The One With Doug & Romy Schorr

Summary

Podcast Summary: For Love and Chocolate – Episode: The One With Doug & Romy Schorr

Introduction

In this heartwarming episode of the “For Love & Chocolate” podcast, hosts Tommy and Tara Gallop, affectionately known as Mr. and Mrs. Truffles, celebrate their podcast’s recent achievements and delve into the enduring love stories of remarkable couples. Produced by Tara Gallop, Tommy Gallop, and Adam Haagen, this episode promises a delightful blend of romance, humor, and insightful relationship advice.

Celebrating Success and Playful Banter

The episode begins with Mr. and Mrs. Truffles sharing exciting news about their podcast’s climb up the charts.

• Mrs. Truffles [00:33]: “So last week we were talking about how we've come up on the charts, and we were consistently within the top 40. Sometimes in the top 30.”
• Mr. Truffles [00:42]: “Crazy.”
• Mrs. Truffles [00:42]: “This last week. Yeah, we got into the top 20. And you know what that means?”
• Mr. Truffles [00:47]: “Tell me.”
• Mrs. Truffles [00:49]: “That means we're almost podcast stars.”

Their excitement is palpable as they discuss the implications of their rising popularity, including the frequent appearances of celebrity tour buses like TMZ on Camden Drive.

• Mr. Truffles [02:07]: “…if I'm out and about, I will absolutely engage. They want to know what celebrities have come through, but at the end of the day, they really want our chocolate.”

Engaging with Tour Buses

The hosts amusingly recount their interactions with tour bus passengers, sharing how they incorporate their chocolates into these encounters.

• Mr. Truffles [02:12]: “…if they come in after the tour and show me their lanyard, they get a champagne truffle.”

They joke about potentially expanding their podcast’s theme to include murder mysteries, showcasing their playful chemistry.

• Mr. Truffles [03:09]: “Well, Mr. Truffles, I think that is a lovely idea.”
• Mr. Truffles [03:13]: “Yeah, we'll call it Love and Chocolate and Murder.”

Introducing the Special Guests: Herb and Minerva Snuffleguard

The episode transitions to introduce Herb and Minerva Snuffleguard, an inspiring couple married for 80 years, who join Tommy and Tara to share their wisdom on marriage.

• Mrs. Truffles [04:00]: “…for people who don't know the Snuffleguard, they experts on marriage because they have been married for 80 years, they're very wise.”

Listener Questions and Expert Advice

Herb and Minerva address listener questions, providing thoughtful and sometimes humorous responses.

1. Jill’s TikTok Concern

   • Jill’s Question [04:16]: “…my husband has become obsessed with TikTok…”
   • Herb [05:24]: “TikTok's amazing. It keeps you on time. Your TikTok tick. Tock goes that clock.”
   • Mrs. Truffles [05:21]: “That's very insightful.”

2. Andrea’s Shoe Size Dilemma

   • Andrea’s Question [05:24]: “…my boyfriend and I discovered that we actually wear the same shoe size…”
   • Herb’s Response [06:31]: Shares a nostalgic story about how he met Minerva at a gas station, intertwining their personal love story with Andrea’s concern.

The Snuffleguards’ Love Story

Herb and Minerva recount their first meeting and the blossoming of their relationship, filled with charming anecdotes and meaningful moments.

• Herb [12:31]: “…we met in 1984, in the fall… I ended up dancing with a beautiful girl.”
• Minerva [14:42]: “…the song ends. I'm like, oh my gosh, how am I gonna get out of this?”

Their narrative illustrates the serendipitous nature of their connection, culminating in romantic gestures and enduring commitment.

• Herb’s Proposal [25:21]: “Will you marry me?”
• Mr. Truffles [28:04]: “That is amazing. Yeah.”

Marriage Insights and Advice

Herb and Minerva share their secrets to a lasting marriage, emphasizing the importance of laughter, mutual respect, and continuous growth both together and individually.

• Minerva [31:26]: “Laughter is important. So important.”
• Herb [31:27]: “Having fun together, making each other laugh.”
• Minerva [32:54]: “…putting the relationship as a priority. Foster a connection with each other.”

They highlight practical tips such as spending quality time apart to nurture individual interests while also sharing experiences to strengthen their bond.

• Minerva [32:57]: “We've always gone away on weekends or longer by ourselves.”
• Herb [33:11]: “Having respect to say you have this interest, you should develop that.”

Advice for Young Couples

Addressing their own children’s generation, Herb and Minerva offer heartfelt advice on nurturing meaningful relationships in an age of fleeting connections.

• Herb [33:45]: “What happened to us? You have to give it a chance. …
• Minerva [34:23]: “…be the person that you would want to find. Right. So if you want a kind, caring, adventurous, fun, loving person, be that person…”

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Mr. and Mrs. Truffles reflect on the invaluable lessons learned from Herb and Minerva, reinforcing the core themes of love, commitment, and the sweet journey of marriage.

• Mr. Truffles [35:29]: “…it takes work, but I would say for you two, what I know, it's pretty carefree, and it just works.”
• Minerva [36:10]: “…once in a while, bring her chocolate.”

They express gratitude towards their guests, encouraging listeners to cherish and nurture their relationships, much like the enduring bond shared by Herb and Minerva.

Notable Quotes

• Mrs. Truffles [00:33]: “That means we're almost podcast stars.”
• Herb Snuffleguard [05:24]: “TikTok's amazing. It keeps you on time. Your TikTok tick. Tock goes that clock.”
• Minerva Snuffleguard [31:26]: “Laughter is important. So important.”
• Herb Snuffleguard [33:45]: “What happened to us? You have to give it a chance.”

Closing Remarks

The episode concludes with a warm farewell from the hosts, inviting listeners to visit their Beverly Hills store and stay tuned for more inspiring love stories.

• Mr. Truffles [37:38]: “…thank you guys so much for sharing with us. That was fantastic. What a sweet story.”
• Mrs. Truffles [37:41]: “Goodbye, Mrs. Truffles.”

Final Thoughts

This episode of “For Love & Chocolate” masterfully blends personal anecdotes, expert advice, and genuine camaraderie, offering listeners both entertainment and valuable insights into the art of sustaining a loving relationship. Whether you’re a long-time listener or new to the podcast, the stories shared by Herb and Minerva Snuffleguard are sure to inspire and warm your heart.

Transcript

[Mr. Truffles]

From deep in the heart of Beverly Hills, you found For Love and chocolate with Mr. And Mrs. Truffles.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, welcome back to the show, everybody.

[Mr. Truffles]

Welcome back, everybody. You have a big, perky smile, don't you, Mrs. Truffles?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, I have a good reason for it, Mr. Truffles.

[Mr. Truffles]

Why don't you tell me?

[Mrs. Truffles]

So last week we were talking about how we've come up on the charts, and we were consistently within the top 40. Sometimes in the top 30.

[Mr. Truffles]

Crazy.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, hello. This last week. Yeah, we got into the top 20.

[Mr. Truffles]

We did.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And you know what that means?

[Mr. Truffles]

Tell me.

[Mrs. Truffles]

That means we're almost podcast stars.

[Mr. Truffles]

Really?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

I. I gotta tell you, it is thrilling to be in the company of so many of these wonderful podcasters.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, I think the more thrilling thing is that I'm pretty sure that from now on, when the TMZ bus comes down our street, which they do all day, every day.

[Mr. Truffles]

They do? Yep.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Along with all the other sightseeing buses. Camden Drive is a big route for the big tourist buses.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And I'm pretty sure that we are going to be the main feature now.

[Mr. Truffles]

Do you think so?

[Mrs. Truffles]

No.

[Mr. Truffles]

You don't think we're the celebrity signing?

[Mrs. Truffles]

No, but we're on our way.

[Mr. Truffles]

It's so sweet when the TMZ comes by that bus, that big red bus. Tish the dish is kind of our favorite tour guide.

[Mrs. Truffles]

She's a good egg.

[Mr. Truffles]

She is. And she always mentions us. She mentions torture chocolates, she mentions Mr. And Mrs. Truffles, she mentions our podcast. And if I'm out and about, I will absolutely engage. They want to know what celebrities have come through, but at the end of the day, they really want our chocolate. So it's not been unusual for me, if I've got a moment, to actually get on the bus with all of the TMZ patrons and give away some champagne truffles.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah. Sometimes you do a trivia thing.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah. Yep. It comes with a price. They have to play my little silly games.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah, you always have fun games to.

[Mr. Truffles]

Play also, and it's shameless. But I do force them to download our podcast if they want to explain.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Why we are so big in Peoria.

[Mr. Truffles]

They love us in Peoria. Yeah. But it's all. It's. It's fun. And they all. They have their lanyards, and if they come in after the tour and show me their lanyard, they. They get a champagne truffle. Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah. It's really nice.

[Mr. Truffles]

It's fun. I know that when I go on those, I mean, I don't do a lot of celebrity tours and.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Have you ever been on a celebrity tour?

[Mr. Truffles]

I don't know, but if I. If I visit another city like Boston, I know that I did the.

[Mrs. Truffles]

The Boston Strangler tour.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah. Wait, you know that exists, right?

[Mrs. Truffles]

I'm not surprised.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah, yeah, it was like. The thing is, it's a midnight tour and you visit all these graveyards and, and these, I guess, homes of victims and.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay, well, that sounds like fodder for another podcast.

[Mr. Truffles]

Not very Love and Chocolatey. There's so many murder in Boston Strangler podcasts out there. Maybe we should get on the bandwagon.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, Mr. Truffles, I think that is a lovely idea.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah, we'll call it Love and Chocolate and Murder.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, that's how you get to number one, I think.

[Mr. Truffles]

Clearly. Welcome to Love, Chocolate and murder.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, Mr. Truffles, I'm very excited today and I think you know why.

[Mr. Truffles]

I think I know why, too.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes, we have our very wise sage and illustrious experts, Herb and Minerva Snuffleguard coming to answer questions with us.

[Mr. Truffles]

Cannot wait.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I think it's time.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, it's time. Ask the expert.

[Mrs. Truffles]

All right. Well, welcome back to the show, Herb and Minerva.

[Mr. Truffles]

We're so happy. Very good to be back here.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So wonderful to see you. Thank you. So good to see you. And for people who, who don't know the Snuffle guards, they experts on marriage because they have been married for 80 years, they're very wise.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Is that right, Minerva? Has it really been that long?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Has it been 80? Indeed.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Oh, my God.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wonderful. Well, we have some very good questions for you today that I think your long time experience in marriage will make you experts to answer the first question in our mailbag. And of course, these are written to us and I'm going to read it for you guys to answer. Dear Mr. And Mrs. Truffles, I've really been enjoying your show and I'm hoping you might have some advice for me. I have been happily married to Morris for 30 years, but lately he has been worrying me. He has become obsessed with TikTok. He is on TikTok morning, noon and night, watching all kinds of racy things that I'm not sure a 60 year old man should be looking at. What do you think I should do about the TikTok? Thanks, Jill. So what do you think about the TikTok? TikTok's amazing. It keeps you on time. Your TikTok tick. Tock goes that clock.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Oh, wow, that's.

[Mrs. Truffles]

That's very insightful.

[Mr. Truffles]

It is Insightful.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Thank you. Now, I have another question that I think you guys can really help us with. This one comes from a young woman named Andrea. Dearest Truffles, I am a 30 year old gal with a fairly new relationship. As we've only been dating for about four months. My boyfriend and I had a good laugh early on when we discovered that we actually wear the same shoe size. Problem is that now I've caught him trying on my pumps several times. Aside from stretching out the heels of my pumps, should I be worrying about his preoccupation with my pumps? Sincerely, Andrea. Well, Herb and Minerva, tell us, what do you think about those pumps? Well, actually, that's where we first met. He worked the pumps as a gas station in our youth. He worked at the pumps? He did. And he pumped gas. And he had on a beautiful, very handsome outfit. A pumping outfit.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

I did indeed. It was the flying A. And I pumped the gas so well. Especially when you pulled up. I could pump the gas. And I might add, I could do a little small talk with you, but I always made sure your car was filled up because that pumping station was the pride of my 17 year old life.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Was that how you two first met at the pumps? It was. Wow, that's so sweet.

[Mr. Truffles]

You know what, Herb? I don't know if we know how you proposed to Minerva, so I picked.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Her up, put her on the stool, I got down on my knee and it went something like this. Picture you upon my knee with T for 2 and 2 for T and me for you and you for me alone do nobody near us to see us or hear us no friends or relations on weekend vacations we won't have it known that we own a telephone oh, dear. Oh, day will break and you'll awake and start to bake A chocolate cake for me to take for all the boys to see do, do, do, do we can share a chocolate or three A caramel for you and a truffle. Can you see how happy we will be?

[Mr. Truffles]

We will be.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, Herb, that was just lovely.

[Mr. Truffles]

I just feel like I'm right there with you at the soda fountain, watching you sing to her and propose. Wow. So beautiful.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Herb, it seems like just such a short time ago. And you know, Minerva, I love you as much today as I did at the soda fountain all those years ago.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, er, okay, Mr. Truffles. Well, why don't we talk about our next romantic couple that we have coming in today?

[Mr. Truffles]

Well, okay, Mrs. Truffles, we have Tony and Christine Alcantra. Now, Tony graduated from the university of Michigan in 1985. Go blue. Then he graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1989. He was an assistant clinical professor of radiology at Wayne State University and Central Michigan University, a fellow of the American College of Radiology, chairman of radiology at Henry Ford St. John Hospital since 2006, and maybe most importantly, director of the grunions since 2004, a men's a cappella group in Detroit that is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Christine also went to the University of Michigan in 1986, go blue. And worked as a cardiac ultrasound tech part time while raising three boys. Then in her 50s. In 2020, she returned to get a master's degree in social work from Wayne State University and now works as a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and addiction. Together, these two. I'm sorry, sweetie. I don't know if they're lovebirds or if they love birds, but they enjoy traveling, playing golf, and attending live music and sporting events. They've raised three boys with whom they enjoy playing music and share that with others with a yearly Christmas video posted on their Al Capt Cantra Family YouTube channel. And we'll be sitting down with these two bird lovers when we come back with more for love and chocolate. For over 40 years, toyshare has been a staple in the Beverly Hills community. Like so many other families in the community, our family has had a long standing love affair with Toyshire chocolates. Over the years, we form traditions and memories around these extraordinary Swiss chocolates and the enchanting wonderland of fantasy truffle boxes inside our store. Today, our family is proud to be carrying on the toy shoe tradition in Beverly Hills.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Welcome back to the podcast.

[Mr. Truffles]

Well, welcome back, Ms. Truffles. We've got a very special couple with us today.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I'm so excited.

[Mr. Truffles]

Here's the thing. You know how I say I've known these people for 30 years?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Sometimes you say that like, I've known.

[Mr. Truffles]

These two for 40 years.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

What?

[Mr. Truffles]

Yes, it's true. And you know what else? I think you know a lot about someone by the contents of their pockets.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay?

[Mr. Truffles]

And all I'm gonna say is that my friend Tony, and he's here with his beautiful wife, Christine. Tony, at any given time, in his pockets will have marbles, a Dakota ring, and a pitch pipe. And tell me I'm wrong, Tony, tell me I'm wrong. Because he's got a beautiful singing voice and we used to sing in the Friars, which is a male octave out of the University of Michigan. And they came all the way from Detroit, Michigan, to Be with us today.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, well, welcome, you guys.

[Mr. Truffles]

Welcome, guys.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

So nice to be here.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

We're happy to be here.

[Mrs. Truffles]

How long have you guys been married for?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

36 years.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow. Good for you. That's amazing.

[Mr. Truffles]

A siren or a bell?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

That's shocking.

[Mr. Truffles]

It's shocking to you? 36 years? How did that happen? Right?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

I have no idea.

[Mr. Truffles]

But together for 40.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

It's been 40 years since we met.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Wow. Well, why don't we go ahead and get into it? Why don't you guys tell us how you first met?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Well, we met in 1984, in the fall. It was the beginning of school at the University of Michigan. I was a senior. Tom mentioned that we were in a group called the Friars together. We were in the Glee club together. And at the beginning of the year, I got invited to a party that Tommy's fraternity was throwing me and another friar went, great party.

[Mr. Truffles]

Who was the other friar that came?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Darryl. Darryl.

[Mr. Truffles]

Daniel didn't care for him. I love Daryl. I'm kidding. Sorry.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Nobody says that about Darryl.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

They had a great dance floor. I ended up dancing with a beautiful girl. Just so happened that we were dancing next to Tommy, and Tommy was also danc. With another beautiful girl. She started to look at me, and all of a sudden, Tommy was introducing us.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

That's true. Tony's parents and my father went to the same medical school in the Philippines.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

We had a lot of mutual friends. Like, people at Michigan were like, you know, Tony. I'm like, no, I don't. I don't know who. I don't know. And that summer, I had gone to a high school graduation party where the Friars were singing. And so then I knew what he looked like, even though I did not meet him. I just thought it was very odd that we didn't know each other. It just felt awkward. Uh, I thought, oh, that's that guy. Maybe I should meet him. So that if we're ever. It just felt like the right thing to do. So Tommy introduced us at the party.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Tommy introduced you guys. So you were dancing with Tommy, and you were dancing with someone else.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Right.

[Mrs. Truffles]

And then you two started looking at each other.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

It was like a nice introduction.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

So then later in the party, I was standing on the steps looking at the dance floor. All of a sudden, Christine starts walking up to me, and she says, hey, you want to dance? I said, sure. And so we walked down to the dance floor. I turn around to look at my friend Daryl, and he's like, yeah. And so we danced and we danced for. For a couple songs and after that, we kind of split up and went on to the rest of the party.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

What happened was this guy, never saw him before, never saw him since. I'm going to be polite. Probably not. Someone from your fraternity had a feeling, okay. And he asked me to dance. And I'm not going to say no. You know, I mean, it's just rude. I'm not gonna say no. So we go to dance. But do you remember the stairs came down? Right. I walked behind. Underneath the stairs so no one would.

[Mr. Truffles]

See him to hide him. You took him behind the stairs to dance?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah, so that no one would see you dancing with this guy. So then I'm like, the song ends. I'm like, oh my gosh, how am I gonna get out of this? And I see Tony standing on the stairs. And it was the first weekend of school, right? I said I thought, oh, I'll go talk to him and so I can.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Get away from this other guy.

[Mr. Truffles]

Wow.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh my God.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

So I went up and asked Tony to take.

[Mr. Truffles]

That's the impetus.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

She told this other guy, I see an old friend of mine I haven't seen in a long time. I'm gonna go talk to him, right?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

That's what I did. I know. We just danced and then we danced.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

But since she came to ask me to dance, I thought, hey, she's a little interested in me, all right?

[Mr. Truffles]

She's not trying to get away from the creepers. She actually likes me.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

A couple days later, I called the tried out house where she was a tride out. So I, you know, didn't have a phone number or anything for her. So I just called the house. Because they have a house phone, right?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

That's what you did back then.

[Mr. Truffles]

That's it.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Right.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Who answers the house phone but Christine? I said, can I speak to Christine Armada? This is she speaking.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

So once again, I'm. I'm being polite. Instead of the phone just ringing and ringing and ringing, I'm just gonna answer.

[Mr. Truffles]

Might be the man of your dreams. You just never know.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

I didn't really think of that, but.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

So we talked and we arranged to have a date later that week. We went on our first date after that, which was a boring date.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Very boring.

[Mr. Truffles]

It was a boring date.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

It was the worst date I've ever been on. We went to, if you remember, the Nectarine Ballroom. The Nectarine Ballroom. The place to go. And it was long play night, so they played the 15 minute version of every song. Hell. Oh, well, like we were. It was. We were too similar. We were too Similar. I'm like, oh, yeah, I've been there. I've done that. Yeah.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah. We know this person. We know that person.

[Mr. Truffles]

Did you both feel like it was not a great day?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah, because we knew so many people in common that were like, oh, I, you know, I refer to this person as my cousin. She referred to that person as sort of her cousin too, or friend.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

You know, it was almost like she's like a cousin.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You guys kind of come from the same tight knit community.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

My mom is Caucasian, so we weren't as part of that.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It's a Filipino community. Yeah.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah. So I was kind of outside of it.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Well, I felt like I kind of screwed up, so I had to do something to make up for that.

[Mr. Truffles]

Okay.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

The World Series was coming up. Detroit Tigers were in the World Series. So my roommate and I, we said, okay, we're gonna find some dates and bring them to the World Series.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Fun.

[Mr. Truffles]

Wow.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

We went out Friday night. It was our bad first date Sunday.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

We ran into each other at the library.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

And once again, I was polite because I'm like, oh, my gosh, there's Tony. I should probably go say hello to him. Even though, like, that was the worst date ever. So I. Hey, Tony, how you doing?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

I said, hey, you want to go to the World Series?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Absolutely.

[Mr. Truffles]

Did you know if she was a baseball fan?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

I don't think she was a baseball fan. It didn't matter. It was one of the Series.

[Mr. Truffles]

And so you immediately, yeah, of course.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

I'm gonna go to the World Series.

[Mr. Truffles]

Look at you.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah. Cuz the second date was October 13th. And I remember that because October 14th was when the Tigers won the World Series. And Tommy and I sang the national anthem at that World Series.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah, we did. Wasn't it?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Or was it five?

[Mr. Truffles]

Game five.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Our date was game four. And then game five. The glee club sang the national anthem. We got to stay for the game. And just a thrilling experience.

[Mr. Truffles]

Vin Scully called it one of the most beautiful renditions he never heard.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

As our buses are almost turned over by the rioters after the victory. It was scintillating and horrifying. All of us.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

That's right.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

It was the fourth game of the World Series. Tiger Stadium. We were sitting in the upper bleachers. My mom and my sister were in seats next to us on our second date. Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, wow.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

So Alan Trammell hits this home run.

[Mr. Truffles]

Alan Trammell is a professional baseball player and played for the Detroit Tigers for 20 years. His talents helped them win the World Series in 1984.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

The crowd goes crazy. I look over at Christine and I kiss her.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

It's true.

[Mr. Truffles]

Whoa.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Second date right in front of your mom and sister.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yes, Tony.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, my God.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It was like a celebratory, like, yay kiss.

[Mr. Truffles]

It wasn't a passionate sentiment.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

It was not a proper kiss.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

We ended up having a good time. I think my mom gave me some cash. She said, go, go take her out to dinner.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Ooh, I didn't know that.

[Mr. Truffles]

The blessing.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

I didn't know that.

[Mr. Truffles]

Filipino blessing.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

So we drove back to Ann Arbo, and then we went to a movie. It was a long day. A long.

[Mr. Truffles]

Still the same day.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Oh, well, we're driving back from Detroit to Ann Arbor, and his roommate's driving, and he said, what are you doing now, everyone? And I was like, well, I actually have to study. Chuck gave me the worst evil eye in the rearview mirror, and I was like, oh. Or not. And then we went to a movie. I don't know why we went to.

[Mr. Truffles]

A movie after the game and the dinner. You went to a movie? Okay.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

I held her hand in the movie.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Theater, and it was a good day.

[Mr. Truffles]

I'm sorry, but that sounds like it was moving kind of quickly. I mean, listen, the kiss is intimate, but holding hands. No, really. No, that is. That's a big move.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Really.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right? I think so. Don't you?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, you know what? It is, especially at that age when you're so young and innocent and, like, the first time someone takes your hand. So, like, wow. Okay, this is on. This is happening.

[Mr. Truffles]

Come with me.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah, actually.

[Mr. Truffles]

And I still haven't held her hand for the moment.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

And then I think we had a proper kiss as I took her home to the tried out house.

[Mr. Truffles]

Thank you, Alan Trammel.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Exactly.

[Mr. Truffles]

Good job, man. Without that home run.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah. So after that, actually, the Trident house, there was a rule. The guys that were dating the Tridels can thank me because there was sort of a second date rule for a.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

While, like my friends. Right. Oh, it wasn't a good fear state. But like, Christine and Tony, like, maybe I should go on a second date.

[Mr. Truffles]

Wow. You set the standard.

[Mrs. Truffles]

People got second chances.

[Mr. Truffles]

Because I love it.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

So we stayed together, Right. The whole year. At Valentine's Day, I brought the Friars to come serenade her at the Tridel house.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

During dinner.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

It was during dinner, so all the girls were there having dinner. I timed it so that right after dinner, Friars came to serenade the whole sorority. They put Christine in a chair.

[Mr. Truffles]

I remember this.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah. She was Sitting facing the Friars, but her back was towards all the girls, and I was hiding in the back. So I had the Friars sing three or four songs, and then the plan was for me to come out at the last verse of the last song, which was.

[Mr. Truffles]

I just called.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

I just called to say I love you. I was kind of peeking, you know, and in between songs, the girls were just going crazy. Applause and the screaming. Right. When the Friars parted and I came out, it was lost.

[Mr. Truffles]

Like a beetle, Like a Beatles, you.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Know, I'm looking at the girls a little bit. I'm looking at Christine and I'm singing. But you could. You could start to hear the girls crying.

[Mrs. Truffles]

What?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah, they were crying. And we finished the song. All of a sudden I felt like, oh, my gosh, these girls think I'm about to propose. So we quickly left the area. But you gotta d. You know, the other guys that we sang with, Bondo and Tim, they just remember that performance as one of the highlights of the year.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Amazing. So sweet.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

So after that, the guy didn't appreciate me because.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right. How do I top that, Tony?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

The other girls were saying, oh, you should have seen.

[Mrs. Truffles]

What.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

What distinction.

[Mr. Truffles]

Why don't you sing to me?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah.

[Mr. Truffles]

So sweet.

[Mrs. Truffles]

That's so sweet. So you didn't propose then?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

I did not.

[Mrs. Truffles]

How long was it until you did propose?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

So that was 85. I proposed in 1986 after I graduated from Michigan. In 85, I went to New York. We had one year where we were doing long distance because Christine was finishing up her senior year when I was in first year medical school.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

You graduated and then you guys went to Europe for six weeks?

[Mr. Truffles]

Yes, we did.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I've heard so many stories about that summer trip. Yes, they were quite the dapper fellows.

[Mr. Truffles]

I mean, we were all clean cuts. Young man with our blue Glee club jacket, singing in perfect four part harmony. There were 55 of us, I think.

[Mrs. Truffles]

What'S not to love?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

55.

[Mr. Truffles]

And there was never an opportunity that we didn't take to sing.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

When I was in Europe with the club, Christine met my parents.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

That's right. I was doing an internship in Washington, D.C. and they had a place in Atlantic City. So they invited me to meet them in Atlantic City for July, fourth week. So I said, okay, sure, why not? Took the Greyhound bus to Atlantic City. But it was great to get to know his family.

[Mr. Truffles]

Without him, Tony wasn't there.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

He wasn't there.

[Mr. Truffles]

He went down to see his family.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Without him, his parents and his sister to do it. So his parents loved to gamble, you know, and so, so I learned to gamble that weekend. It was super fun. They gamble really well. And we were at one of the casinos, walking out at 5 o'clock in the morning, they're vacuuming, the sun is coming up on the Atlantic, and his parents holding hands. And I thought this would be a nice family to be a part of.

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, that's so sweet.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Right? Talking about holding hands.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right? Yes. The gambling sunset.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

They were so adorable. And it was really good to get to know his sister a little bit. And it was really. I was so happy to have done that actually.

[Mrs. Truffles]

That's amazing. Amazing, actually. Yeah.

[Mr. Truffles]

You're thinking, I want to be in this family of gambling addicts. One armed band.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

You know, his father did pull me aside at one point to say, you know, Christine, this isn't how you actually make money. You know, to live on. This is just fun.

[Mr. Truffles]

It's funny money.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

I said, yeah, I'm well aware of that. But he felt incumbent that he needed to, you know, define it.

[Mrs. Truffles]

He's like, he didn't want to turn you into a gambling addict while his son was in Europe. Right.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah. So that was. It was fun. Commend to people like, spend some time with the family you think you're gonna be a part of, because you're gonna be a part of them regardless of where you live. Right. It doesn't matter if you're, if they live far away from you, they're still gonna be part of the family.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You marry the whole family.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Absolutely.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay. Yeah.

[Mr. Truffles]

And when did the proposal happen?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Oh, towards the end of medical school, maybe the end of my third year or so. I proposed, I wrote a song and I sang it to her, played the piano. Well, it happened. Well, I ended up transferring schools back to Wayne State. I did my third year at Wayne State. And in between third and fourth year was when the proposal happened. 1987, I guess. Fall of 1987. And yeah, I wrote a song, played it on the piano.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Do you want to say where the proposal happened?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

It was in my parents house in the basement.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Right.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Where the piano was.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Right.

[Mr. Truffles]

Did you see it coming?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

I did and didn't. I had just realized that day, earlier in the day, I was like, oh, I think it's the anniversary of the day we met or our first date or something like that. And I was like, oh, oh, should I have said that? Did I ruin something?

[Mr. Truffles]

And okay, so you're in the basement, you've got the ring. Yes.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yes.

[Mr. Truffles]

You've got a song to sing. And you plank her down in your Beanbag chair. And you're like, just listen to this.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Well, we were sitting on the piano bench together.

[Mr. Truffles]

Okay.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

And then after.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Because we had to be by the piano.

[Mr. Truffles]

Was the proposal within the song?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yes, it was.

[Mr. Truffles]

Wow. Do you remember the chorus that got you there at the end?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

It was, you know, something, something, something.

[Mr. Truffles]

No, it wasn't something, something, something. You get to sing it to us now. Uh.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Oh, I don't remember all the words. Will you stay with me forever? Will you grow old? Can we grow old together?

[Mr. Truffles]

Oh, Tony, come on. You came all the way from Motown. Let's do this right.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Will you stand by me forever? Can we share all things together? Will you be my wife? Can I count on you whenever? Can we grow old together? Will you love me the rest of your life? We'll have the whole world at our feet. You'll see our dreams will become reality. It all begins to come true when we both say I do. But first, Christine Marie.

[Mr. Truffles]

Will you marry me? Tony, that's so good. That's so sweet. That's really sweet.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

So we have that in our beautiful first for us.

[Mr. Truffles]

I've never heard of anyone ever proposed through an original song.

[Mrs. Truffles]

That's amazing. You know, we've heard some beautiful stories, but I think you guys might win. That is amazing. Yeah.

[Mr. Truffles]

So you said yes? You said yes.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Of course I did.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I know. Had you guys looked at rings before or did.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah, we looked a little.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So you kind of knew that it was on the table?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah, I told Tony just to pick the ring, but he was like, no, that's too much. Too much money to, like, gamble and remember.

[Mr. Truffles]

But he's from a family of gamblers, right?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

He's not the gambler.

[Mr. Truffles]

So you took a ring shopping before?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yes. We did get an idea of what. What your style was.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah. So then we. He's still in school, you get engaged, and an hour later or whenever they're like. And so when you get engaged, of course, I don't know. I have no idea. But my. Apparently, it was only my mother raised all of us kids. I have two brothers. You cannot get married till you're done with school. I don't know why this was so important to her, but that's what she said. So I'm thinking, well, he's got another year and a half, right? So we probably won't get married for a year and a half. We tell our parents and, well. So when do you think you're gonna get married? And I tell my parents, well, not till Tony's out of school. That's the rule. Like, you can't get married till you're done with school. And they said no, that's ridiculous. Just get married.

[Mr. Truffles]

It's not a rule.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It's not a hard and fast rule.

[Mr. Truffles]

They wanted to get it moving. Right.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Well, I think they knew that we were a good couple.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right.

[Mrs. Truffles]

It's like you were an undergrad. I mean, it's medical school.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah, May. I don't know. And so his parents kind of had the same ring. Just get married, like.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

So we got married that June then.

[Mr. Truffles]

So you were 26.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

I was 25. Christine was 23.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Okay.

[Mr. Truffles]

Whoa, baby, Baby.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

We were. Baby. We weren't about.

[Mrs. Truffles]

We were about that age when we got married. Right.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

For the first time. But I mean, we'd already been together, what, three and a half or four years?

[Mrs. Truffles]

We have had so many long time married couples in here that met in college. There's something to be said for meeting young and starting to build a life together when you're young. Yeah, that's how we used to do it in the old days.

[Mr. Truffles]

Right, the olden times.

[Mrs. Truffles]

The old days.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Well, one thing is nice. It's easy, right.

[Mrs. Truffles]

There's a lot of foundation there.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah, yeah. So.

[Mr. Truffles]

And when you know somebody when they were in their late teens, early 20s. Right. You're watching them grow. I mean, as you're growing, right?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yes.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah.

[Mr. Truffles]

Because we know the frontal lobe isn't fully developed. So you do stupid things, right?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Tony never did stupid things.

[Mr. Truffles]

He really didn't. He really didn't. We all would looked at Tony was the pillar of virtue and good in the world.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So tell us about the wedding. Where did you guys get married?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

We got married in downtown Detroit. St. Peter. And St. Paul is a Catholic church there. Yeah, we got married at the same church my parents got married.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Very sweet.

[Mr. Truffles]

How big was our wedding?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

A couple hundred people, maybe.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Little intimate affair.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Well, I mean, right. It was just right. Yeah, you know, it was just right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mrs. Truffles]

How lovely. And what about the honeymoon? Did you guys take a honeymoon right after.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

So we delayed our honeymoon for a couple of weeks until I had a break in between the third and the fourth year. And then we went to London. London and Paris.

[Mrs. Truffles]

How romantic. So sweet. Now you guys have been married for 30 years.

[Mr. Truffles]

34 years, 36 years.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

It's shocking.

[Mrs. Truffles]

So, 36 years in, how. How do you guys keep your relationship, like, so hot and fun and on track? Like, what's your secret recipe?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

What's our secret recipe?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Having fun together, making each other laugh.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Laughter is important. So important. Right.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

And just doing things, small things, special things. Not necessarily on a special day, because every day is, you know, maybe something a little bit different or a little special.

[Mrs. Truffles]

What are some of the special things you do for Christy?

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

The dishes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Oh, that is real work, Tony.

[Mr. Truffles]

Way to go.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Oh, I love to do the dishes.

[Mr. Truffles]

I know you do. What about flying his beautiful wife out to do our podcast?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah, that is pretty romantic.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah, pretty good.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Giving her a foot rub or massaging her. Her legs.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Just wanting to do something nice for each other and being a couple together. And it's comforting knowing you have each other. We love to do a lot of the same things. We're very like minded in a lot of things. And I think that we also just want to have adventure and fun and are open to, like coming here or going to Atlantic City with his parents or just crazy things. We're always up for something fun and adventurous and we love to do it together. Just, I mean, I've really thought about this. I really think that staying married such a long time is a choice. Things, little things might happen where you're annoyed with each other and you can choose to focus on that or you can choose to remember, oh, he did do the dishes.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Right. Focusing on the good always.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

So, I mean, and putting the relationship as a priority. Foster a connection with each other.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Taking time apart from the boys.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Absolutely. Yeah. We've always gone away on weekends or longer by ourselves.

[Mr. Truffles]

That's nice.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Now, having said that, I think we also do a lot of things on our own and then we bring that experience to share with each other too.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

A lot of growth has happened in 36 years. And sometimes the growth is together and sometimes the growth is apart because you're gonna have different interests. Having the respect to say you have this interest, you should develop that. Allowing someone to develop an interest that is not one of yours, still coming back and sharing it in some other.

[Mr. Truffles]

Being supportive of each other.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Mr. Truffles]

Nice having each other's backs.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah, for sure.

[Mr. Truffles]

You guys have three beautiful, loving boys.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

We do.

[Mrs. Truffles]

When they're looking for a life partner to choose, what advice would you give them?

[Herb Snuffleguard]

I think maybe young people these days, I don't think they give things enough of a chance. Relationships. I think they tend to discard them too quickly.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Right. Because they have this abundance of profiles and so they're too easy to.

[Mr. Truffles]

On to the next part.

[Herb Snuffleguard]

Yeah. I guess if I had advice, it'd be like, what happened to us? You know, you have to give it a chance. Maybe things don't go the way you thought they would the first time, but maybe if you give it a little bit more time and let things develop a little bit longer, maybe you'll find something that could last.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

I think instead of what they should be looking for in somebody or what a relationship should be is be the person that you would want to find. Right. So if you want a kind, caring, adventurous, fun, loving person, be that person, and then you attract that person to you.

[Mr. Truffles]

Interesting.

[Mrs. Truffles]

That's good advice.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah. And if you happen to have the worst first date ever, embrace it. You never know what can come on that Sunday night.

[Mrs. Truffles]

You never know.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

You never know.

[Mr. Truffles]

We're gonna bring Alan Trammell out of retirement. Another home run for your tigers.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah. Yeah. Actually, yeah, we've been very blessed.

[Mr. Truffles]

It takes work, but I would say for you two, what I know, it's pretty carefree, and it just works. You guys are just. We talked about, you have each other's backs, and you respect each other and you love each other and you like to be close, but also you give each other the freedom to fly and be free and come back with a new adventure to share.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Yeah. Right.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Sometimes texting all day long and knowing about every everything you're doing. And then when you come together at the end of the day, you know everything. Right. There's no conversation.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah. I've been taking skydiving lessons, but I have not told her because I want to share. I want to. Surprise.

[Mrs. Truffles]

I can't wait.

[Mr. Truffles]

I think the takeaway of all this for the guys out there is that as long as you continuously massage your lady's feet and legs, you should be okay. Maybe for 36 years.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Well, there's that, there's that, there's that.

[Mrs. Truffles]

All right.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

And once in a while, bring her chocolate.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yes. Bringing it home, Christine. That's why we love you. Well, guys, thank you so much for joining us.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Yeah. Thank you guys so much for sharing with us. That was fantastic. What a sweet story.

[Mr. Truffles]

Yeah. And I hope that you come back in 14 years to celebrate your 50th with us.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

Are we that old? I know we're not that old. We're young at heart.

[Mr. Truffles]

You are young.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

There you go.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, you both look like babies.

[Minerva Snuffleguard]

You do.

[Mr. Truffles]

You do. And anyway, we'll be right back with more for love and chocolate. This podcast is being brought to you by Beverly Hills Toys, Chocolates of Switzerland. Beverly Hills Toyshir at 371 North Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, has been serving up truffles, pralines, dipped fruits, marzipans, and our world famous chocolate bars for over 40 years. So next time you're in Beverly Hills, why don't you come by and visit? Or shop online at Beverly Hills?

[Mrs. Truffles]

Well, what a sweet day it's been.

[Mr. Truffles]

Mr. Truffles really has.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Songs and serenades and sweet couples just hitting it out of the ballpark.

[Mr. Truffles]

Look at what you did. You're like a poet. That was perfect.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Ah, thank you, Mr. Truffles.

[Mr. Truffles]

Well, thank you, Mr. TruFFLES. Well, hey, everyone, thanks again for joining us. And guess what? We're gonna do it again next week. But until then, say goodbye, Mrs. Truffles.

[Mrs. Truffles]

Goodbye, Mrs. Truffles.

[Mr. Truffles]

This show is brought to you by Beverly Hills ToyShare Chocolates of Switzerland, home of the world's first and finest champagne, Truffles. Join us next week for more adventures in everlasting.