a moose that was. Somebody had a salt lick, which is very against the rules.
- [22:41]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [22:42]
Sufi
Like, in our neighborhood of cabins. And there was a moose that was just, like, hanging out and would come hang. And then I was like, where's papa? Like, we could not find my grandpa. My grandpa was sitting on the back porch eating a plate of spaghetti with the moose just sitting there with its, like, leg over its antlers. Isn't that crazy? That's like a crazy old man. That same grandpa. That's like an old man of. I've lived in Colorado my whole life so I can sit and watch this moose hang out and eat grass. No, that was not a good choice. You never know what they'll do. They're still wild animals anyways. But I don't ski. I don't know how to. That ship has sailed. My knees and my hips will say, no, thank you. But I definitely think it was a beautiful place to grow up. But I'm a person who prefers the city.
- [23:33]
Annaleigh Ashford
So was the cabin your grandparents? Cabin?
- [23:36]
Sufi
Yes.
- [23:37]
Annaleigh Ashford
Okay.
- [23:38]
Sufi
Both sides of the family. The grandparents had a cabin, which is kind of common for, like, families of Colorado who've been there for many years.
- [23:46]
Annaleigh Ashford
How far was it from your home to get to the cabin?
- [23:49]
Sufi
What the. My dad's side of the cabin was an hour away. And then my mom's side of the cabin was, like, two hours with good traffic. Two and a half, three if it was bad traffic.
- [23:59]
Pasha
So did you prefer the closer one just because it was closer?
- [24:02]
Sufi
I liked the one that was farther because it was really close to this little town called Grand Lake. And it's this amazing. It's on a lake that is grand. Surprise, surprise. But it's this, like, really cute, cool little old mountain town. And it had, like, a bowling alley and two different putt. Putt courses. One was expensive, one was cheap. And I never got to go to the expensive one. And the one that was cheap. It had, like, a lot of graveyard references. Yeah, it's still there.
- [24:31]
Annaleigh Ashford
It was a windmill, but only like, one millimeter.
- [24:34]
Sufi
Yes, exactly.
- [24:35]
Annaleigh Ashford
I mean, I guess one blade. What would you call this? One blade.
- [24:37]
Sufi
Yeah, One blade. Yeah, one blade.
- [24:39]
Annaleigh Ashford
Very easy to putt through.
- [24:40]
Sufi
Yes, it was easier. Also, that same grandpa would be like, I like that one better because I think he knew the course better and he liked to beat us, which you're not supposed to Beat your kids and grandkids.
- [24:53]
Pasha
It was his home. Course.
- [24:56]
Sufi
It was his home. Putt. Putt course. Yeah.
- [25:00]
Pasha
And would you go to these cabins? Sort of pre siblings. Did you go when you were very little or.
- [25:05]
Sufi
Yes, me and Mike. It was more like a me and my cousins moment. Totally pre siblings. We had a dirt mound. They like, this is crazy. That cabin. They bought like a one room cabin. And then they were like always trying to add onto it. I mean, my entire life for like 35 years, there was like always an addition happening. And they got these. For some reason, the people who built it originally, they built it with like, you know, when ammunition was stored in like metal boxes. Do you even know what I'm talking about? Is that a real thing? I'm not making this up. No, that was what it was built out of. Which cannot be up to code.
- [25:53]
Annaleigh Ashford
The cabin was built out of old boxes.
- [25:55]
Sufi
Isn't that bizarre? Like, what am I saying? And it had like wood put over it. It was always like, what's happening here? This cabin? And then I guess when I was little, I don't remember it, my dad was like, Annie keeps waking us up, waking us up and telling us that there's like squirrels or mice by her bed. And nobody would listen to me. Like, nobody was listening to me. There was indeed an entire mouse family. Maybe rats. I don't know what it was by my head where I was sleeping. Isn't that disgusting? And I blame it on the ammunition casings.
- [26:32]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, it was like when you like build. I mean, basically you built your house full of perfect little mouse houses. Every brick was a mouse cabin.
- [26:42]
Sufi
And they all spoke in a British accent and were living in. They had apartments and they were like, let's go sleep by that girl's head. Her hair is beautiful. Glossy blonde.
- [26:52]
Annaleigh Ashford
Oh, you got an infestation of British mice.
- [26:55]
Sufi
Yes. They were so happy to be there. And then we also had bats sometimes. Like, what is this?
- [27:00]
Pasha
Oh, yeah.
- [27:00]
Sufi
Like we might as well just have stayed in tents. Did you guys have bats growing up?
- [27:04]
Pasha
Uh huh.
- [27:05]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [27:05]
Sufi
Yeah, yeah.
- [27:06]
Pasha
Like bats. But then when they get inside, it's no good.
- [27:09]
Sufi
Fun game. Did you guys have cabins? Did you have that?
- [27:12]
Annaleigh Ashford
No, we had. You know, we grew up in New Hampshire, so we definitely have friends with lake houses that were, you know. You would.
- [27:18]
Sufi
Yeah, you had houses. That's like a different.
- [27:21]
Annaleigh Ashford
A lot of squirrels. I feel like I've. I've lived places where squirrels are in the wall. We had a flying squirrel in our house once.
- [27:28]
Sufi
I forgot that's a thing yeah. What did they do? But it's more like they, like, jump and then have parachute wings, right?
- [27:35]
Pasha
Yeah. Yeah.
- [27:36]
Annaleigh Ashford
So they're kind of a bummer when they're inside because it's not a lot of room to do their thing.
- [27:41]
Pasha
But we had mice. We definitely had mice a lot. Like, you could hear mice running around in the attic on the regular in our house.
- [27:49]
Sufi
Yeah. Which is sort of like. That's also just a common theme in a Broadway theater. You know, it's kind of like doing a Broadway show is like. Kind of like staying at the cabin. It's just like lots of rodents that you pretend to be.
- [28:02]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah. I was gonna say those. If it's Broadway. Those ain't mice. Those ain't British mice.
- [28:08]
Sufi
They're not. They're not. I'm just gonna continue to believe that they are.
- [28:12]
Annaleigh Ashford
Those are bridge and tunnel rats.
- [28:13]
Sufi
Those are.
- [28:14]
Pasha
Yeah. New York isn't known for its mice.
- [28:16]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, that's true. Yeah. There's that one. That one country mouse came here that one time, and it was five Osters.
- [28:25]
Sufi
Where am I? Get me back home. I can't take it here. I guess I wasn't a city mouse after all.
- [28:31]
Annaleigh Ashford
What? How many different Broadway theaters have you done shows in now?
- [28:37]
Sufi
Like nine, maybe. Is that right, Noel? I've had a repeat. So, like, I guess eight.
- [28:42]
Annaleigh Ashford
Gotcha.
- [28:42]
Sufi
Yeah. They're all equally disgusting.
- [28:45]
Annaleigh Ashford
But what about. I don't want you to pick favorites, but where was Sunday in the Park? So that's a Hudson.
- [28:53]
Sufi
Hudson. Which is maybe the most disgusting, guys.
- [28:56]
Annaleigh Ashford
Really? Cause it feels, as an audience member. Feels like, newish.
- [29:00]
Sufi
The most beautiful up front. So what happened was they redid the front, and then the backstage is just. They're all really dysfunctional. But the backstage of the Hudson shares with the hotel that it is in.
- [29:15]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [29:15]
Sufi
So you'll go to the bathroom downstairs. And then you're also sharing a bathroom with folks who are getting ready for their shift in the hotel, which is totally cool, but, like, completely bizarre.
- [29:26]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [29:26]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [29:27]
Sufi
Like what?
- [29:30]
Annaleigh Ashford
It's just very funny that if you're in a stupid costume.
- [29:34]
Sufi
Yeah. Like, think about. You're in your 1800s, you know, French era costume with, like, a bustle and a bonnet. And then somebody is, like, in their uniform getting ready to work at the front desk. Like, it just doesn't make any sense.
- [29:48]
Annaleigh Ashford
I would. I would imagine once the bustle's on, it's a drag if you have to go to the bathroom.
- [29:52]
Sufi
It's so hard to pee.
- [29:54]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [29:54]
Sufi
You know, a whole thing. Those are the Moments when you're like, could you imagine being a woman in another era? Could you imagine?
- [30:01]
Annaleigh Ashford
Could you imagine?
- [30:02]
Sufi
Could you imagine? I always do, right?
- [30:04]
Pasha
Most of. Mostly that's what I'm doing.
- [30:05]
Sufi
That's what you think about a lot. You're like, what would I do if I was a woman in the 1850s in a wagon like on the Oregon Trail and I had to pee? What would I do?
- [30:18]
Pasha
Yeah. Who do you like? How? Especially before you say something.
- [30:23]
Sufi
Yeah. And do you just like, not wear your bloomers all the time in the summer and nobody knows? Do you free ball it in the summertime? Like, what happens with your undergarments? Cause those outfits were hot.
- [30:35]
Pasha
Is there equivalent to like peeing in a bottle when you're driving? Is there like. Was there a jar or some sort of jug bucket?
- [30:44]
Annaleigh Ashford
How would say. Can I just say how I would do it if I had a pioneer wife? I think you cut a little hole in the. In like the bottom of the wagon so, like, you don't have to stop the whole wagon train. Right. You just like, have. You just. And for dudes too. You just kind of squat and then you're just what? You're just peeing on the road as you like.
- [31:03]
Sufi
You are an inventor that they would called it the Myers hole.
- [31:06]
Annaleigh Ashford
I know it's a bummer thing. I think it would be a tough thing to patent.
- [31:09]
Sufi
Do you got a mars hole in your wagon? That's a best invention. I heard it. A mars hole's better than the railroad.
- [31:17]
Annaleigh Ashford
And then. But they would. Then there would be a slang for the wagon behind the wagon with the Myers hole. Anytime it smelled like urine, you'd be like, I feel like we're riding behind the Myers hole.
- [31:31]
Sufi
Those damn Meyers. Ho.
- [31:33]
Annaleigh Ashford
I don't know.
- [31:33]
Sufi
Be behind them.
- [31:35]
Annaleigh Ashford
Did you. So when you had your younger siblings and you would drive to one of those cabins of yours, do you remember? I would imagine that is when the age difference is taxing when you have that much younger siblings in a car.
- [31:50]
Sufi
Yes. So when I got my driver's license, my sister was. She was okay. She's 10 years younger. So how old was. She was six.
- [32:01]
Pasha
Six. You were six?
- [32:02]
Sufi
My brother was eight. I'm so good at math. Can you tell? And My brother was 8. And I had to take my brother. I don't know, I had to do something. And it was the day I got my license and we got in the car and I'm about to back out and it's a big deal. So I turn around to back out. And I looked. He put his football helmet on to get in the car with me. I swear to God I did. Not making that up. And I wish he was. Like, before we had picture or cameras on our phone, we didn't even have. I didn't even have a cell phone. And I remember being like, why do you have your helmet on? He was like, because you're driving. That's literally. He was that. And he was a crazy driver when he started driving, you know, so that was always a big joke. I was like, should I go get a helmet on before I ride with Nick? I still feel that way.
- [32:50]
Pasha
You just keep a helmet in the back.
- [32:51]
Annaleigh Ashford
A very, very good joke for a young kid to make to put on a football helmet.
- [32:55]
Sufi
I mean, it would. It was a great. If it was a joke, but it was real.
- [32:58]
Annaleigh Ashford
Oh, yeah.
- [32:59]
Sufi
It was, like, really, really authentic. But then I had to drive them around, which was sort of a thing. And then when you drive to the mountains, the. The one cabin that's an hour away has, like, a private road that you have to get to, and that's kind of an uncomfortable dirt road drive, but it's not scary. The other cabin, that's two hours away, you have to drive through Berthoud Pass, which is a really famous, like, mountain pass. You have to go over. And there's parts of it where there's no guardrails, which is crazy to me. Like, all these years, there's no. You're on, like, a cliff, basically. And there's no. It still scares me driving up.
- [33:36]
Annaleigh Ashford
I can't stand. One of the least happy hours in my life was when we were in, what, Positano?
- [33:45]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [33:45]
Sufi
Yes. I was just gonna say in Italy.
- [33:47]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [33:47]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [33:48]
Annaleigh Ashford
My dad driving up that windy road, I just hated it so much.
- [33:54]
Sufi
You're, like, praying during it. I still. I pray sometimes during drives like that.
- [33:59]
Annaleigh Ashford
I just remember. And I always, like. There's this added element. I've talked about this before, of knowing that if dad went off the side, like, my. The last thing I'd hear would be my mom just fucking laying into him before impact.
- [34:15]
Pasha
Wouldn't be, I love you. We love you guys so much.
- [34:18]
Annaleigh Ashford
Oh, no, no. It would be them judicating whose fault.
- [34:22]
Sufi
It had been to go on that road. But there's only that road. Right. I haven't done that.
- [34:27]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, there's no. There's no. There's no sneaky way to the top.
- [34:31]
Sufi
Also, would you rather you drive it or would you rather be in somebody else? Like, I think that drive. I would rather Have a local do it.
- [34:40]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, yeah. But then the locals. I mean, true. You would rather have a local. I agree. But then they're. They like, you know, they're all of a sudden, like, passing totally, you know.
- [34:50]
Sufi
And they're like, we know it. We know it.
- [34:53]
Annaleigh Ashford
You're so fine.
- [34:55]
Sufi
You're like, is it good?
- [34:58]
Annaleigh Ashford
So I guess my answer would be I would prefer not to do it.
- [35:02]
Sufi
Not to do it.
- [35:02]
Annaleigh Ashford
Just stay at the bottom.
- [35:04]
Pasha
Yeah. You'd go to the close cabin. You wouldn't even go to.
- [35:08]
Sufi
You'd be like, I know.
- [35:08]
Annaleigh Ashford
Far away cabin.
- [35:09]
Sufi
I'm staying.
- [35:10]
Annaleigh Ashford
Cool. I would imagine there's plenty to do in Denver on the weekend.
- [35:13]
Sufi
Totally. My mom is legally bl. Her contacts in. She's had two cornea transplants.
- [35:20]
Annaleigh Ashford
Okay.
- [35:20]
Sufi
So when she drives it, she's fine. She's always like, I'm fine when I have my contacts and driving. Leave me alone, everybody. But she does do the thing where, like, she'll be talking to you. And, you know, when you get into the part of the. You're not on the highway, you're actually not on the road, and it's like.
- [35:39]
Pasha
The rumble strip.
- [35:41]
Sufi
She'll get on the rumble strip for kind of a long time to the.
- [35:44]
Annaleigh Ashford
Point where, like, mom, is she also legally deaf? Did she have her old corneas transplanted to her ears?
- [35:54]
Sufi
Also?
- [35:54]
Pasha
That rumble strip could knock both of those contacts right out of her eyeballs.
- [35:59]
Sufi
They did before she got her transplant. They would pop off of her eyeballs. I swear to God. Her contacts would pop off her eyeballs. And you'd have to, like, this was the 90s. And so we'd be like, do you have your flashlight in your purse, Mom? Oh, let me look. She'd pull out a flashlight, and then I, at 7, 8, 9 years old, would have to find her contacts in the carpet, in the gravel, in the parking lot. Can you believe that?
- [36:25]
Annaleigh Ashford
That's so funny. Also, the preface of this was the 90s. Like, this is a thing that everybody's 90s was like, you gotta remember this is the 90s. Everybody had flashlights looking for their mom's contacts. You would be such a funny guest on that, like, remember the 90s show? You guys, Remember how everybody had flashlight.
- [36:46]
Sufi
Remember, everybody's cabins were built out of ammo casings.
- [36:50]
Annaleigh Ashford
British mice. British mice. Always yapping in your ears, in your hair. What about. So you had this love of New York, right? So I imagine. Did you ever go on a vacation or was that off the books?
- [37:03]
Sufi
Oh, you guys. You probably went a bunch as kids, do you go a lot as kids?
- [37:08]
Annaleigh Ashford
Enough.
- [37:08]
Pasha
We went here and there.
- [37:09]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah. Not all the time, but I didn't.
- [37:11]
Sufi
Go until we went on our trip to look at colleges, which was basically like. We looked at all of them. And I remember we went to Juilliard. And the guy giving the tour was really. He was really sophisticated. And he was probably like a 24 year old, I don't know, violin major. And he talked like this. And he went, this is the Paul Hall. It was at the time a Paul Hall. And me and my mom and my grandpa, the same grandpa, we laughed so hard that we were like, rude. And other people were looking at us like we were being shameful. But he said it like six times. The Paul hall was donated graciously by the Pauls, who really wanted a hall. Well, we could have our music students enjoy their music at the Paul Hall. It just. He kept saying it over and over again. So it's still a joke between us. The Paul Hall.
- [38:11]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [38:13]
Sufi
Anyways, we realized that I couldn't like, afford to go anywhere else except for the school that I got into, which was the only school that I got into, which was Mary Manhattan College, but it still was in New York. But that was the first time I ever came. And I was like 15. Wow. And I remember being like. Remember back then, too, there were delis where there were pickles in the middle of the table. Like there was just a jar of pickles or a bowl of pickles. So unsanitary. Before you got raided. I bet you we can't do that anymore because it's against the ratings on the.
- [38:45]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah. If you get a pee on the window, that means they leave the pickles out.
- [38:52]
Sufi
I wish there was a deli with the pickles out. That's like, was it yummy treat?
- [38:56]
Pasha
It seems like the vinegar would sort of counteract any badness that it's gonna be in there.
- [39:01]
Annaleigh Ashford
If you're gonna leave anything.
- [39:02]
Pasha
That's what it's all about.
- [39:03]
Annaleigh Ashford
Leave the pickles out.
- [39:04]
Sufi
Totally.
- [39:05]
Annaleigh Ashford
But that's young. Did you finish high school early if you were looking at Juilliard when you were 15?
- [39:10]
Sufi
If my husband was here, he would come in and make fun of me for like. He would do, like, his five minute lazy. About what I'm about to say. I graduated high school early and I graduated college early. So I graduated from college when I was 19.
- [39:24]
Annaleigh Ashford
Now what is. You know? Cause again, I don't want to, like, stereotype the fact that it did take you longer than it should have to figure out that 6 was 16 minus 10. So I would like to dig in. How exactly you, Doogie Howser'd your way through high school and college?
- [39:42]
Sufi
Online courses. I figured out that there were online courses I could take before anybody knew that was a thing. And also because I grew up in Colorado, we were really close to Utah, where all the Mormon people live. So I, like, asked some of the Mormon people, like, what do you do when you are on your missions and you're in college? They were like, oh, BYU has this incredible online program that I looked up, realized you could take high school courses. And I just, like, slyly convinced the guidance counselors, both in high school and college to sign off on these BYU courses that I just basically skipped a year with.
- [40:23]
Annaleigh Ashford
And now what was your impetus for this? Did you just. Was your drive to get past school so intense because you knew what you wanted to do next?
- [40:32]
Sufi
I was like, I've got to be in New York City because I'm going to. I really thought New York was going to be like the turning point and fame and all that jazz. Like, I thought it was going to be dirty and grimy and people would be walking around the streets in leotards going like this, you know, making jazz hands.
- [40:50]
Annaleigh Ashford
Jazz hands. There were sort of like some Fosse hands for those listening.
- [40:54]
Sufi
It was not that, but it was still dirty and disgusting in other ways that I truly appreciated. And also, it had all of the resources of the things that I wanted to be as an artist. There's no other place that you'd rather be. Also, sometimes New York is a tricky bitch. We love her and we hate her at the same time. She's so exhausting.
- [41:19]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [41:20]
Sufi
And she's really, you know, makes it hard to live here, but it's also the greatest city in the world.
- [41:24]
Annaleigh Ashford
You know, certainly how I feel. And I think everything. All the negative stuff is true as well. But you. So you finished college at 19?
- [41:34]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [41:35]
Annaleigh Ashford
And then. But pretty soon after you're on Broadway, right? A couple years.
- [41:39]
Sufi
I did right out of college. When I was in college, I used to go to epas and chorus calls, which, if you don't know what that is, it's basically, you know, when you see people auditioning for Broadway shows like, you know, Bette Midler and Beaches, there's like a big long line or the opening credits to all that Jazz is like a big crazy audition. Those are, like, real. And I used to stand in lines, you know, with like 800 people just waiting to sing eight bars and I did it all through college and I never got a callback. I got like one callback for Hairspray out of those whole three years. And then when I graduated from college, I somehow got like my first audition where I got to do material from the show and not just like songs from my book, as they call it, which is like a book of music that you show up with, which my book was terrible. And I didn't know. It's like I picked the worst songs you could ever pick and had no idea. And then I finally, like, got a job. I got Next to Normal, but before it was called Next to Normal, it was called Feeling Electric. And I did it in the New York Musical Theater Festival. And then from that I got the touring company of Wicked. And I was the Glinda understudy when I was like 20.
- [42:55]
Annaleigh Ashford
Wow.
- [42:55]
Sufi
It was my first big gig.
- [42:57]
Annaleigh Ashford
Did your parents make a trip to come see you in your first show?
- [43:05]
Sufi
They came to. They came to that, like, basically tiny week long production of Next Normal. We did. And then. I can't remember, they came. Oh, I remember. They came to see Wicked. By the time we got to dc, we played the Kennedy Center.
- [43:20]
Annaleigh Ashford
Oh, wow.
- [43:21]
Sufi
Which was. So I just was in D.C. like, a couple days ago and I realized I hadn't really been there. I'd been there for Tiny Desk, but I hadn't really worked there for like 20 years. And it's obviously, you know, really different. But holy moly, that city is like, the vibe is so dependent on what's happening politically. Like, you just feel it immediately.
- [43:44]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [43:45]
Sufi
Talk about a vibe.
- [43:46]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [43:47]
Pasha
People that live there just say it. It just completely shifts, like, just in terms of, you know, who gets jobs and. Yeah. No other city in America has got to be like that.
- [43:59]
Annaleigh Ashford
When you say tiny Desk, do you mean the NPR Tiny Desk concert?
- [44:02]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [44:03]
Annaleigh Ashford
What did you do that? Who did you do that with?
- [44:05]
Sufi
We did it for Sweeney Todd. And I hid under the tiny desk for part of it, which I thought was so, so funny. And I don't really think people thought it was that funny. I was like, I'm under the tiny desk.
- [44:17]
Annaleigh Ashford
I can't wait to watch that. I think it's one of the most novel cool things going.
- [44:21]
Sufi
It's the coolest. We also showed up with half an orchestra, which I was like, is this still tiny?
- [44:28]
Annaleigh Ashford
Right, the desk? As long as the desk doesn't change size.
- [44:31]
Sufi
No.
- [44:32]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [44:33]
Sufi
And it was dirty under the desk.
- [44:35]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [44:35]
Sufi
Well, nobody had cleaned.
- [44:37]
Pasha
You're used to that also.
- [44:39]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [44:39]
Pasha
Yeah. You just said that's. What you wanted in New York, so. Yeah.
- [44:43]
Sufi
Where are the British mice?
- [44:45]
Annaleigh Ashford
We. I. The play with James Earl Jones was. Can't take it with you.
- [44:51]
Sufi
You got it.
- [44:52]
Annaleigh Ashford
Okay. So did you see that with me, Josh? Because I feel like that was a mom and dad play.
- [44:56]
Pasha
Can't remember.
- [44:56]
Annaleigh Ashford
Okay.
- [44:57]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [44:59]
Annaleigh Ashford
You had one of the great. You want a Tony for that? Correct.
- [45:03]
Sufi
And it literally says on it, you can't take it with you.
- [45:06]
Annaleigh Ashford
The Tony. That's really funny.
- [45:07]
Sufi
Isn't that amazing?
- [45:11]
Annaleigh Ashford
You have, I feel like, one of the great stair entrances in that one.
- [45:16]
Sufi
You know what? Stairs. There's nothing better than stairs.
- [45:19]
Annaleigh Ashford
Because you had some Sweeney Todd stair work. You really.
- [45:22]
Sufi
I'm always hoping people don't remember that. I did a stare bit, you know why?
- [45:27]
Pasha
So you can do another stare bit.
- [45:29]
Sufi
Yeah. I literally was like. I looked at Tommy Kail and I was like, is it too soon. Too soon to do another stare bit?
- [45:35]
Annaleigh Ashford
I don't want to get, like, pigeonholed as the stare girl.
- [45:38]
Sufi
Exactly. But also, I think it's okay.
- [45:41]
Annaleigh Ashford
I think it's fine. I mean, it's literally. I think the first time I ever saw you was making a fantastic stair entrance. So it's like, I will say if I ever see you on stage, that was my least favorite thing about Sunday in the Park. No stairs.
- [45:52]
Sufi
No stairs. There was one big step, and it just felt, like, inappropriate.
- [45:56]
Annaleigh Ashford
Was it enough? Yeah, you should. I mean, the intermission. I know you're never in the intermission of one of your shows, but the amount of people waiting for drinks being like, there better be stairs in the next day.
- [46:07]
Sufi
And I paid. Stairs coming on. Do you know what? I will tell you. Have you seen Sunset Boulevard?
- [46:14]
Annaleigh Ashford
I have not, but that's a big stair show.
- [46:18]
Sufi
No staircase.
- [46:18]
Annaleigh Ashford
Guys, get out of here.
- [46:20]
Sufi
No, it's just a blank stage. I was like, well, maybe they'll surprise us with a staircase. And if she fell down it, that would just. That would make it a different show, but a show that I would love. And also, why nobody will ever have me play Norma Desmond.
- [46:33]
Annaleigh Ashford
I saw Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard, and I feel like it was all stairs.
- [46:37]
Sufi
Me, too.
- [46:37]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [46:38]
Sufi
I mean, that's the. You know, that's the thing. But that's kind of the point of this sunset is that there is no stairs.
- [46:43]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, no stairs.
- [46:45]
Sufi
But I would play that just immediately a Pratt fall down them.
- [46:51]
Pasha
Different show, different show.
- [46:53]
Sufi
Yeah, yeah. Different show, different show.
- [46:56]
Pasha
I'm gonna try to get back to some trips if I can. Would you ever.
- [47:00]
Annaleigh Ashford
Sometimes when people fall down the Stairs. It's because they trip, just FYI.
- [47:04]
Pasha
Okay, very good.
- [47:05]
Annaleigh Ashford
I was not as far afield as I feel like you're tonally implying.
- [47:09]
Pasha
Okay, fair enough.
- [47:11]
Annaleigh Ashford
Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors.
- [47:14]
Pasha
Support comes from Blueland. If you're a parent, you get it. There isn't time to research every single product you use in your home. And that's why you need Blueland. They're certified safe and clean by the EPA and they get the job done without worrying about the impact they'll have on your family, your parents, or on you. Blueland is on a mission to eliminate single use plastics by reinventing cleaning essentials to be better for for you and the planet with the same powerful clean you're used to. I live in a Blueland house right now and the thing that I like most about it is I used to go to the store and I would buy these enormous tubs of cleaning products and they're mostly water. But with Blueland you just get little tablets that come in bags that are recyclable. And then you put your tablets into these nice small tin, pretty containers. They do everything from clean your laundry or your dishes or become hand soap. Pretty much everything you clean in your house can be cleaned with Blueland. And then underneath the sink is a lot cleaner and nicer and it's great. I really enjoy it. And they clean things just as well as these other old like pods that you would have that are so clearly full of weird chemicals. But that's not the vibe with Blueland. From cleaning sprays to hand soap, toilet bowl cleaner and laundry tablets, all Blueland products are made with clean ingredients you can feel good about. Blueland products are effective and affordable. With refill tablets starting at just $2.25. You can get even more savings by buying refills in bulk or setting up a subscription. Blueland has a special offer for our listeners right now. Get 15% off your first order by by going to blueland.com trips. You won't want to miss this. Blueland.com trips for 15% off. That's blueland.com trips to get 15% off.
- [49:07]
Annaleigh Ashford
Support for family trips comes from Square. Hi, Paschi.
- [49:11]
Pasha
Hey Sufi.
- [49:12]
Annaleigh Ashford
You know I love a food truck. Oh yeah, love a food truck. Sometimes I'll be at a farmer's market that'll have a food truck and I'll see you. Oh my God. They got a breakfast burrito and I get in line and I'm so psyched. And sometimes these Small businesses, you know, they just have a very slow payment system and it's not their fault. Right. They're just trying to figure it out.
- [49:32]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [49:32]
Annaleigh Ashford
And you just feel so bad because there's so many people who want to get what they're selling and they're just losing so many customers based on the fact that every checkout experience has taken forever. And that is one of the cool things about Square.
- [49:45]
Pasha
Yeah, Square. I mean, you see it everywhere and when you see it, it sort of gives you peace of mind because you know it's going to be quick and easy to check out and to pay for whatever it is you're buying. And running a business involves a lot of moving parts, and Square helps simplify that. The hardware looks polished and fits right into your space without feeling intrusive. And the software is incredibly straightforward and intuitive. So you don't need any special training. You just set it up and start taking payments quickly.
- [50:11]
Annaleigh Ashford
With that said, our mom would probably need a little bit of special training.
- [50:14]
Pasha
Yeah, a little bit. But I'm sure they. That's a quick. That's a video that someone would have to open for her, but after that she'd be good to go.
- [50:22]
Annaleigh Ashford
Good news, she doesn't have anything to sell, so we're never going to reach that point. Square supports all major credit cards and payment methods, including contactless options like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Checkout is fast and easy for your customers. Square is designed for businesses at every stage, whether you're just getting started or looking to grow. Gives you the tools to do both without making things more complicated for you or your customer than they need to be.
- [50:45]
Pasha
Square keeps up so you don't have to slow down. Get everything you need to run and grow your business without any long term commitments. And why wait? Right now you can get up to $200 off Square Hardware at square.com go trips. That's S Q U-A-R-E.com geo/trips. Run your business smarter with Square. Get started today. This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. Not everyone is careful with your personal information, which might explain why there's a victim of Identity theft every five seconds in the U.S. fortunately, there's LifeLock. Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a US based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year by visiting lifelock.com podcast. Terms apply. Would you guys ever take when you weren't sort of leading the Charge to be like, we gotta go to New York. We gotta go to New York. Would you take family vacations to places other than the cabins?
- [51:51]
Sufi
Guys? Okay, this may be a surprise because you grew up on the east coast, but for those of us who grew up in, like, the Southwest, a common destination was Vegas. Vegas, baby.
- [52:06]
Annaleigh Ashford
All right.
- [52:06]
Sufi
Because it's really close by. It's like a quick drive. Like, I was like, I don't know, nine hours or ten hours one time. I'm bringing up my grandpa a lot.
- [52:16]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, he seems like a pretty cool dude.
- [52:17]
Sufi
Yeah. FYI, Papa Norm had this, like, sort of special power where he would let the gas run out of the tank. Like, he would. He would just be like, oh, we got enough to make it to the next stop. And sometimes he didn't. Like, you know, that was the thing that my grandma would be like, norm, are you kidding me? So we're on our way to Vegas, and a lot of my dance conventions were there. So I would go there for dance conventions and, like, dance competitions. And I did. I went to the Nationals for the Rainbow Connection Dance Competition. I was in the singing category, which sort of didn't exist. Like, didn't exist, but I was still in it. It was, like, very strange.
- [53:02]
Pasha
Sounds like you put it on the map.
- [53:03]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [53:04]
Sufi
Yes. And I would show up, and it would always be, like, me in my weird costume singing a song from Les Mis or Sunset Boulevard, which was inappropriate. Or Gypsy. Again, inappropriate. And everybody else was, like. They were pageant girls because that was a big thing. JonBenet Ramsey went to my dance studio. It's a whole other podcast. So anyways, we went for the Rainbow Connection Talent Competition, and my grandma and grandpa, my mom and dad, my brother was a baby, and we were, like, probably 15 minutes away from Vegas. And that's like, a long stretch of highway before you get in. You can see this. It's like a mirage in the desert. That's like, really what it's like. It's wild. And my grandpa was like, guys, we're really low. And my family was like, what? You know, my grandma. You could see my grandma go, norm. And we had to turn off the air conditioner because that would save gas. So we turn off the air conditioner, and then we're all sweating, and we're super hot, and we have the windows down, and we're getting closer and closer to Vegas. And it's really hot in Vegas. So it's hot. And then he goes, we have to roll up the windows because it's making it for Some reason I don't know.
- [54:19]
Pasha
How to make it more aerodynamic. Maybe.
- [54:22]
Sufi
Yes. Yeah, that was the thing. How is that real? Is that a real thing?
- [54:26]
Pasha
I mean, I can see the thinking, but that, like, you know, if the windows are up, you're sort of. You're smoother. And if the windows are down, then that wind is hitting the inside, slowing you down.
- [54:37]
Annaleigh Ashford
To make a difference, you had to have such little gas, literally.
- [54:42]
Sufi
And then there was like a conversation of like, okay, we're coming up to a hill, so maybe I'll put it in neutral first. It was like insane. And my grandma was so mad and you could tell my dad was like, are you kidding me? You know, but he couldn't say anything because it's his father in law. It was like a thing, you know, but we made it barely. I remember he was like, if we just get to the Golden Nugget, there was like a gas station right by that, you know. Also, you can't Google back then, right? It was the 90s.
- [55:09]
Annaleigh Ashford
It was the 90s.
- [55:10]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [55:10]
Annaleigh Ashford
No Google. The only Google you had were contact lenses in the shag carpet.
- [55:17]
Sufi
If your contact pops out in any sort of carpet gravel, I'm there to help you.
- [55:25]
Annaleigh Ashford
Great.
- [55:25]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [55:26]
Annaleigh Ashford
Did you make it to the Nugget? Do you remember?
- [55:27]
Sufi
I just need a flashlight. We made it. We made it. We did make it. And we stayed at Circus Circus.
- [55:33]
Annaleigh Ashford
Great.
- [55:33]
Sufi
Yeah. Which is disgusting.
- [55:35]
Pasha
That happens. Yeah. A lot of our guests have stayed at Circus Circus. I will say on this podcast, like, no, never.
- [55:43]
Annaleigh Ashford
I do feel like it was, it was named, it was, it was branded. Well, because it feels like everybody, you know, again, our guests were all kids when they stayed there. But I feel like adults were like, well, that's Circus Circus. That'll be good for the kids.
- [55:55]
Sufi
One of the highlights of my life. And it was above Slots of Fun and Slots of Fun. Had these giant hot dogs for a dollar. And you could also get shrimp cocktail like after midnight for a dollar. Like a big thing of it, which nobody got sick. Yeah, it's really the highlight of that story.
- [56:11]
Annaleigh Ashford
So you would just. Your grandpa Norm would wake you up and be like, let's go get some cheap shrimp and watch Carson.
- [56:17]
Sufi
Sometimes me and him would go, just the two of us, for dance conventions. And he would play poker all day long while I danced. Pick me up. We'd go take a nap in the afternoon and then we would go out at night after everything got cheap. Cause at midnight you could go get prime rib. He would too. Sometimes we go to downtown Vegas. Cause it was even cheaper. Yes. I knew. I was a prime rib shrimp cocktail aficionado at 12.
- [56:46]
Pasha
That's what you want. Sort of between days at a dance.
- [56:49]
Annaleigh Ashford
Competition, like seeing you at like one in the morning and somebody being like, I saw that girl singing Gypsy this afternoon.
- [56:55]
Sufi
Literally, that's what happened.
- [56:58]
Annaleigh Ashford
Your grandpa Norm has a real, like, I'm getting, I'm picturing him as Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Just when you said you were on the tour, I think it was that you were on a tour with him at Juilliard and he was there. Like, I think anytime I think of a grandpa on a tour, like it's impossible to think of, like not think of like the Wonka tour.
- [57:16]
Sufi
He also, when he loves candy, by the way, when my grandma passed away, he would come and visit me and Joe before we had Jack. And I remember one time he would sleep on the couch and he would have a big thing of Diet Coke, like a 2 liter thing of Diet Coke. And he didn't know that we were awake and we could see him. He'd be laying there and just open up a 2 liter of diet Coke and just take a swig. Not cold, like it was a bottle of water. Who does that? And pink candies. Do you guys like pink candies?
- [57:55]
Pasha
No, those like soft sort of almost circus peanut kind of things?
- [58:00]
Sufi
Yeah, they're like Pepto Bismol candies.
- [58:02]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [58:02]
Pasha
Oh yeah.
- [58:03]
Sufi
Him and my mom love them. Diet Coke. Uh oh, that's esophagus fire.
- [58:09]
Annaleigh Ashford
My father in law, who I love very much, is his ability to just like fall asleep. He takes like 10 cat naps a day, very short ones. And again, he's an incredibly active grandfather. Like the amount he does with my kids, I have no complaints about this man. But every time he falls asleep, he looks like he's dead. And I, every single time I take a picture and I send it to my wife and my sister in law and I just write, sorry for your loss.
- [58:37]
Sufi
Question. Does he need a CPAP machine?
- [58:42]
Annaleigh Ashford
He might need. He might have a CPAP at night.
- [58:45]
Sufi
Really? Great.
- [58:46]
Annaleigh Ashford
He might.
- [58:47]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [58:47]
Annaleigh Ashford
Because it is like.
- [58:49]
Sufi
And you're like, are you breathing well at night? Are you having good sleep or is this just sleeping?
- [58:54]
Pasha
The last time I saw him sleeping, he was sitting by his pool in Martha's Vineyard and he just sort of like knocked off and he had been up early and he'd been doing all this stuff and like he really is, he's.
- [59:06]
Annaleigh Ashford
He's an early bird and a night owl. Yeah.
- [59:10]
Sufi
Isn't that our dream.
- [59:10]
Pasha
And sitting by his pool, sleeping. And one of your kids, Seth, it was either Ash or Axel, just like, hit him in the dick.
- [59:18]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [59:19]
Pasha
And like, the poor man, I mean, he's like. He's been doing so much, like, for the kids on this day, and just a quick punch.
- [59:27]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [59:28]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [59:29]
Sufi
I don't know what that feels like, but apparently it hurts your tummy.
- [59:33]
Annaleigh Ashford
Everything about it's bad. It hurts your. Everything.
- [59:35]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [59:36]
Sufi
It hurts your soul. Little kids, though, like, Jack will be like, oh, I feel it all the way in my tummy. It's like, what does that mean?
- [59:44]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah, my elevator in our apartment building has like brass bars, you know, which I don't even know what they're for, but every day, hold on. Seven year old.
- [59:56]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [59:57]
Annaleigh Ashford
He crawls out, he gets up, so he's like, feet on the brass. And I'm always like, you're going to hurt yourself. He's like, I'm fine. I know how to do it. And then the other day he fell down and like. Like, I guess landed on his penis somehow. And he's so mad when you, you. I mean, again, anybody's mad when you laugh at their pain, but you. I even, you know, again, he's seven. I'm. I want to say, like, but you can understand why it's funny to me. Like, I told you not to do a thing, and then you fell and landed on your genitals.
- [60:25]
Sufi
On your genitals. Boom. Which is also. I feel like when it comes to, like, dicks, I'm like, I don't know. I have no idea. Go tell your dad.
- [60:35]
Annaleigh Ashford
You know, look, I will tell you this, like, the thing that always. And thank God I'm. I'm married to who I'm married to. Having gone through puberty, I still have no sense of what the best way to explain it to somebody who's about to go through it is. You know what I mean?
- [60:49]
Sufi
I know.
- [60:49]
Annaleigh Ashford
Like, I feel like. I'm like, it's just a wild ride, man. You gotta make it your own.
- [60:54]
Pasha
Hold on.
- [60:55]
Sufi
Also, you know, we have like a little baby girl. So that's been interesting to be, like, on the way home from school, like, two days ago, Jack was like, so wait a second. Like, I don't understand where you pee out of. He, like, genuinely was like, why do you sit down to pee? Like, why can't you just stand? And then I was like, bud, I got some news for you. We have three holes. And he was. He was blown away and then could not stop laughing and Then I couldn't stop laughing because it is crazy. And then he was like, no, mom, you have more holes than that. What about these? And he pointed to his nose and his ears, you know? And you were like, you're right, it's his fault. I was like, I have seven, you only have six. And then I had to really think about it because even though I did graduate at 19, as you've seen, my.
- [61:43]
Annaleigh Ashford
Math is that you skipped holes. The BYU program didn't have a holes class.
- [61:48]
Pasha
But that's more of a Mormon business.
- [61:50]
Annaleigh Ashford
That's a Mormon thing. They're like, holes is that's.
- [61:53]
Sufi
They don't have any holes. They have to hide them with their garments.
- [61:57]
Annaleigh Ashford
Our daughter, because the boys have a bunk bed and she's still in a crib, she, the other day goes, I can't wait till I have a penis so I can get my own bed. I was like, oh, that's. You've. You have made a mistake in causal relationships.
- [62:13]
Sufi
That's so sweet. Aw, how precious.
- [62:17]
Annaleigh Ashford
It is always such a delight to see you. Due to your effervescent nature, people will be surprised to know that you're also in a very scary and dark and wonderful show, the thanks Queen called Happy Face.
- [62:31]
Sufi
Thank you. Yes, I'm in a crime drama. I'm in a very serious, true crime drama. Yes.
- [62:37]
Annaleigh Ashford
Before we let you go though, Josh is gonna ask you some questions. Speed that everybody gets.
- [62:43]
Pasha
You can only pick one of these. Is your ideal vacation relaxing, adventurous, or educational?
- [62:49]
Sufi
Can I say all three? No.
- [62:52]
Annaleigh Ashford
Famously, the beginning of it was you.
- [62:54]
Pasha
Can only pick one.
- [62:54]
Sufi
Oh, I know, I'm sorry. Okay, well, if I could say what I really think, it's like I want them to be all of that, but I would say adventure, because I can't, like, I can't not explore. I can't relax kind of on a vacation.
- [63:08]
Pasha
Okay, what is your favorite means of transportation?
- [63:15]
Sufi
I like to take a plane to get places.
- [63:19]
Annaleigh Ashford
Great. Okay, great.
- [63:23]
Pasha
If you could take a vacation with any family, alive or dead, real or fictional, other than your own family, what family would you like to take a trip with?
- [63:31]
Sufi
The Kardashians. Cuz they rich. They're so rich. The travel experience of that, I think you would be really exceptional because they're just so, so disgustingly rich. And I find them fascinating.
- [63:45]
Pasha
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [63:46]
Annaleigh Ashford
You're not alone.
- [63:48]
Pasha
If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one member of your family, who would it be?
- [63:54]
Sufi
Papa.
- [63:55]
Pasha
Yeah.
- [63:56]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [63:57]
Pasha
You are from Denver. That's correct. Yeah.
- [64:00]
Sufi
Yes, sir.
- [64:01]
Pasha
Would you recommend Denver as a vacation destination?
- [64:05]
Sufi
Absolutely. Not only has it become super cool as a destination for the younger generation. So that means that it does like great coffee shops and great restaurants and great young people activities which always make a city cool to be in, but it also has the beauty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. So you can have a really cool afternoon downtown and then you can drive up to the mountains and have an incredible outdoor person experience. So you get the best of both worlds. I think it's. I think it's one of the. It's one of the top tens.
- [64:43]
Pasha
Yeah, yeah. Agree. And then Seth has our final questions.
- [64:48]
Annaleigh Ashford
Have you been to the Grand Canyon?
- [64:50]
Sufi
The Grand Canyon, that's what we call it in my family because my brother was four, my sister was two, I was stuck in the middle seat and we went there for spring break one year, which was sort of a nightmare for me. But yes, we have seen the Grand Canyon and our pop.
- [65:07]
Annaleigh Ashford
Why do you call it that?
- [65:08]
Sufi
Because my little brother would be like, are we going to the Grand Canyon? And we had a pop up trailer, you know, that you take behind. We had a Bronco and then the pop up trailer and I slept on one side and the whole family slept on the other side. And the heater broke in the middle of the night at the Grand Canyon. But I was in my dad's like hunting sleeping bag that is like for below zero temperatures. So I was fine and everybody else was cold.
- [65:34]
Annaleigh Ashford
My follow up question is, do you think the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is worth it?
- [65:40]
Sufi
No.
- [65:41]
Annaleigh Ashford
Great.
- [65:41]
Sufi
Can you believe I said that?
- [65:43]
Annaleigh Ashford
I can. And I love you for it. I can't. You know what? I believe it's true. I just can't believe you had the courage to say it.
- [65:49]
Sufi
I had the balls to say it like I saw it once. I think I'm good.
- [65:53]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yep.
- [65:53]
Sufi
It's a big. It is a big hole.
- [65:56]
Pasha
You and Seth.
- [65:57]
Annaleigh Ashford
Did you learn that at byu? You learned that at BYU hole class?
- [66:01]
Sufi
I learned that at my BYU hole class.
- [66:03]
Annaleigh Ashford
They only did non people holes. They had a big class on that. You're the best. It's so nice to see you, Annaleigh.
- [66:12]
Sufi
So good to see you. This was my. This was my favorite hour of the week. I'm gonna. I'm gonna go in the other room now and feed my baby. Maybe from my breast, maybe not.
- [66:20]
Pasha
We'll see. All right.
- [66:21]
Annaleigh Ashford
Dealer's choice.
- [66:22]
Pasha
Well, we know what she wants, so.
- [66:23]
Annaleigh Ashford
Yeah.
- [66:24]
Sufi
Yeah.
- [66:25]
Annaleigh Ashford
Thank you. Be well.
- [66:26]
Sufi
Have a good day.
- [66:27]
Pasha
Thank you so much.
- [66:28]
Sufi
Bye, guys. There.
- [66:40]
D
Out in Colorado was Annalee Ashford. She was just eight she was just.
- [66:52]
Sufi
Eight.
- [66:55]
D
Then there was a brother and a sister too Was this all a mistake Sister was her roommate Carried her brother around Helped her sis when she had a bad dream she was an old soul from the start but had places to be and when she wanted to graduate quickly BYU was king holes in women and dudes are often counted by Annalee's children or how many we.
- [67:52]
Pasha
Have.
- [67:55]
D
It is debatable depends who you ask and how graphic you get and how graphic you get on a drive to Vegas we're going back to Annalee's.
- [68:15]
Annaleigh Ashford
Path.
- [68:18]
D
Papa Norm insisted they'd make it despite lack of gas they made the golden Nugget on fumes stayed at Circus Circus and Papa Norm woke her at midnight poor shrimp cocktail and prime rib two things that live in every dream of every kid but oh don't you.
- [69:02]
Sufi
Sleep on.
- [69:05]
D
Those giant hot dogs they'd give her strength for her talent shows where she'd sing she would sing out of her mouth.
- [69:34]
Sufi
Holy.