Allison Tolman Disobeys Bridger

Summary

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Podcast Summary: I Said No Gifts! – “Allison Tolman Disobeys Bridger”

Host: Bridger Winegar
Guest: Allison Tolman
Release Date: February 19, 2026
Episode Theme: A funny, freewheeling conversation about animals, childhood wildlife rehab, pet hierarchies, children’s books, cults, gifts, and more—with actress Allison Tolman, who, as always, dares to flout the show’s titular rule.

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode is centered around the signature bit of I Said No Gifts!: Bridger Winegar’s “no gifts” policy is once again broken, this time by the delightful actor Allison Tolman. Bridger and Allison launch into a spontaneous, funny, warm, and occasionally absurd conversation about dishwashers, wildlife in Texas, raccoon rehabilitation, pets who rule their households, how to navigate party etiquette, and the genius of children’s books. The discussion is peppered with reflections on nostalgia, culture, and the types of gifts that truly matter—as well as some playful takes on cults, true crime, and mysterious creatures.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Domestic Downfalls: Dishwashers and Lazy Weekends

• Bridger opens with a rant about his out-of-commission office dishwasher, past dishwashing traumas, and considering drastic measures if this one fails.
  • “I feel like when you buy a dishwasher, it should probably last for at least the span of a marriage.” (Bridger, 04:25)
• Allison reminisces about her own non-functional “hot box” dishwasher and how having a good appliance “changed everything.”

2. Bizarre and Wild: Texas Fauna & Mom’s Backyard Zoo

• Texas wildlife horrors:
  • Discussion about javelinas (wild pigs)—their cuteness as babies, but also ferocity (“They will charge and they’ll like gore you. …They’ll kill you. They’re really [dangerous].” – Allison, 07:37).
  • Alligators abound—even in Houston suburbs.
• Allison’s mom’s wildlife rehab:
  • Mom was licensed to raise orphaned raccoons, squirrels, possums, and even one bat (09:10–11:41).
  • Raccoons occasionally bottle-fed during family weddings; Allison helped as a kid: “We had raccoons at my brother's wedding because they had to be bottle fed in between the ceremony and the—you know, so…” (Allison, 10:09)
  • Description of rehabilitation—teaching raccoons to wash grapes in a dog bowl before releasing them (“white fang them”).

3. The Delicate Art of Pet Ownership

• Cats and canines:
  • Allison’s beloved cat Bud: a rescue, possibly 11-12, toothless, one nostril, but “a prince” (13:16–15:06).
  • Bridger describes life post-pet loss, new rescue dog chaos (“puppies are menaces. They are monster creatures,” 16:43), and how pets assign roles to household members (“She listens to him and just puts me in danger.” – Bridger, 17:40).
• Pets and (not) having children:
  • Both agree animals now occupy a greater emotional space—“pouring all of my resources into this thing that bites me” (Bridger, 19:41).
  • Pet-sitting logistics have evolved: “Bud is so spoiled that someone just comes and house sits…he has his own experience.” (Allison, 18:58)

4. Allison Tolman’s Forbidden Gift

• Gift reveal (24:52–25:09):
  • Allison brings Bridger the children’s book We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen (signed by the author!)
  • “I’m a big fan of having children’s books around that are funny and touching and interesting. So I have a copy of this…This is my favorite because it’s really about friendship.” (Allison, 26:58)
  • We Found a Hat is the third in Klassen’s “hat” trilogy—Bridger marvels at the art, and together they discuss related favorites (The Kissing Hand, Where The Wild Things Are).

5. Children’s Books as Adult Gifts

• Both find value in children’s literature for all ages:
  • “Some children’s books...as an adult you feel like you would have no feeling on any of them. But it kind of spoke to me.” (Allison, 32:48)
  • Tips for gifting books to new parents versus giving obvious classics.

6. Adulthood, Party Etiquette, and Gift-Giving Philosophy

• Party gifts dilemma (53:40–55:46):
  • Both agree: if a host says “bring nothing,” they obey and feel “smug” when others bring gifts—consistency and honesty trump performative politeness.
    • “You told me not to bring anything, I’m going to believe you.” (Allison, 56:14)
  • Re-gifting wine: a running joke about one immortal bottle circulating forever.

7. Luncheon > Lunch; Other Social Conventions

• They champion the word “luncheon” for its slight classiness, even without gloves:
  • “Lunch is for slobs. Luncheon is for ladies. Get your white gloves on.” (Allison, 57:52)

8. True Crime, Cults, and Streaming Overload

• On multiple docuseries about the same case:
  • Both admit it’s a “curse” but love it as a “gift” (58:10–59:08); enjoy picking apart different angles and agendas.
  • “They are juicing these things. And so a lot of documentaries are bad at this point. If you saw the bad one, just hop over to another streaming service, you might get a better version.” (Bridger, 59:11)
• Scientology in LA:
  • Stories about wandering around the Celebrity Center, “Museum of Death,” staff on ladders, and chain-smoking cult workers (35:35–38:36).

9. Miscellany: Animal Quizzes, Cult Geography, and Books

• Animal types:
  • Digression into the differences between crocodiles, alligators, and caimans; aquatic iguanas and Komodo dragons (40:02–41:22).
• Reading habits:
  • Allison champions re-reading as a way to rekindle her interest in literature.
  • “You read a book once just to figure it out, and then you go back through and you really experience what the author was doing.” (Bridger, 48:45)

10. Game Segment: Gift or a Curse

• Highlights:
  • Not bringing gifts to a dinner when told not to: “Gift.”
  • Calling a lunch event a "luncheon": "Gift"
  • Multiple documentaries on the same topic: “Curse, but a gift for obsessive types.”
  • Special segment: Wii Sports—gift or curse?
    • Allison: "curse" (because of Wii Fit’s backhanded roommate-shaming); Bridger: "gift" for its unifying fun.
    • Producer rules: “gift” for bringing all together (68:33).

11. Listener Advice: Gifting for the Person Who Has Everything

• Scenario: Partner who buys himself everything (SodaStream in every color, hobbies galore).
• Solutions:
  • “What’s something he wouldn’t buy for himself?” (Allison, 71:17)
  • Suggestions: experiences over objects (massage, woodworking classes, airline miles to visit friends), or something so excessive it’s funny (“another SodaStream—for his car!”).
  • Bridger riffs: “TrunkStream—SodaStream for the car. …the amount of money I should be making off these ideas.” (72:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "They will charge and they'll like gore you. ...They'll kill you...it's just gerrymandering. I think they're just trying to—In Texas. I think that's the main thing." —Allison, riffing on Texas javelinas, 07:37
• “My mom...was licensed by the state of Texas to raise orphaned raccoons, squirrels, possums, and bats.” —Allison, 09:10
• “When you're raising a raccoon...you cut grapes in half and throw them in a dog bowl, and they learn how to get things out of the water.” —Allison, on wildlife rehab, 11:02
• “I have a cat. He has no teeth, and he has only one nostril. The other is closed up. ...He is a prince.” —Allison, 13:14
• “I just want to be in love with her [the dog]...But I guess occasionally I need to be like, I could send you away, have some threat.” —Bridger, 18:04
• “I'm pouring all my resources into this thing that bites me.” —Bridger, 19:41
• “Your mother is in [The Kissing Hand]. She plays the role of the kissing hand.” —Bridger, joking about Allison’s raccoon-rehab mom, 32:13
• “[Wii Fit]...reminded you if your roommate hadn’t done her workout in a while. Confront your roommate. …The shoe chubby." —Allison, 65:56
• “Lunch is for slobs. Luncheon is for ladies. Get your white gloves on.” —Allison, 57:52
• “There’s probably one bottle of wine that’s probably hundreds of years old that’s just been passed around from party to party.” —Bridger, 55:37
• “He could be 50 years old for all I know. But I know he rules my household.” —Allison, on her possibly ageless cat, 15:14

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Notable Segment Timestamps

• Texas wildlife stories & raccoon rehab: 06:24–13:08
• Pet stories (Bud the cat, dog chaos): 13:10–19:48
• Gift reveal: We Found a Hat (picture book): 24:52–30:23
• Children’s books for adults: 33:01–34:39
• Game segment “Gift or a Curse”: 53:32–59:57
• Discussion on cults, Scientology & LA oddities: 35:31–39:00
• Listener gift dilemma & advice: 69:16–75:27

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Final Thoughts & Tone

The episode maintains the show's signature blend of warm camaraderie, sharp wit, and low-key irreverence. Both Bridger and Allison delight in tangents while offering sincere reflections on the quirks of modern adulthood, intergenerational pet-keeping, and what it means to give or receive a thoughtful gift. The tone is casual, gracious, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny—making it a perfect listen (or read) for anyone missing a backyard hang with friends who know how to find joy in the everyday.

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For Listeners in a Hurry: Top Three Takeaways

1. Children’s books make excellent gifts—for kids and adults alike.
2. When someone says “bring nothing,” bring nothing—and enjoy the feeling.
3. Embrace the ridiculous in gift-giving, pet-ownership, and life: sometimes, the best stories come from breaking the rules.

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“I’m pouring all my resources into this thing that bites me.”
—Bridger Winegar, 19:41

“Lunch is for slobs. Luncheon is for ladies. Get your white gloves on.”
—Allison Tolman, 57:52

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Transcript

[Alison Tolman]

This is exactly right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

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[Alison Tolman]

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[Alison Tolman]

When I invited you here, I thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, you gotta come to me empty handed. Had no guil. Your presence is presence enough. And I already had too much stuff. So how do you dare disobey me?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Welcome to I said no gift. Zimbridger Weiniger. How are you doing? I hope you're doing okay. If you're not, keep that to yourself. What's going on? I mean, I'm starting this way. I did nothing over the weekend. I'm sure some of my software updated. What else is going on? The dishwasher in the office kitchen is broken. It's out of order. So that's a disaster for me. My dishwasher at home is working perfectly and hopefully will continue for years. This is my. I'm on my second dishwasher. The other one was making all my dishes stinky, so this one doesn't do that. I don't know what's wrong with the office dishwasher. And thank God I don't have to clean any dishes here because my day would be ruined. Is there anything else going on? No, I already mentioned there's A good chance. Some of my software updated. Oh, I cut myself shaving. People don't realize I have to shave every morning. And I'm starting to think, can I get my face lasered? I can't grow a beard yet. I have to shave. Enough is enough. I have to remind you, we have the Patreon, and I'm going to try to make it seem more appealing than I usually do because I feel like I usually just act like someone died. Patreon.com isaidnogifts have the time of your life over there. Bonus episodes of this show from my backyard. Recaps of the housewives, of those Mormon wives, of all kinds of things. Was that a better pitch? I don't know. Let's get into the show. I love today's guest. Everybody loves her. It's Alison Tolman.

[Alison Tolman]

Hi, Alison.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Welcome to I said no gift.

[Alison Tolman]

Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm all hyped up. I don't know why.

[Alison Tolman]

All because of the dishwasher situation. Disaster.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm in a state of rage. I'm in an absolute state of rage.

[Alison Tolman]

Especially because you have this past trauma with the stinky dishes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you ever had a dishwasher fail on you?

[Alison Tolman]

I. My dishwasher in my old apartment. My ex and I used to call it just like the hot box where we kept dishes sometimes. Cause it didn't. I don't think it did anything really.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like when you buy a dishwasher, it should probably last for at least the span of a marriage or something.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, that's appropriate.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This was like two years, which feels very.

[Alison Tolman]

To be fair, I don't think. I mean, the one in the old apartment, I was the first person living in that apartment. I think it was just a bad dishwasher. I think it was never good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, you started with a good fail.

[Alison Tolman]

I started with a bad one. But now I have moved and I have a good dishwasher and it has changed. I didn't even know what good dishwashers were like. I really didn't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

So it's pretty exciting.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This dishwasher, the one that broke, was a great dishwasher until it broke. And now this one. I, you know, I read all the reviews. It's a disaster. But now I'm stuck with it because it works.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm not sure. Where do I go from here? I'm not going to just rip out.

[Alison Tolman]

Perfectly good dishwasher before the marriage ends. Insane.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Truly. It's out of Control. I guess I'll just wait for it to like flood and ruin my kitchen or something.

[Alison Tolman]

That's good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Then we'll move on from.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, good plan.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How was your weekend?

[Alison Tolman]

My weekend was good. It was what? Pretty lazy. I went and saw a movie last night. I went and saw Send Help.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, Send Help, of course.

[Alison Tolman]

Which was fun. Just Sam Raimi, very bloody. Lots of fluids escaping from the body.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I saw that at some point. Yeah, A lot of fluids, a lot of blood on people. But I wasn't expecting so much of it to just kind of be fun on the beach. Yeah, there's a lot of fun. Like truly. Right?

[Alison Tolman]

Fun on the beach. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like I feel like all of the trailers and stuff. I thought that it would just be her hunting down her co workers and blood everywhere. That's part of the movie. But then I was like, oh, they are. They're in paradise eating soup and it's beautiful.

[Alison Tolman]

You know, Listen, it's hard to get a movie made these days. You have to incentivize. I think that's part of it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You gotta make it kind of pleasant. And then there's the big boar. This is something with me, I think forest animals. And now this has become. I'm talking too much about this. Forest animals created from cgi.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We gotta get some more puppets going.

[Alison Tolman]

You miss practical effects. Yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Even if it was kind of just like a. A really terrible looking boar, but it was like someone had made it out of paper mache or something. I think I would have been, I.

[Alison Tolman]

Will say knowing because it was so, so cgi. I minded less when it was like stabbed in the eyeball with a stick.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's true. I was thinking through that. I was like, this is going to feel bad when the animal gets killed. Yeah.

[Alison Tolman]

I was like, that's a drawing. He's fine.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I feel like most. If it's an animal that exists in reality, nobody wants to see it get killed.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, you have to make. It has to be a literal monster for people to be okay with.

[Alison Tolman]

And they did that boar.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Pretty monstrous, right?

[Alison Tolman]

It was almost like it was like its eyebrows were. It was angry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like an evil person.

[Alison Tolman]

He did. He was like rabid maybe. I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. But boars are kind of vicious.

[Alison Tolman]

They can be. I'm from Texas and we have javelinas in Texas that are like. They can be really dangerous and big.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you seen one in reality?

[Alison Tolman]

I've seen little javelinas, like little cutie pies. But not like if you live out in like West Texas, like out in the country, you have to be careful while you're walking. Like, you have to.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What are they doing? They're like charging people or are they biting?

[Alison Tolman]

They will charge and they'll like gore you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Good grief.

[Alison Tolman]

I know. They'll kill you. They're really. And they're like huge. You know, pigs get so massive.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And to what end? Because then they don't eat you. Right. They just want you dead.

[Alison Tolman]

It's just gerrymandering. I think they're just trying to. In Texas. I think that's the main thing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They're trying to fix the vote.

[Alison Tolman]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Where did you see the babies?

[Alison Tolman]

The babies I actually saw most recently in Sedona in Arizona. You can see them in the desert at sunset, just kind of trotting along.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's very sweet.

[Alison Tolman]

It's very cute.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then they kind of just. Reality toughens them up.

[Alison Tolman]

They watch the news and they're like, they get online. They're angry, they're radicalized online.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Their algorithm eventually gets to them.

[Alison Tolman]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What other sort of wildlife were you dealing with? In Texas?

[Alison Tolman]

We have. Well, there's gators. We have gators.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I didn't realize there were gators in Texas.

[Alison Tolman]

My parents have an alligator that lives in the lake behind their house.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How long has it been there?

[Alison Tolman]

Forever. 20 years. A long time. It's like a six foot gator, but, you know, they have a bulkhead around the lake so it can't crawl out and eat the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting. It's trapped in there.

[Alison Tolman]

That's where it lives. Yeah. He's in there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does it have a name?

[Alison Tolman]

I'm sure that it does, but I don't know what it is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How has somebody not.

[Alison Tolman]

I've never asked.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It should be a famous local gator.

[Alison Tolman]

It should be. Well, there's a lot of gators in Houston, but that's just the one that I have been the most access to.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You did not associate gators with Houston.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's so fascinating.

[Alison Tolman]

It's pretty swampy in Houston.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I guess. It is humid there. Another thing that you don't expect.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, yeah. So we've got gators. We've got. My mom actually for a while was licensed by the state of Texas to raise orphaned raccoons, squirrels, possums and bats.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What?

[Alison Tolman]

We have all of those. And I've had all of those in my childhood home.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And you interacted with them?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. Cause she, like, she has to like, rehabilitate the little babies.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. And they're all pretty sweet, right?

[Alison Tolman]

I mean, they're wild. They're pretty sweet to her because they're like, that's my mom now.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. I depend on this one.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. But even, like, kittens and puppies are pretty wild.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, that's true. They bite.

[Alison Tolman]

They bite, and they climb up you with their little claws and stuff like that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. But when it's a bat biting you or whatever, it's a little.

[Alison Tolman]

She only did one bat, I think. I don't know that that panned out. But she did so many raccoons, like, so. I mean, there was years where there were, like, raccoons at my brother's wedding because they had to be bottle fed in between the ceremony and the. And the. You know, so.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's so sweet.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. She's a kooky Texan.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How did she get licensed for that?

[Alison Tolman]

They just. I think they just need volunteers at the Texas Wildlife Association. They were like, you seem a little nuts. Your children have recently left for college. Are you bored? And she was like, I am.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Every empty nester should start raising wildlife. Become a Miss Hannigan type.

[Alison Tolman]

She stuck with it. Now she does kittens and puppies, though. She doesn't do wildlife.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Was there? Did a line get crossed? And she's like, I can't do this anymore.

[Alison Tolman]

I don't know. They were too radicalized. I don't know what happened. I mean, it was a lot of work, and you have to keep, I guess, you know, when you're raising a raccoon, the end goal, she feeds them with a bottle, and then she would teach them how to, like, rob home fish and stuff like that. You cut grapes in half and throw them in a dog bowl, and they learn how to get things out of the water. Like, she truly rehabbed these raccoons. It's so nuts. And then she would cage them up and drive them off and, like, open the cage and be like, go, be free. Like, white fang them. And she probably saw one too many, like, dead raccoon on the road, and she's like, what the fuck am I. What is this?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right? What am I contributing to ultimately?

[Alison Tolman]

Exactly. So then she. Now she does kittens and puppies, and actually they get adopted by a human not released back into the wild.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I'm sorry to keep asking you to just speak for your mother here.

[Alison Tolman]

But I'm happy to. She should be on the podcast.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I know Alison's mom. Reach out. How long would you keep a raccoon? Is it like six months or is it years?

[Alison Tolman]

No, it's. It's months.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's not years.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. You just have to get them big enough to where they can survive on.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Their own until they become a danger in your own home. And then you're like, I have to get rid of this.

[Alison Tolman]

They were in the home, and then we had a pen out back, and they'd be out back for when they got older and bigger.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, this is. Do you have photos of yourself with them or anything?

[Alison Tolman]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm so jealous because when they're little.

[Alison Tolman]

Bitty, I could help bottle feed them.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Did you name those?

[Alison Tolman]

The raccoons? I think my mom named a couple and then stopped. She was like, this is. I can't do this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Probably get too connected to them or something?

[Alison Tolman]

I think so. I think it was hard for her to, like, then release them.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. And you said raccoons, possums and bats. Was there another thing?

[Alison Tolman]

Squirrels.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Squirrels. Oh, my God. Did she have them all at the same time, or was it, like, one species at a time?

[Alison Tolman]

She mainly did raccoons. I only remember a couple squirrels, and she had possums for a while, but I think we just had more raccoons in our area than anywhere else.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Possum babies have finally kind of warmed me up to the concept of a possum.

[Alison Tolman]

They're so cute.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They're adorable.

[Alison Tolman]

They're adorable.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They're so hideous.

[Alison Tolman]

They really are.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That they become like. They cross over and become cute. Yeah. Yeah. They're very sweet little creatures.

[Alison Tolman]

I know. This is not a visual medium. I was making a possum face. That's true. I know. But if you're listening, I was making a possum face. An incredible possum follow on Instagram, too. You see it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Thank you. Allison. Put in the work I did.

[Alison Tolman]

I'm a very talented actress, and I do impressions of animals.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Are you an animal owner yourself?

[Alison Tolman]

I have a cat. A very spoiled, beloved cat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What's his name?

[Alison Tolman]

His name is Bud.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh. How old is he?

[Alison Tolman]

He's like 11 or 12. He was a rescue, and so we're not totally sure how old he is. He is a prince. He has no teeth, and he has only one nostril. The other is closed up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How did that happen?

[Alison Tolman]

He had this, like, cryptococcal infection that sometimes stray cats get.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Cryptococc?

[Alison Tolman]

I don't know. It's a fungal infection.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Cryptocoptal.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. That stray cats and raccoons can get.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Alison Tolman]

And it, like, messes with their sinuses. And so he has all this scar tissue that's basically closed up one side of his sinuses, so.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And has he always had no teeth? I mean, since you got him.

[Alison Tolman]

I had no teeth when I got him, but they were so rotten that I eventually took him in for a cleaning. And they were like, these need to all be pulled.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Whoa.

[Alison Tolman]

They were like, we should pull all of these, actually. They were like, we're gonna see if we can save these two. And then they called me 20 minutes later, and they're like, we can't save it. Pull them all.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They give up immediately.

[Alison Tolman]

I was like, okay, but he's so much happier with no teeth.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How does a cat with no teeth eat?

[Alison Tolman]

You know, because cat food is so small, it's not really a problem. He still eats kibble. He just kind of. There's no crunch. He just kind of rolls it down.

[Bridger Weiniger]

He just swallows it.

[Alison Tolman]

He just swallows it, you know? Wow.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I had no idea that was even possible.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, he's pretty happy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And how long have you had him?

[Alison Tolman]

I've had him for, like, seven years now. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Was there a real rehabilitation when he came into your house, or was it.

[Alison Tolman]

He was on antifungal meds for, like, a year and a half to get rid of this crypto infection that he had and get him all the way better. And he was a foster fail, like my ex and I were fostering him.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, a foster fail. Makes me think, oh, he was a problem at another.

[Alison Tolman]

No, we failed. I'm the foster. I'm sorry. I'm gonna be. I was a foster fail. He is a delight.

[Bridger Weiniger]

He's a foster success.

[Alison Tolman]

He's a success. He's like, yeah, I did it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a Natalia Grace sort of situation.

[Alison Tolman]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. You don't even know his age. He is an Italia Grace. He could be 50 years old for a whole year.

[Alison Tolman]

I have no idea. But I know he rules my household.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is this your first cat?

[Alison Tolman]

No. I grew up with cats and dogs, and then I had my own cat as soon as I got my first apartment in college. As soon as I could have a cat, I was like, I should have a cat. So I had my cat Annie, for 18 years, and then when she passed, I got. We started fostering Bud like, four or five months later.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Alison Tolman]

It was too long to be with a pet, and then suddenly not have a pet. I was like, this is fucking weird.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's weird, right? Your house is so quiet.

[Alison Tolman]

It feels so quiet. And do you have pets?

[Bridger Weiniger]

We had a dog for 10 years, and then she passed, and it was like. I mean, it's such a nightmare.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. It's so awful.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But now we have a new puppy. We've had her since last July. And I should clarify, she's a rescue because occasionally a listener pops up and it's like, I can't believe Adopt out shop.

[Alison Tolman]

And you're like, leave me alone. You're like, got is different. I mean, got can mean from a.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Shelter, but she's now almost a year old.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And she's 75 pounds.

[Alison Tolman]

Is she in that raptor stage where she's got those super sharp teeth?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, she's like, the teeth aren't as sharp anymore and the attacks have slowed down. But it's almost more surprising now when.

[Alison Tolman]

She'S been watching the news, she's like, ugh, what does it all mean? Don't let her watch the news. It's bad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But she is becoming more of a dog now, so she'll like, lie at your feet and very sweet creature. But puppies are menaces. They are monster creatures.

[Alison Tolman]

They're insane.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. They're really.

[Alison Tolman]

They are like, a friend of mine just got a puppy and he was like, he's a one man wrecking crew.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah, they're demonic.

[Alison Tolman]

He was supposed to come to the movie yesterday. He was like, I can't come. I can't leave the dog for more than 20 minutes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. You can't leave them alone, certainly.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Unless they're in a crate and then.

[Alison Tolman]

They'Re screaming and then also screaming and pooping. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So I think in the next few months she'll become just an animal. That doesn't feel like a danger to me. She only really attacks me. And my boyfriend says it's because I dress like a toy from Petco. And so which is fair. Especially like when I'm in pajamas or whatever. It just feels like very dog toy oriented.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And so I don't. I can't blame her. And I'm much essentially her size. It's the whole thing. I'm like, I'm asking to be a dog bite victim or something.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. Isn't it funny how, like, pets have different roles for you and like your partner?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's crazy.

[Alison Tolman]

It's so strange.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We're totally different things for her.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She listens to him and just puts me in danger.

[Alison Tolman]

You're a peer. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't even know if I would say a peer. I'm beneath her.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm like local wildlife that she could tear apart or something. It's really sad. Aw. I don't know how I gain her respect. I think I'm too.

[Alison Tolman]

They do like Need a strong hand, I think. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's hard to be a strong hand.

[Alison Tolman]

I know, I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I just want to be in love with her.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And just say sweet things to her. But I guess occasionally I need to be like, I could send you away, have some threat.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes. You know, I am somewhat in charge.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

You should fear me a little bit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does your cat have different roles for you and your partner?

[Alison Tolman]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What are they?

[Alison Tolman]

I mean, just like, he wants to sleep on his pillow differently. Do you know what I mean? It's like he's never sat on my lap that way ever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, this is sad.

[Alison Tolman]

He, like, regards us differently.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

But he loves us both. It's very strange.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is he a social cat or is he one that runs?

[Alison Tolman]

So social.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, that's nice.

[Alison Tolman]

Loves people, wants to be around people.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

When you go away, do you have somebody stay with him or do you send him away?

[Alison Tolman]

I have someone stay with him.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think with a cat, you kind of have to do that.

[Alison Tolman]

I mean, when I grew up, if we were gone for three days, we would just leave extra food out for my cats.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

And that's what I thought was, like, normal. But Bud is so spoiled that someone just comes and house sits and just is with him all the time. Like, he just has. He has his own experience.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's kind of unnecessary, but nice.

[Alison Tolman]

It makes me feel so much better, you know, to have somebody there and whatever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like we've come such a long way with the way we treat animals since I was a child, where, like, when you had an animal as a K, like through the 90s or whatever, it was like, well, that's an animal, and just give it what it needs to survive, essentially. And now it's like, you know, putting it in a stroller party daycare.

[Alison Tolman]

A stroller, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. Sending out with friends.

[Alison Tolman]

People are having less and less people having kids or having kids later. And so our animals are even more important to us.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I simply have no plans for a child, so.

[Alison Tolman]

Me neither.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Pouring all of my resources into this thing that bites me.

[Alison Tolman]

Lucky. Lucky cat. Lucky dog. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you feel like you have the bandwidth for another pet or are you going to just keep the cat?

[Alison Tolman]

I think that Bud is now like an established gentleman of the household and would be like, what is this? If there was another pet, and so he'll be an only child while he's on this earth.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Good for him, staking out his territory.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. But I think that I have the space now, and I think I have the capacity for a couple of pets at once. So maybe in my next iteration, many, many, many, many, many, many, many years.

[Bridger Weiniger]

From now, you'll get into possums, bats.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, you know. Exactly. When Bud goes to college, I have.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A lot of raccoons in my backyard. It's terrible. They find water wherever it is. Also, wait. Oh, squirrels were ripping up my plants. Were they desperate for water?

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, God, that's sad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, it was really a nightmare. It was a nightmare situation for all of us, I guess because these things also find a leaky hose or something before you go to the roots of a plant.

[Alison Tolman]

I know. That doesn't seem efficient, right? Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Are your raccoons trouble for you?

[Alison Tolman]

No, they haven't been.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Alison Tolman]

Yet again. This is like a new house. I've only been there a year yet.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. Give them some time.

[Alison Tolman]

We'll see if next month. I'm like Bridger. You were right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just come in here covered in scratches and bites.

[Alison Tolman]

They're a problem for me now.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do something about it. Oh, well, I mean, speaking of doing something about something. Ooh, I feel like I should do something. Alison, I was looking forward to having you here on the podcast.

[Alison Tolman]

Thank you so much.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I thought Allison will come by, we'll have a nice chat, we'll move on with our days. Like any podcast.

[Alison Tolman]

Normal podcasts. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The podcast here is called I said no Gifts. And I assume at some point somebody mentioned the title to you. So I was a little surprised when you peeled into the parking lot, slammed on your brakes, and stepped out holding what's obviously a gift for me.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is it a gift for me?

[Alison Tolman]

It is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Interesting.

[Alison Tolman]

I'm a bit of a rebel. Ask anyone.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Known reputation.

[Alison Tolman]

I saw the title, I'm familiar with the show, and I said, fuck it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, should we open it here on the podcast?

[Alison Tolman]

Let's do it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Janice Torres here, and I'm Austin Hankwitz. We host the podcast Mind the Small Business Success Stories, produced by Ruby Studio in partnership with Intuit QuickBooks.

[Alison Tolman]

And we are back for season four. We're talking to small business owners who are doing incredible things in their industries, achieving their dreams, being their own bosses, putting in the work, and enjoying all the benefits that come with it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is our most exciting season yet. We're talking to more entrepreneurs about how they launched their vision, and more importantly, how QuickBooks on the Intuit platform helps them do more in less time. Working in QuickBooks just makes it easier to run the business right. There's so much that you need to do when it comes to running a business, building products Setting up marketing campaigns. And to run a business, you have to make sure that your finances are in order. So it removes my anxiety from one.

[Alison Tolman]

Side of it so that I can.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Focus on everything else.

[Alison Tolman]

Whether you're a longtime listener or just getting started, tune in and join us. You'll be so glad you did listen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Odoo Advertiser]

Running a business is hard enough, so why make it harder? With a dozen different apps that don't talk to each other, One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting. Before you know it, you are drowning in software instead of growing your business. This is where Odoo comes in. Odoo is the only business software you'll ever need. It's an all in one, fully integrated platform that handles everything. CRM, accounting, inventory, e commerce, hr, and more. No more app overload, no more juggling logins. Just one seamless system that makes work easier. And the best part, Odoo replaces multiple expensive platforms for a fraction of the cost. It's built to grow with your business, whether you are just starting out or already scaling up. Plus, it's easy to use, customizable and designed to streamline every process so you can focus on what really matters running your business. Thousands of businesses have made the switch, so why not you try Odoo for [e-mail] that's o d o o dot com.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Bridger Weiniger]

It's in a gorgeous bag.

[Alison Tolman]

Thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a stunning pink bag with the. Is this a leopard or a cheetah?

[Alison Tolman]

I think they're jaguars or something. A third option that Allison has decided.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I actually don't know. Big cats. Wait, what is a jaguar? Jaguar actually, are jaguars a leopard is. Wait. Oh, no, panther is black. Do all of these things have spots?

[Alison Tolman]

I think they all have spots, but some of them are black and their spots are so faint because they're like black on. They're like undercoats or something, right? Looks like jaguars have like spots with spots inside them, if that makes sense. So it's like leopards are a little more faded spots, and jaguars have very detailed spots.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right. Leopard's kind of like a jaguar put through the wash or something.

[Alison Tolman]

And this is not a cheetah. It doesn't look fast.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, extremely slow. This is a jaguar and it's all over this bag. Okay, let's reach in. Oh, look at the amount of tissue here.

[Alison Tolman]

You know what? I think that's almost all my tissue paper. I wanted it to look good. I wanted it to look good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Look at that.

[Alison Tolman]

So disrespectful.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Oh, more tissue. This is like a thick steak. Okay, we're reaching in. There's more. I haven't abused the tissue in a while. Okay. Okay. Oh, this is a really beautiful book.

[Alison Tolman]

Isn't it pretty?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's called We Found a Hat by John Classen.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And there are two little tortoises on the front. And they found a hat.

[Alison Tolman]

They found a 10 gallon hat. It's also there's a sticker on the front that says signed by the author. So you're welcome. Signed copy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Let's see this autograph. Let's see here.

[Alison Tolman]

It's scribbled.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Subtle.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, I have a scribble autograph too. So I'm familiar with the game.

[Bridger Weiniger]

People need to get to just a, you know, straight writing their name out.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, that's my name. Preferably fist. Like hold it in your fist.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I just learned to write.

[Alison Tolman]

Maybe a crayon. A fat kind.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Who's the celebrity that's gonna pick up that trend? It's time. This is beautiful. It's from Skylight Books, the bookstore. Tell me why you brought this.

[Alison Tolman]

So I am a big fan of having children's books around that are, like, funny and touching and interesting. So I have a copy of this. It's actually a trilogy. This is the third in the trilogy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, this is the end. They're looking for a hat.

[Alison Tolman]

The first one is this is not my hat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh.

[Alison Tolman]

And then the second one is. What is it called? I lost my hat. Where's my hat? I can't find my hat. I don't remember. And then this one is we found a Hat. So they're all about hats.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is the first one like a red maga hat?

[Alison Tolman]

It is a red hat, but it's not a maga hat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Interesting.

[Alison Tolman]

It's a little. Is it? Oh, maybe it's like a little bowler hat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, cute.

[Alison Tolman]

But you know, listen, they operate independently. You don't have to have red run to read the other. And this was my this is my favorite because it's really about friendship.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What are the first two about? Strictly hats.

[Alison Tolman]

The first one is about thievery. He stole a hat. This fish stole a hat. A fish stole a hat from a bigger fish, which was foolish. And he's running away with the hat. Swimming away with the hat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right, right. And does he get what's coming to him?

[Alison Tolman]

He does.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ends up in jail.

[Alison Tolman]

I think he gets ate. He gets eaten.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, my God. It's like a capital punishment.

[Alison Tolman]

Listen, it's the animal kingdom. Nobody's eaten or dies in this one, so that's why it's my favorite.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So there are different animals every time.

[Alison Tolman]

Involved with the hats? Yeah. The second one is a bear who's looking for his hat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. And what sort of hat does he end up with?

[Alison Tolman]

He has, like, a little, like, a took with, like a pom pom on the top, I think.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A took?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know that I've ever heard of a took. Beanie?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

T, O, O, K, T, O.

[Alison Tolman]

How do you spell took? T, O, Q, U, E. I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow, Interesting. This is a new piece of vocabulary for me.

[Alison Tolman]

Let's look it up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Took. Hat. Yeah. Let me look this up really quick. Took. Hat. T, O, T, O, Q, U, E. I did it. Yes.

[Alison Tolman]

I did it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And it seems to be like. Describes all kinds of hats, basically kind of a beanie. But then the Wikipedia thing is. Well, I guess that's a beanie. But why is it on this painting? It's like a Renaissance painting.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But there's a man simply wearing a.

[Alison Tolman]

It's like a beanie, but with. There's obviously some shaping inside of that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A little bit of shaping. Yeah.

[Alison Tolman]

It's got structure to it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It does look like he could have bought it at a lid.

[Alison Tolman]

But that's good, because if you have, like, looser things on bottom, you need structure up top to balance out your outfit. So he knows what he's doing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A took. That's so interesting. Wow. The amount of words we have for hats.

[Alison Tolman]

Too many. Too many.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So the bear finds a took.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, he's lost his took, and he's going looking for it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does he ever find it?

[Alison Tolman]

He does find it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Alison Tolman]

A rabbit took it. He eats the rabbit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

He eats the rabbit?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, I think so.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Those are really brutal books. These are Cormac McCarthy books.

[Alison Tolman]

They're so beautiful. They. They're, like, stark and beautiful.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, my God.

[Alison Tolman]

But in this book, they find this hat, but there's only one hat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, no. Does someone Die.

[Alison Tolman]

No one dies. They're both like. They're like, how does it look on this tortoise, Friends? They're like, how does it look on me? And he's like, it looks really good. And he's like, how does it look on me? And he's like, it looks really good. And they're like, but no one can have the hat because there's only one hat. So they leave. But one of them is like, I'm gonna go back for that hat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, my God.

[Alison Tolman]

He thinks about going, but he's dreaming about, like, the hat. But then in the end, he realizes that he doesn't want to lose his friend. It's more important to have his friend than have the hat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right?

[Alison Tolman]

And he goes back to sleep, and he dreams that they both have hats.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's really sweet. I feel like the author must have gotten some feedback on the first two. And he's like, maybe he might have.

[Alison Tolman]

These books are. They're so beautifully drawn, and they're. I mean, they're just gorgeous. And I do. I have all three of them at home on my coffee table. I love them.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Some of the other illustrations in here. Oh, my God. It really is so pretty.

[Alison Tolman]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So how are you finding these? Do you just go, browse?

[Alison Tolman]

I found these. I was in Portland on a trip with my partner, and we were in a bookstore, and there was, like, a display of, like, these John Classen books. And I was like, oh, he must be, like, the local guy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

He's not.

[Alison Tolman]

He's from Canada. I just really liked him, I guess, in Portland. So they. I read them in order, standing there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're a big reader.

[Alison Tolman]

I'm a big reader, and I'm pretty fast. So.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You know, 400 books.

[Alison Tolman]

It didn't take me long to read three children's books. And I just bought all of them. I just thought they were so sweet and funny.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, this is really lovely.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. So there you go. You're welcome. Are you glad I brought you a gift?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I am glad. This is really sweet. I have nieces and nephews, and I'm always like. I feel like. And also friends having babies or whatever, and I'll be like, I'm gonna get them the best children's books. But then I feel like they're probably the most obvious choices, and they probably have multiple copies.

[Alison Tolman]

I know it's hard.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's really. As someone who's not involved in the world of children at all, I'm like, well, I don't really know what the trends are or Anything?

[Alison Tolman]

No. And you don't know what the new thing is. And you gotta assume they already have where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon and all that stuff like that. The classics.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you know the Kissing Hand? Do you know this one? This is a heartbreaking one. I think that's what it's called, the Kissing Hand Book. Oh, yes. It's about a raccoon and its mom. I mean, the whole. I mean, it's just heartbreaking. It'll shatter.

[Alison Tolman]

Is my mom in it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Your mother is in it.

[Alison Tolman]

She's scared. Her.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She plays the role of the kissing hand.

[Odoo Advertiser]

Aw.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, I don't know that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, that's good to know. That's a great one to give to new parents.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And it has raccoons. And it's. You know, I feel like. But whenever I look at newer children's books that are trying to be funny or whatever, and I find that very annoying. I'm sure kids love them, but children have bad taste.

[Alison Tolman]

I just think there's. I don't know, there's some children's books that I'm, like, not into and some That I just am. I can't say why.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. It's weird when, like, a children's book, like, as an adult, you feel like you would have no feeling on any of them.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. But it kind of spoke to me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This one feels very timeless.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. I do love it. And I'm sorry there's a little rip on the COVID but.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, throw it away.

[Alison Tolman]

It's. It's been loved by children's hands at Skylight Books. Thank God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you have a favorite children's book?

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, man, that's hard to say. I did love where the Wild Things Are when I was a kid. I have, like, fond memories of going on a bear hunt. Like, reading that to my sister when she was little.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I haven't heard of this.

[Alison Tolman]

For going on a bear hunt.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That sounds.

[Alison Tolman]

Can't go over it. Can't go under it. Violent. Oh, going on bear hunt is fun. They don't. They don't. No one dies in that one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Okay. It's more about.

[Alison Tolman]

It's just like the kids are. I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Alison Tolman]

I don't know why they said, you know what? You're right. Oh, my childhood. Oh, no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you ever considered writing a kid's book?

[Alison Tolman]

I haven't.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like that's something that is within almost anyone's reach.

[Alison Tolman]

Anybody I know? I was helping a friend of mine, like, visualize what to do with her closet reorganization. And I was like, what are those? And she was like, oh, that's my children's book.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What?

[Alison Tolman]

And I was like, what? She's like, you don't know I wrote a children's book? And I was like, no. And she's like, those are the rest of the copies left in the world. There's like 50 of them on her shelf. I was like, wow, you just wrote a children's book and got it published.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It feels like the bar is simultaneously very low and very high.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because it's like you read one that was almost nothing, and there are three lessons kids can learn, so. But then it's like, how do you get published?

[Alison Tolman]

How do you get published?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Pick the obvious idea, then do some rhyming.

[Alison Tolman]

And then like. Yeah. And then, like, do you become a famous children's book author?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I wonder if it's harder now than it used to be.

[Alison Tolman]

Well, I'm sure everybody's trying to get into that game, make that big money.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's either that or become a real estate agent.

[Alison Tolman]

That's it. Everyone who left acting is like, I'm gonna get into children's books or real.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Estate or become a therapist, which no one in the entertainment business should be allowed to. Than enter therapy. It happens too often.

[Alison Tolman]

No.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you ever run into a therapist who is like, a former actor?

[Alison Tolman]

Not that I know of.

[Bridger Weiniger]

God bless. There are a lot of them around la, and I'm sure they're all great. But there's that initial, like, oh, how am I supposed to trust you?

[Alison Tolman]

Like an actor that's recognizable from a sitcom you watched as a child or something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Tom Cruise.

[Alison Tolman]

You're like, come on, Tom Cruise. What happened?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Aw, I guess he's literally like the last person who had entered the mental health field.

[Alison Tolman]

No.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Considering relief, religion and everything.

[Alison Tolman]

Scientology. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. I don't think you go from Scientology to becoming a therapist, but we. I encourage the journey.

[Alison Tolman]

Times are crazy. We don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you ever been to that museum?

[Alison Tolman]

Does the Scientology Museum.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The Museum of Death or whatever.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, no. What is it called?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's called, like.

[Alison Tolman]

It's like pharmaceutical.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like psychiatry. The Museum of Death or something.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes, yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Over in Hollywood. Yeah.

[Alison Tolman]

There's the actual Museum of Death over in Hollywood too.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. They're two different things.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes. The Museum of Death I've been to. I've not been to the Scientology Museum of Death.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. The Museum of Death is more about, like, death itself.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes. It's like a macabre museum.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. And the. I feel like I'm putting myself on A list here. The Scientology Museum is like, why psychiatry kills you.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And why psychiatry caused 9, 11.

[Alison Tolman]

I've been medicated for a lot of years, so I don't know that I need to go there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've been through it, and it's a fascinating experience.

[Alison Tolman]

I don't know. I think I'm good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

If you want to go into a museum where you will be the only person, I have the museum for sure.

[Alison Tolman]

I do feel like I used to live. My old place was right by the Scientology building, the Celebrity Center. And I was always like, I feel like I'm on a. I feel like I'm being watched. If I, like, pause too long or to read the sign or I pick up a pamphlet, I'm like, they're watching me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I guarantee they're watching you.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, I'm good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love going around there, though, and seeing different Scientologists, like, maintaining the building. Like, I remember seeing a woman who's probably in her mid-60s at the top of a very high ladder, holding a bucket, barely like, no, get her down, get her down. Why is she doing manual? Why is she washing the windows?

[Alison Tolman]

She's working her way up the ladder.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And a lot of smoking. Really shocking amount of smoking, huh? I guess that's, like, kind of the thing.

[Alison Tolman]

That's how wonderful for them that they don't have to worry about smoking like the rest of us.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No. I feel like I've seen a lot of smokers over there. I used to go to that place, Square one, the brunch place, a lot. Rest in peace. And you would see Scientologists all the time.

[Alison Tolman]

They're smoking.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Smoking, washing windows. Just doing, I'm sure, manual labor. They're not getting paid for.

[Alison Tolman]

No, they're not. They are not. They have left their families and friends, and they are not being paid. It's really bad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've had a lot of experience. I've been into most of the Scientology buildings at this point. And then the Celebrity Center. Oh, did you say Celebrity Center? You were near.

[Alison Tolman]

I'm near, yeah. Celebrity Center.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. What's the.

[Alison Tolman]

The blue one?

[Bridger Weiniger]

The blue one, which is the worst shade of blue in the world?

[Alison Tolman]

That's the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't remember HQ or something.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, or something. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's the one. That's more where you're seeing more people smoking and washing.

[Alison Tolman]

That feels like more dormitories over there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Maybe.

[Alison Tolman]

There's a couple dorms over by the Celebrity center that just look like, apart. They just bought apartment buildings nearby, painted them blue.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, that one I think is a former hospital or something. The whole thing is not.

[Alison Tolman]

Cause it's right by the children's hospital.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I've never put that together.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. I wonder if maybe they.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Former children's hospital.

[Alison Tolman]

The adults hospital. It's the hospital for former children.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, but I've been in that one. I've been into the celebrity center. My big note for all of them is, let's get the AC going. Or open a window.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, no, they're stuffy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Stuffy entrance. I don't know if that's kind of the vibe they're going for.

[Odoo Advertiser]

What?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Or if they're just trying to save a few bucks. But every time I go in one, I'm like, someone crack a window?

[Alison Tolman]

That's a bummer.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know if there's just a fear of someone escaping or someone getting. No one's breaking in. Let's be honest.

[Alison Tolman]

No, probably not. I wouldn't think so.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What are you gonna find?

[Alison Tolman]

No, the secrets. The tomb.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They're after our secrets.

[Alison Tolman]

They're valuable, secret.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I do want to drive out to the desert compound at some point. Ooh, I feel like that would be dangerous.

[Alison Tolman]

Well, you gotta tick them all off the box if you're playing Scientology. Bingo. You need to go to all the places.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I think I'm almost there. And then I. Oh, then you have to go to Florida, which it's simply not happening.

[Alison Tolman]

No. Why would you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm not going to Clearwater, Florida.

[Alison Tolman]

In this economy. Clearwater, Florida. A lot of gators in Florida.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's the only place I assumed there were gators in the United States. No, I was so wrong.

[Alison Tolman]

You're so wrong.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What about crocodiles? Do we know where crocodiles.

[Alison Tolman]

Crocodiles are not from here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, I don't feel like we have native crocs.

[Alison Tolman]

Crocs are like, what's in, like, Africa and shit?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Australia.

[Alison Tolman]

They have crocodiles. Yeah, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They have. Famously, the Crocodile Hunter. Right?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, it's true. And Crocodile Dundee.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Crocodile Dundee, even more famous.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, but we've got gators here. I don't. And then there's like, a third. Weird. Isn't there like, a giant. I remember. Listen. I read zoo books as a kid.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Are we talking about the Komodo dragon?

[Alison Tolman]

No. Although those are crazy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Those are.

[Alison Tolman]

Have you seen the videos of, like, the aquatic iguanas, too? Like, swimming around.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I don't like to hear that at all.

[Alison Tolman]

They just look like Godzilla. Wild.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Where are those living?

[Alison Tolman]

I don't know. Probably, like, maybe the Galapagos know where you're going. You're safe.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That sounds so dangerous.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

To be in, like, open your eyes underwater and iguanas coming towards you.

[Alison Tolman]

Like, swim. They're so fast.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do they use their tail? Yes. Fully unnecessary.

[Alison Tolman]

Just like Godzilla. Ugh. Crazy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But you feel like there's a third thing. A crocodile, an alligator, and something else.

[Alison Tolman]

I feel like there was something else, but maybe they're extinct now. I don't know. A caiman. A caiman. It has a cayman skinnier nose. It's like kind of halfway between. Like, the width of their nose is like halfway between an alligator and a croc. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting. Cause what are the ones with the really narrow.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, alligators are square.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

And crocodiles are more roundy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, it's more friendly. I feel like crocodile is less threatening. It's like a softer alligator or something.

[Alison Tolman]

That's right. And then a caiman, which is smaller, I think. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The things I'm learning. Hats, New giant lizards.

[Alison Tolman]

Different types of hats, different types of lizards. That's what my podcast is about.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Janice Torres here, and I'm Austin Hankwitz. We host the podcast Mind the Business, Small Business Success Stories, produced by Ruby Studio in partnership with Intuit QuickBooks, and.

[Alison Tolman]

We are back for season four. We're talking to small business owners who are doing incredible things in their industries, achieving their dreams, being their own bosses, putting in the work, and enjoying all the benefits that come with.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is our most exciting season yet. We're talking to more entrepreneurs about how they launched their vision, and more importantly, how QuickBooks on the Intuit platform helps them do more in less time. Working in QuickBooks just makes it easier to run the business. Right. There's so much that you need to do when it comes to running a business. Building products, setting up marketing campaigns. And to run a business, you have.

[Alison Tolman]

To make sure that your finances are in order.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So. So it removes my anxiety from one.

[Alison Tolman]

Side of it so that I can.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Focus on everything else.

[Alison Tolman]

Whether you're a longtime listener or just getting started, tune in and join us. You'll be so glad you did.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Odoo Advertiser]

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[Bridger Weiniger]

What was Crocodile Dundee's deal? He just happened to be Australian in the United States.

[Alison Tolman]

I don't remember that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is that the big gimmick?

[Alison Tolman]

I guess. I mean, did the first he was.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A superhero or something?

[Alison Tolman]

No, he wasn't a superhero. He was just like an outback, like Australian dude. That was the gimmick, I think.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But he was in the U.S. i.

[Alison Tolman]

Think maybe he had to come here. And so it was like a fish out of water story.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That feels like such a nothing story to me.

[Alison Tolman]

I actually don't know. I'm writing it right now and I bet I'm correct.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like that's basically it. I don't feel like he's like a time traveler. No. He doesn't like wake up here by accident.

[Alison Tolman]

No. I'm sure he has to come, you know, for some reason to get a kangaroo back or something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then he says, were Australians really a rare thing in the 80s? And then within the United States they were.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. Exotic enough. That's a long flight. People were like, no, gnar, gnar. Absolutely. Nar nar way.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you been to Australia?

[Alison Tolman]

I have.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What were you doing there?

[Alison Tolman]

I filmed a movie in New Zealand and then afterwards went to Australia for a couple weeks.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What was that experience like?

[Alison Tolman]

It was great. I really like Australia. Sydney is one of my favorite cities.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Alison Tolman]

New Zealand is gorgeous, I'm sure. Geez. It's just really beautiful.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's this flight.

[Alison Tolman]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Flight is so.

[Alison Tolman]

Once you're there, you gotta do all of the places.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You have to live there.

[Alison Tolman]

You gotta live. You gotta do a month out there at least.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I can't imagine going for more than four weeks.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, it's far.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's like 20 hours or something. I can't. What do you do on a flight?

[Alison Tolman]

I watch movies, I sleep, I eat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Alison Tolman]

I try not to drink alcohol anymore because it's, you know, like, if you drink on a plane, it's like twice as many. You have to double your drinks that you've had on a plane because the altitude makes sense.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I didn't know that.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. It's so bad for you. It's so bad for you. That's why people get drunk on planes by accident. I mean, some people get drunk on purpose on planes, but there's so many, like, unruly passengers is because they don't know that. Scooby.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I should get into it.

[Alison Tolman]

I know you don't drink, but listen, if you're gonna do it for the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

First time, start on a plane. Do it on a plane.

[Alison Tolman]

Start as hard as possible, quickly, you know, because you don't have to drink as much, but you get twice the effects on a plane. So that's nice.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And that's why you get more emotional watching movies on a plane.

[Alison Tolman]

What is that thing of why you get more emotional watching movies on the plane?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think truly your body is weak or something.

[Alison Tolman]

I don't know what it. I mean, it's kind of beautiful. I don't have that thing where I cry on planes. Some people have it. I don't have it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I am just so miserable. I'm just so unhappy.

[Alison Tolman]

You don't like a plane?

[Bridger Weiniger]

My body is aching. I'm slightly nauseous. I can't sleep. I can't focus on the nine different types of entertainment I've brought.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I'll always download, like, 50 different podcasts. Like, I'll get to the airport and remember that I'm googling best podcasts of the year, non comedy. And then it's like, I think we're done with all the interesting mysteries.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. So it's like, yeah, all the mysteries have been written unsolved.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. Like the 50th most interesting mystery. Not even 50th that you're listening to and someone's trying to make compelling. So I'll get through two episodes of that, and then I'm screwed. I have to read. Oh, the worst thing in the world.

[Alison Tolman]

What are you poor? My God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That is.

[Alison Tolman]

Do you read hard, like books? Do you read on a Kindle?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm on a Kindle, but I think I need to get back into real books.

[Alison Tolman]

I couldn't do it anymore because I. My brain was like. It was such a quick step from, like, a Kindle to a phone. And then on the phone, I was just like, back on social media.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, wait, so you've broken our brains. You were using your phone, like, as the book?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah. That would never work for me.

[Alison Tolman]

Can't do it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

My phone has to be locked away or something. But even a Kindle. I feel like our brains have been trained to just no longer accept information if they're looking at a screen. Right.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So I, like. I don't even remember the titles of the books I'm reading.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. That sucks.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's this whole weird thing.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. I have to do a hard, actual copy of it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It feels like you're achieving something as you're getting through it.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. And you feel smug when you go places holding a book.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

I mean, everyone has that. Right. It's not just me. It would be so weird.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Are you reading anything right now?

[Alison Tolman]

I am rereading a book that I loved in my twenties. I reread books a lot.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think that's good. I learned in college. I had a professor that said, basically, there's no reading. There's only good re reading because you read a book once just to figure it out, and then you go back through and you really experience what the author was doing.

[Alison Tolman]

That's fascinating. Yeah. I know people that never reread books. My mom's a voracious reader. Like, so many, like, reads and reads and reads and reads. But she doesn't reread books. But I will reread a book, especially if I'm, like, go through a period of time where I'm not reading a lot and I need to, like, retrain myself. I'll read something that I've already read. Cause I know I'm gonna.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's a smart way to get yourself back into it.

[Alison Tolman]

And then I, like, get back into the habit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

So right now I'm somewhere between rereading and reading something new. Because it's been so long since I've read this book. It's called Boys Life. It's by Robert R. McGammon. It's a big fat recommend.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It, though.

[Alison Tolman]

Fiction. Yes. Yeah. I mean, I did when I was 23. I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're going to find some very problematic things. What if I do?

[Alison Tolman]

Isn't that the way that is? You're like, you have to watch this movie. And then you're watching a movie with your friend and you're like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, oh, terrible feeling introducing somebody to a movie.

[Alison Tolman]

It's soul leaving your body when you're like, I forgot they used that word. I'm so sorry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, the worst.

[Alison Tolman]

The worst.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And even, like, if I'm like, you have to watch this movie. It's so funny. And then I sit down with someone and they're not laughing.

[Alison Tolman]

It's.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's okay.

[Alison Tolman]

So much pressure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, it's an enormous.

[Alison Tolman]

So much pressure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'll recommend a movie, but I will not show someone a movie. I can't do it.

[Alison Tolman]

That's watching them watch it. It's torture for everyone. It's torture for everyone.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The expectations are through the roof for both of you. And then you feel like they're resenting you. And now you're starting to hate the movie because it's creating this issue.

[Alison Tolman]

We have the same personality, Richard. Like, this is all about me and you hate it. My ego is huge, but also my self esteem is low.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, no. I've got us pegged.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah.

[Alison Tolman]

That's tough.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, is there anything left to say about this gorgeous book? I love just the. Is that like a dusty rose color?

[Alison Tolman]

It's like ombre color, right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, it's really beautiful.

[Alison Tolman]

Like I said, I have these on my coffee table and this one is on the top because I think it's the prettiest of them all.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is also satisfying to have on coffee table because coffee table books are so massive, you can't get through it. Visitor can. You can just plow through a book.

[Alison Tolman]

You can just. You flip through that. Sometimes I will be like, hey, while you're waiting, read that book.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you live in a doctor's office?

[Alison Tolman]

This is me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're a pediatrician.

[Alison Tolman]

While I'm getting ready to go out, I make my friends and my dates alike wait upstairs. Help yourself to a beer, I say. And then I ascend.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I need to make people wait more often.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, it's great. It's a great power move.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It really is.

[Alison Tolman]

But you need both books. Short books.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm constantly on time. No, that's the old me. That's the old me, yeah. Good. Well, I feel like we should play a game.

[Alison Tolman]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We're gonna play a game called gift or a curse. But I need a number between one and 10 from you.

[Alison Tolman]

Seven.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. I have to do some light calculating to get our game pieces. So right now, sing a song while you're. Sing a song that we don't have the rights to.

[Alison Tolman]

We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, you can recommend, promote, do whatever you want. I'll be right back.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, I will recommend and promote. Well, let's see. St. Denis Medical. My show on NBC is still airing. We're almost done with this season, but we've got a little bit left. It's on Mondays at 8pm on NBC. And the next day on Peacock, St. Denis Medical, everyone's favorite medical sitcom.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's the Pit.

[Alison Tolman]

Thanks, guys.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Sorry. That's a laugh a minute, to be fair.

[Alison Tolman]

Hilarious. Hilarious.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I can't watch the Pit.

[Alison Tolman]

Talk about Sam Raimi.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I can't be. I can't watch, like, a miserable hospital show is tough for me to like, realistic. I'm just like.

[Alison Tolman]

I will say I. What I like about the Pit is that it is pretty neutral. Like, they're just like. You know what I mean? Like, there are so many hospital shows.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Where they really are, like, pure gore.

[Alison Tolman]

Pure, like, shock value.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right?

[Alison Tolman]

But on the Pit, they're like, man, something's wrong with this guy's eye. We're going to have to lance it. And then they're like, we're going to lance it now. We're gonna show you. And you're like, no way. They're gonna show. They do. They're gonna show you. You know it's coming. They tell you it's coming. It's no big deal. They do this every day. Bridger.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I can't deal with it. It's too much. No, I need a St. Denis where everyone. Where we're not seeing too much gore.

[Alison Tolman]

Not too much gore. Mostly hijinks. Who stole his lunch.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Not as much tragedy. It's whatever. But Everybody go watch St. Denis Medical and do what you want with the Pit. Look, God bless everyone on the Pit, and I love a return to an episodic television.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes, it is very old school.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We love it, but I can't be in a hospital like that. I'm gonna end up in one at some point.

[Alison Tolman]

No, come to our hospital. Come to St. Denis.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right, this is how we play. Gift or a curse? I'm going to name three things. You'll tell me if they're a gift or a curse and why.

[Alison Tolman]

Okay?

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then I'll tell you if you're right or wrong, because there are correct answers. You could walk away a winner or a loser. Be careful.

[Alison Tolman]

Okay?

[Bridger Weiniger]

All Right. These are all from our Patreon listeners today. This first one, this listener told me how to pronounce their name. And it's Lara.

[Alison Tolman]

Ooh.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's L, A, U, R, A, but with a rolled R. Some sort of Scandinavian situation, I think, which is interesting, but gift or a curse? Being invited to a dinner party in a group text and you ask, what can we bring? And the host says, nothing. And you show up empty handed. But everyone else there has brought something.

[Alison Tolman]

Gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Why?

[Alison Tolman]

Because I actually, for someone on an I said no gifts podcast, I am not a gift giver. I really am not. Like, if I see something that's, like, perfect for someone, then I will get it. But I don't really. I don't give gifts by default. And if you tell me to bring nothing, I'm gonna take you at your word. And I'm gonna assume you told everyone else the same thing and they did not obey. This is where the conceit of this podcast doesn't match up with my actual personality. Because if you said no gifts, I would absolutely obey you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Likewise.

[Alison Tolman]

I'd be like, great coming empty handed.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's an absolute gift. You're right. I mean, we are the same person. You told me. Yeah, I'm doing enough by just showing up.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, you're welcome. And I really mean it. Do I need to bring anything? I'll stop. I'll get whatever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Totally. Yes.

[Alison Tolman]

But it's a contract. You have to trust they're gonna tell you if you should bring something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Absolutely. And when you say nothing, I'm like, thank God.

[Alison Tolman]

Sometimes when you bring something, like, I don't know, like, what if they have their wine picked out? What if they have a whole plan for the meal? What if they don't want your biscuits on the. You know, I just think we should trust people. I think we should trust when they say, no, thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Everyone should be honest with their feelings. That's what I feel.

[Alison Tolman]

Be a good communicator and be a good communicator.

[Bridger Weiniger]

In the end, unlike the rest of these people pleasers that showed up with things, they're also desperate to be the winner.

[Alison Tolman]

I would not feel bad and I would feel smug. That's how I would feel.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Absolutely. I'm really. I'm especially bad with wine. If I show up with wine, I know it's not going to be anyone's favorite, and then they're going to just be like, oh, thanks. And then it's clutter in their home.

[Alison Tolman]

It goes into the cabinet for them to take somewhere Else.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Somewhere else.

[Alison Tolman]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And it was probably brought to my house by someone else. There's probably one bottle of wine that's probably hundreds of years old that's just been passed around from party to party, probably. And it's probably very good right now.

[Alison Tolman]

Now it's good now. With that said, if I'm going somewhere where I don't know exactly, I will bring a bottle of wine.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, like if somebody. There's no if.

[Alison Tolman]

I don't know the person to be like, what's. You know, like, if I was going to, like a party with a friend or something, or I would be like, should we bring a bottle of wine?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, I'll bring something.

[Alison Tolman]

I want to do what is correct. I'm just going to assume that what is correct is what you've told me to do. If you've told me not to bring anything, I'm going to believe you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And if there's no rule I'll be.

[Alison Tolman]

Sometimes I'll default to bring a lesser bare minimum. Bare minimum. Exactly. Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, you got one right so far. Very good. Second, this is from a listener named Ruth. Gift or a curse? Calling a lunch event a luncheon.

[Alison Tolman]

Gift. Yeah. Let's elevate things, right? Luncheon. Yeah. I mean, it doesn't. I don't think it doesn't. It doesn't hurt anything to call a lunch event a luncheon makes me feel like maybe we should be wearing, like, little white gloves. But again, put it on the invite. If that's true, tell me what's.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wear gloves.

[Alison Tolman]

Tell me what's expected of me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

If an invite said wear gloves, I'm probably not going to show what's happening.

[Alison Tolman]

Shan't be there. Shan't do it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What are we going to be doing?

[Alison Tolman]

But I feel like it doesn't. The changing of a lunch event to calling it a luncheon does not inherently, to me signal that it's like extra fancy or anything. I just think it's like a fun. Different name.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, I'm into it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Correct. It's a gift. It's a gift. I love a luncheon.

[Alison Tolman]

You're killing it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm not getting invited to enough luncheons.

[Alison Tolman]

No, we should have more luncheons.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Absolutely.

[Alison Tolman]

Also, we should just call lunch. Luncheon.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Luncheon.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What do you think?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like luncheon, to me is like, it's really laying out. This is going to be more than 45 minutes to an hour. This will be two to three hours. It's going to be slightly classier. Maybe there will Be like a jar of lemonade or something.

[Alison Tolman]

I hope so.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like, why not call it a lunch?

[Alison Tolman]

I love this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a way better word.

[Alison Tolman]

It's delightful is what it is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Lunch is for slobs.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes. Luncheon is for ladies. Get your white gloves on.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'll be there. Okay. You've gotten two rights so far. This is pretty impressive.

[Alison Tolman]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And finally, this is from a listener named Ryan. Gift or a curse? Every streaming service having a documentary about the same subject.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, I know it's a curse, but I love it. I know it's a curse, but I treat it like a gift. Well, okay. If it's a subject I'm interested in. If it's a subject I'm not interested in, I just won't watch either. But I watched the Fyre Fest documentary. I watched both of them in a day. I wanted to know. And I'm fascinated by, like, you got that guy? Why does he just like Hulu more? Did you pay him more? Like, how did you get that guy on this one and not on the other one? I love seeing, like, what holes they've left in the story. I don't know. I think it really pulls back the curtain on, like, you know, documentaries are not really altruistic. They're also just films.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Someone's career.

[Alison Tolman]

Someone's career, you know? And so, I don't know. I really like the compare and contrast of it. I think it's cool.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Correct. You won the game. You got three out of three.

[Alison Tolman]

I'm so happy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Look, it's a huge pain, and it's very much like collecting baseball cards at this point.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But I love it. I'm getting every possible angle.

[Alison Tolman]

Every possible angle.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They are juicing these things. And so a lot of documentaries are bad at this point. So if you saw the bad one, you just hop over to another streaming service, you might get a better version of it.

[Alison Tolman]

What really helps is, like, if someone else has watched it first and they can tell you which one to watch first.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah, of course. And then you can. If you like it, you can go into the others.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. They're like, watch this one first. And then this is the companion piece or whatever. And sometimes, I mean, it does really does make you see how produced some are. You know what I mean?

[Bridger Weiniger]

They're getting the people to act.

[Alison Tolman]

There was one of the Nexium. Nexium.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Nexium. There was still. Can we just be clear? That's also a medicine. Is that true?

[Alison Tolman]

Is it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is there a medicine called Nexium?

[Alison Tolman]

They probably spell it differently. Let's not. Yeah, there is. Oh, no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How did that happen?

[Alison Tolman]

What's it for? I think it treats heartburn. I was gonna say it's. Yeah. Something which came first, which did come well. The Nixxiom. Is it Nixxiom? Is that how they say it? Yeah, I think so, too. I saw. Anyway, I saw one of the. After, like, the big HBO one. There was, like, another one and I was like, this is deeply weird. It was just weird. Like, the way it seemed like she was reading off of cue cards. It wasn't like, extemporaneous speaking. I was like, this is so bizarre.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Interesting.

[Alison Tolman]

And so I was like, well, this is not. I feel like this is not a trustworthy source.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, whatever's happening here, someone has an agenda.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, someone has an agenda. It didn't feel like a documentary.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It felt like somebody's trying to get some drama going or something. Yeah, it was fascinating, but it was interesting nonetheless.

[Alison Tolman]

It was interesting to see the difference.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love these things. I still have a Ruby. Frankie, one left me. Have you watched any of these?

[Alison Tolman]

I've heard the new one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, I've heard the new one's really good.

[Alison Tolman]

I have not watched that one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you seen the Hulu one?

[Alison Tolman]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, it's one of the most crazy things I've ever seen.

[Alison Tolman]

Insane.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Every 10 seconds it's more wild.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. I have not watched the new one. Oops, sorry. Microphone. I have not watched the new one. I just started the Andrea Yates one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What happened? Oh, that's one reason.

[Alison Tolman]

Right. That's too dark for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I'm gonna watch it.

[Alison Tolman]

It's very dark. That was. I mean. Yeah. Very, very dark story. That's the woman who killed all of her children because she was having postpartum psychosis.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. And it was with the van.

[Alison Tolman]

No, in the bathtub.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that was the one with the van.

[Alison Tolman]

That was.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Didn't somebody drive a van into a lake or something?

[Alison Tolman]

Susan Smith drove her sedan into a lake and there was a people's family on vacation. You're right that there was a van that, like. I don't know. Listen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, then there was. There's something wrong with Aunt Diane. Everything is terrible.

[Alison Tolman]

Something wrong with Aunt Diane.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And she was in a van.

[Alison Tolman]

That is such a good story, too. You're like, what is happening?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Alison Tolman]

What happened?

[Bridger Weiniger]

What happened? We know something's wrong.

[Alison Tolman]

I have to believe that when we die, true crime fans, we find out who killed Joan Benet, we find out what was going on with Anti Ann. We Just like, we're flooded with information.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And we're like, it all makes so much sense.

[Alison Tolman]

I just want to know. I just want to know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, we just want an answer. I just want an answer to just bizarre human behavior.

[Alison Tolman]

Just unexplainable mysteries.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, the Ruby Frankie one, I feel like it's pretty clear what's happening with what's her name.

[Alison Tolman]

It's obvious what's going on with Ruby Frank. There's nothing unexplained there, but some of these stories are. I mean, they really are. Like, what happened? What's going on?

[Bridger Weiniger]

What happened with the brain?

[Alison Tolman]

What happened?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Alison Tolman]

I love this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Maybe this other documentary will have something to say. Did you know that that compound was on Zillow?

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, no. I mean, it's in a beautiful neighborhood.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

One of the most beautiful neighborhoods in America.

[Alison Tolman]

Do they have to disclose that? I guess.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Show the pictures of the dungeon?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, beautifully taken photos of a dungeon. Oh, God. So it's a.

[Alison Tolman]

Maybe people want a sex room.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, the whole thing. You probably don't have to disclose, right?

[Alison Tolman]

I wouldn't think so.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Imagine sitting in your beautiful mansion in Southern Utah, watching a documentary and being like, oh, wait, this house looks familiar to me.

[Alison Tolman]

Hang on a tick.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wait, that's my dungeon.

[Alison Tolman]

That's my. That's our sex room. That's our red room. Aww, that would be terrible.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I don't know what I feel like. We've talked about death disclosure with houses on this podcast before, and I think.

[Alison Tolman]

It'S on everyone's mind.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's not. You don't have to disclose if someone died in a house.

[Alison Tolman]

I think you do.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You don't. Only in some states, I think.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, really?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. In other states, you can just simply sell the haunted house and move on.

[Alison Tolman]

I think you have to. In California, I think you have to sell the house.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think that's right.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like there are a couple.

[Alison Tolman]

Where I think you should. I mean, I guess. I don't know that I. I don't know that it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think that's added value.

[Alison Tolman]

What was I watching where someone was like, I can't buy a house that's older than you know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's smart.

[Alison Tolman]

More than 75 years old or something. Because they were like, it's gonna be haunted as shit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

My house, I think, is over 100 years old.

[Alison Tolman]

Is it haunted?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No.

[Alison Tolman]

You don't think so?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I haven't noticed this thing. It's a rip. I got ripped off. Where are the ghosts why buy a house? That's that old point.

[Alison Tolman]

Well, maybe you just haven't done the right thing to make them angry yet.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting. Okay, I'm gonna start experimenting. I just need to unfinish some of their business for something. Remind them they're like resting.

[Alison Tolman]

We're happy. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, you got. I mean, you won the game. That's incredible.

[Alison Tolman]

Thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

God bless all of us. There are very few winners on this podcast.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes, we're like minded.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Alison Tolman]

I think. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Good for you.

[Alison Tolman]

Fast friends.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And now Alice has one gift or a curse they're going to do for us and we both have to speak to it.

[Alison Tolman]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then I guess Ellis has the correct answer. We'll see.

[Alison Tolman]

Gift or a curse? Wii Sports.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wii Sports. Do you remember Wii Sports? I do. Do you want to.

[Alison Tolman]

Um. I will do it. I think they might be a curse, you guys. And this is said with the like Brechtian gift of remove with time. Cause I had a Wii and I played the Wii Sports and I had Wii Fit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, of course.

[Alison Tolman]

Which is the Wii Fit is. Is and was a terrible tool. Terrible.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I got kind of the sequel to that called Ring Fit Adventure.

[Alison Tolman]

What is that?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It saved me during the pandemic.

[Alison Tolman]

Really?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's like a ring. You squeeze and do all sorts of stuff. It was incred.

[Alison Tolman]

I mean, home workouts have come a long way since. Since Wii Sports was a thing. I mean, and maybe they're still a thing. I don't still have.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And Wii Fitness. It was like a board you stood on or something.

[Alison Tolman]

It was like a board that you stood on and it would weigh you, but it would also like test your balance and stuff. Yeah. I just remember, like my roommate and I at the time in Chicago both had accounts and I was on it one day and it was like, hey, Allison, it's been a while since Danielle's done this. Maybe you should talk. Maybe you should talk to her. And I was like, what the fuck?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's starting drama.

[Alison Tolman]

It started and it had like her little icon was like looking sad. And I was like, what is happening?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Confront your roommate.

[Alison Tolman]

Confront your roommate. The shoe chubby. I was like, what is going on? So listen, I think, Listen. Wii Sports is catching some strays for me because I feel like Wii Fit was maybe of the devil, but that's how I feel. That's how I feel.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I had no idea. That's such a bad idea.

[Alison Tolman]

It's so fucked up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That probably ruined families.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That probably led to a lot of divorces.

[Alison Tolman]

A lot of divorces. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And maybe some of those divorces needed to happen. They might have needed to. And it was just the final straw.

[Alison Tolman]

Good work, Donna. She needed.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Good for you.

[Alison Tolman]

Good for you, Donna.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, so you said curse.

[Alison Tolman]

I said curse.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think gifts. I love the Wii Sports. I love the bowling, the golf, the. Was it tennis? I think tennis. People were throwing their remotes at their tv.

[Alison Tolman]

Throwing their televisions.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It was getting seniors up at the senior home. We were all playing it for, like, three months. And then we're no longer thinking about it ever again. Of course, it's all kind of always. Whenever I hear the word we, it goes back to that woman who drank off the water to win one and died, which was a tough situation.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you remember this?

[Odoo Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Radio station was making people drink it.

[Alison Tolman]

She had, like. She got, like, water toxicity or whatever they call it. I do remember this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think we've come a little ways as a society since then.

[Alison Tolman]

The point was that she had to hold.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, it's called hold your wee for we.

[Alison Tolman]

Right. So she had to drink a bunch of water and not pee.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Avoid a biological function to win a piece of electronics. Wow. So that comes up.

[Alison Tolman]

That was a rough time.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You know, the we was a complicated device. We all have complicated histories with the Wii. But ultimately, I thought it was a lot of fun.

[Alison Tolman]

That's fair.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And we were doing the bowling.

[Alison Tolman]

That there was a lot of bowling. I will say it was nice to have an event to do when everyone was together, you know?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. A kind of Guitar Hero type.

[Alison Tolman]

I loved Guitar Hero.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I just, in the last couple of years, bought a new Guitar Hero.

[Alison Tolman]

Did you really?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Had the time of my life and now it's back in my closet But I had the time of my life yeah. The song selection was bad this time.

[Alison Tolman]

I know. I really like just dance, too.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I never did just dance.

[Alison Tolman]

Just dance, I thought was really fun.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Did you actually have to know the moves?

[Alison Tolman]

No. Follow along with someone.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But did it know you were doing the moves?

[Alison Tolman]

If you held the we, you'd hold the we things. And so then it could follow your hands, ostensibly. Oh, and be like, wrong. Correct.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you feel like it made you a better dancer?

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're the dancer you are today.

[Alison Tolman]

Now I'm a professional. It made me the woman and the dancer I am today.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, well, I said gift, she said curse.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, my God. They're a gift. Come on. I mean, think about this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ellis is correct.

[Alison Tolman]

Ellis finally trusted you on November 19, 2006. The playing field was leveled. You didn't have to Be good at sports. Cause it wasn't really sports. Everybody could come together, pretend to play bowling. Like you were saying, Alison. Like your. The thing flies off of your wrist, hits grandma in the face. I mean, like, it really did create some excitement and bring us all together as friends and family. So. Yeah. Yes. We. We barely knew her. Yeah. Wow.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, I won. Good for me.

[Alison Tolman]

Good for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right, we should answer a listener question. People are writing into. I saidnogiftsmail.com Will you help me answer a question?

[Alison Tolman]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, let me open the correct document here. Oh, this is rude. It says, hi, Bridger and potentially useful guest.

[Alison Tolman]

How dare you?

[Bridger Weiniger]

You can answer this however you want.

[Alison Tolman]

I'm gonna answer it with fury.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Screamed. It's gonna ruin the audio. Okay. It says, I'm trying to find a birthday present for my partner whose birthday is in late January. Well, I guess next January. He's a difficult person to shop for because he just buys himself everything he wants. For example, he once bought a SodaStream and then bought a new one only weeks after in a different color to better match his kitchen. The first one still works perfectly fine. I feel like I spend all year mulling over gifts to give him just to have Christmas and his birthday roll around all at once. It's a night nightmare. This person's life is hell. A little about him. His hobbies are embroidery, camping, DJing, yoga, skateboarding, true crime cooking, and making frozen margaritas. And yes, he has a frozen Marg machine. Marg. Marg machine. He has a frozen Marg machine. Now I'm mad. Now I'm start screaming. The man owns everything. The best idea I have so far is just something universally crowd pleasing, like comfy pajamas, but it just doesn't feel personal enough. As a benchmark for Christmas, I got him a pair of vintage Raptors basketball shorts. Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Cheers, Carolyn. Okay, Carolyn. So the boyfriend has bought everything.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, that's hard when you have someone who can and does buy themselves from day one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Another adult.

[Alison Tolman]

Another adult. Just like buying presents for your parents. I'm always like, I don't know, they've got what they want and need.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I gave up a long time ago.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, I don't really. Unless again, unless I'm like, dad would love this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Alison Tolman]

You know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Alison Tolman]

I mean, I think it's interesting. Like everything that Carolyn listed is like a physical thing, but there's also, you know, coupon. Like you can buy them a massage, you can get them a membership at a woodworking shop where they can go in and like, learn how to build things or whatever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Play a psychological game. Yes. Okay.

[Alison Tolman]

Yes. Okay, we're. Listen, we're spitballing, we're riffing here. No bad ideas. Ideas. I mean, I. I guess when I get into a situation, situation like that, I try to think like, what's something that this person wouldn't buy for themselves? And a lot of times it's like, now you have to take a pause and go do this, or I'm giving you, you know, airline miles. Go visit your best friend in Boston.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's a nice gift.

[Alison Tolman]

You know what I mean?

[Bridger Weiniger]

That kind of surgery.

[Alison Tolman]

Okay, again, no bad ideas. This is good. Keep. That's good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Keep going. Okay, let's keep going here.

[Alison Tolman]

Surgery.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Some type of sickness.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah, yeah, but it's hard too, because you don't like. You can't be like, I'm gonna get you some Botox. Because they're like, do I need Botox? You know, you can't get them late.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, you get them to that by, you know, kind of lightly insulting them through the year.

[Alison Tolman]

Start now for next January.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Take their self confidence to a place where they're going to be so thrilled for this new surgery.

[Alison Tolman]

Oh, God, I do need a procedure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, Carolyn is saying he's bought himself two SodaStreams. He obviously loves that device. Yes. Why not a third? Matches bathroom, Matches. Car.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. In the office.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Soda Stream in the car. Can you imagine?

[Alison Tolman]

Ooh, is this a thing that feels.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like something you could have in the trunk?

[Alison Tolman]

At the very least, another Bridger business idea. My God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Trunk Stream.

[Alison Tolman]

Trunk Stream. I love it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

God, the amount of money I should be making on all of my ideas. I could leave this podcast forever.

[Alison Tolman]

I have to sneak it into the contract so they're legally binding.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, exactly. Right. It's going to take all these ideas and go to Shark Tank, and I'm gonna be continuing to struggle and I'm struggling here. No one steal Trunk Stream.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you own a SodaStream?

[Alison Tolman]

I don't own a SodaStream.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't either.

[Alison Tolman]

I was thinking about it the other day. Cause I got some Topo chicos and like these beautiful glass bottles. And I was like, wait, am I the villain? It's like, should I not have bought these?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love those.

[Alison Tolman]

It's just more waste. And I was like, oh, is this why people own SodaStreams so that you're new?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, SodaStreams are more waste.

[Alison Tolman]

Are they? Because I don't. Genuinely don't know. I mean, there's like a pod in them or something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, look, SodaStream. Reach out. But what I'm thinking is this is something given in a. Yeah. I'll wear the T shirts. I'll drive the car. You can wrap my car. I feel like a lot of these are being given as gifts at, like, weddings to people who don't want them. Then it's a piece of plastic.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then I'm imagining however it's sold is probably another piece of plastic.

[Alison Tolman]

People swear by them, but I don't. I mean, I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Who swears by a soda Stream?

[Alison Tolman]

People from 2017.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, I might. Maybe I should try one.

[Alison Tolman]

Maybe we should try it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think it might be fun. Though I do prefer, like, a. A soda out of a fountain to a can, so I wonder if this would be more of that experience.

[Alison Tolman]

Yeah. More bubbles, More bubbles. Extra bubbles.

[Bridger Weiniger]

More bubbles. Yeah. But I also love a Topo Chico.

[Alison Tolman]

Topo Chico.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love the bottle. They've killed it with that bottle.

[Alison Tolman]

They've killed it with that bottle. It reminds me of Texas. I love them.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I was told by my boyfriend yesterday that it is, and this could, may or may not be true. Ellis, if you want to fact check this, he told me it's the water with the most, I think, forever Chemicals in it.

[Alison Tolman]

Ooh. That's what they're called.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Which sounds actually very romantic to me. Forever Chemicals.

[Alison Tolman]

It's very K Jewelry. Yes. He went to Forever Chemicals this Christmas. Love them enough to give them forever Chemicals.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That may or may not be true. I should say that for legal reasons. Everyone do Europe. We don't know. Well, don't do. Now, I don't want to say do your own research, because.

[Alison Tolman]

Leave it alone. Forget it. It's on now. It's in the wind.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ask your doctor.

[Alison Tolman]

You need to learn hypnosis for this show so you can just snap your fingers and people will forget the thing that you just accidentally said.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ooh, that's a.

[Alison Tolman]

That's a worthwhile skill.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. That could lead to me having more power. I need more. While we answered the question perfectly, Carolyn. Never right back. In.

[Alison Tolman]

The end.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've got my book. I'm so thrilled. I've got the end of a trilogy. So now I have to go back.

[Alison Tolman]

In order to figure out why you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Can build your collection, why this rich world is as it is. You know, this is the. What's the final one in Lord of the Rings? The Return of the King. This is my Return of the King.

[Alison Tolman]

This is your Return of the King? You're working backwards.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've had Such a lovely time with you.

[Alison Tolman]

Me too. Thank you for having me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Thank you. And listener. The podcast, is it over? We're going to go for another hour. No, I'm kidding. What if that happened? I'm kidding. No, but someday I'm gonna do that and the guest is going to die quietly.

[Alison Tolman]

Sneak out. You hear me fumbling for the door?

[Bridger Weiniger]

No. Listen to the podcast is over. I'm sorry to break it to you. And I'm sorry that I surprised you with that little thinking of we're gonna go for another hour. That's your fault for believing anything I say. Move on with your day. I love you. Goodbye. I Said no Gifts is an exactly right production. Our senior producer is Ellis Nelson and our episodes are beautifully mixed by Ben Tolliday. The theme song is by miracle worker Amy Mann. And we couldn't do it without our booker, Patrick Cotner. You must follow the show on Instagram @ice said no gifts. That's where you're going to see pictures of all these wonderful gifts I'm getting. And don't you want to see the gifts?

[Alison Tolman]

But I invited you here. Thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, you gotta come to me empty handed. I said no gifts. Yes, your presence is present enough and I already had too much stuff, so how do you dare disobey me?

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[Alison Tolman]

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